The Booker Prize 2026 longlist features a 28-year-old debut novelist and an 81-year-old literary veteran, highlighting a striking generