The Booker Prize Longlist 2026

Hello Gentle Reader,

For a while now, the Booker Prize has become less interesting. Even before its doors were open to American writers, the Booker Prize had often slid into a cycle of awarding and recognizing previous winners or well established, lauded and honoured writers, often pushing out or squeezing up and coming writers from the table. Which is ironic, considering the prizes ability to circumvent and defy expectations; Anita Brookner’s win remains one of those stellar moments of pulling the rug out beneath the literary establishment’s feet. This year, however, was perhaps the first time in a very long time that I saw potential in quite a few publications coming out, and hoped they would at least be acknowledged on this year’s longlist. Sadly, they did not cut the mark. Before the lamentations though, here is this years Booker Prize Longlist (in no particular order):

            Marlon James – “The Disappears,”
            Gwendoline Riley – “The Palm House,”
            Djamel White – “All Them Dogs,”
            Makenna Goodman – “Helen of Nowhere,”
            Luke Kennard – “Black Bag,”
            M. John Harrison – “The End of Everything,”
            Elizabeth Strout – “The Things We Never Say,”
            Kenan Orhan – “The Renovation,”
            Rebecca Perry – “May We Feed the King,”
            Chloe Aridjis – “The Shadow of the Object,”
            Emma Cline – “Switzy,”
            Missouri Williams – “The Vivisectors,”
            Douglas Stuart – “John of John,”

Included on this year’s longlist are two previous winners, Marlon James and Douglas Stuart. If either writer wins again, they would join a small cohort of writers who have won the Booker Prize twice, whose ranks include: J.M. Coetzee, Peter Carey, Hilary Mantel and Margaret Atwood. There is no surprise in finding Elizabeth Strout nominated once again, after having previously been nominated twice before. This time, however, Strout provides a survey of the contemporary American society, one infected and infested with the rhetoric and antics of a president whose boisterous demeanor is equally matched by his demented demagoguery, which is further parroted by his sycophant acolytes insulating his echo chamber of insularity.

The inclusion of M. John Harrison and his novel “The End of Everything,” is both baffling and praiseworthy. As if the Booker Prize is slowly rehabilitating its image from the connoisseurs of literary snobbery that it is known for. Even their website pushed back against the term ‘literary fiction,’ in attempt to come across as egalitarian in scope. This is where M. John Harrison would raise a few eyebrows, as the author is a staunch science fiction writer, and the novel “The End of Everything,” is a dystopian vision which does not dilute its otherworldly perspective in the slightest. What M. John Harrison succeeds at, however, is crafting a novel that does not behave like the typical dystopian fiction. Rather than autopsying a world in ruin, Harrison provides a guided tour and meditation of what the end really looks like in the obsolesce of time and the erosion of memory and events. “The End of Everything,” may be read as a parable of the sustained and quiet disintegration of now. Bleak and unflinching in its dreamlike exposition. Whether or not the novel reaches the shortlist like Alan Garners oddity of a gem “Treacle Walker,” or remains sanctioned to the longlist like Susanna Clarke’s regency postmodern fantasy “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell,” is yet to be seen.

For a prize that is renowned for being asphyxiatingly closed off at times, it is always a delight to find debut writers receiving some acknowledgement for their efforts. Especially in the case of Djamel White and his novel “All Them Dogs,” which has become a word-of-mouth sensation. A sleek noir gangster thriller laced through with eroticism, which runs counter to the hypermasculine and violent world that gangs and gangers inhabit. Certainly, an interesting inductee on this year’s longlist. Hopefully “All Them Dogs,” is included on the shortlist.

For every longlisted writer, there are always others who have been left out in the cold. It came as quite a surprise to see many potential writers denied their spot on the longlist. Deborah Levy, the dark horse of contemporary English literature, returns with her new novel “My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein.” Deborah Levy is no mere breath of fresh air, but a bolt from a blue. The resuscitating jolt to kickstart a literary industry that is not only flatlined and stagnate but anemic. Seeing Levy shortchanged from the longlist, perpetuates and confirms the literary worlds resignation to remain in a state of disrepair. Which is why it is equally infuriating to see Ali Smith also denied a seat on the longlist with her novel “Glyph,” as Smith is yet another titan of playful experimentation who appears to be left shouldering the weight of keeping English language literature interesting, beyond the flattened uniform prose of todays generation of writers. It is difficult to imagine a contemporary writer who has been as daring and playful as Ali Smith, whose equally as engaged with the immediate concerns of today. Another writer, many expected to see on this year’s longlist was the previous winner Yann Martell with his postmodernist novel “Son of Nobody,” which recounts an academic working on deciphering a fictional ancient poem recounting and documenting the Trojan War, while surveying his own heartbreak and martial breakdown. Despite being called ‘structurally problematic,’ many expected to see what has been called one of this year’s more daring novels highlighted on the Booker’s longlist.

The one that annoyed me the most for not being included is Melissa Harrisons novel “The Given World.” Having first learned about Melissa Harrison via other nature writers such as John Lewis-Stempel, I’ve grown increasingly curious about her, and her celebration of the English countryside in a vein that is reminiscent of Ronald Blythe and J.L. Carr (via a “A Month in the Country,”), but Melissa Harrison doesn’t just celebrate the wonder and beauty of this perceived and propagated idyll, her attention has turned towards the mounting evidence of a human created climate catastrophe, which is only just starting to ramp up in extreme weather events and ecological disasters. “The Given World,” was heralded as a modern day “Under Milk Wood,” by critics, and I looked forward to seeing this polyphonic novel included on the longlist (at minimum). Sadly, much like “Helm,” by Sarah Hall last year, Melissa Harrison was snubbed this year, and I find myself gnashing my teeth together in a fury. Regardless, I look forward to purchasing “The Given World,” and reading it, after I get through my current overdue pile of books to read. To Melissa Harrison, keep the faith, by all accounts what I have read so far is “The Given World,” is a generous warm and engaging read capturing a world subtly in flux and teetering on the brink of ecological adjustment and irreversible change.

It is, however, disheartening and disappointing to see Howard Jacobson’s novel “Howl,” sidestepped for the award, though not surprising. Say what you may say regarding the current conflict in the Middle East, the rise of antisemitism in the world is as palpable and as suffocating as the wildfire smoke choking out the sky. “Howl,” is a novel of nuance and complexity, doing what great literature should do, which is grappling with complex atrocities, social perspectives and personal perspectives. “Howl,” is a deeply uncomfortable novel, which will ultimately outrage and inflame the youth of today, whose ignitable indignation is tinder dry and always waiting on standby for the newest spark to unleash their explosive righteousness. The novels depiction of a man living in maddening times of virulent extremism, decried as being a coward one minute and a supporter of genocide the next. What saves it from wading into the septic ruins of a political novel, is Jacobson has always a maintained distance via a dark comedic wit, “Howl,” is no different. The notion of Jewishness is more complicated now then it has in the postwar period. Though it does more then that, perhaps Jacobson grapples with the political volatility of what is best described as: now. The onslaught of madness. The pantomime of political theatre of everything. The basic virtues of decency and goodness, now commodified like a carnival token to win a cheap prize. Shrinking away from these works and their discussions is not only an act of cowardice, but endorsing de facto self-censorship in order to placate social cohesion. Literature and literary awards should never shrink away from controversy because it may upset someone else.

Other omitted titles that raised a few eyebrows included Ben Lerner’s novel “Transcription,” which recently won the George Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and has recently been praised as one of the best novels of the year. “The Correspondent,” by Virginia Evans was equally rumoured to be a potential longlisted title after winning the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Another novel that became a success through word of mouth amongst readers. What makes “The Correspondent,” even more unique is it returns to the epistolary form. After the original snub of “Hamnet,” in 2020 and its glowing Oscar reception of its film adaption, many expected the Booker Prize to induct Maggie O'Farrell onto the longlist with her recent novel “Land,” recounting the story of a surveyor and his son, capturing the cartography of an Ireland prior to The Great Hunger and the devastation left in the famines wake. It has been praised as a poignant well-researched and personal novel, which tackles themes of the historical injustices perpetrated of an imperial and colonial age, which are très à la mode today. The ironic consequence and rationale, as to why these writers and their novels may not have been included, can be speculated to be the reasoning of predictability. Afterall, Lerner’s novel “Transcription,” has already been declared one of the year’s best, and is speculated to be a Pulitzer candidate next year; while, “The Correspondent,” already won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and can the Booker Prize really compete with the afterglow of an Oscar win of a film adaption? This, however, is just pure speculation and satire on my part. Regardless of the reasons, the judges inevitably have to compromise with one another and this will always mean trade offs and exchanges. A game of accountancy. One book at the cost of two, until finally it’s a begrudgingly agreeable list of 13.

There it is though, this year’s longlist for the Booker Prize. Congratulations to this year’s writers, it’s certainly an interesting list, which seeks to placate the established and rise up the new. Pity, some great novels and writers didn’t quite pass the butcher’s block.

 

Thank you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
 
M. Mary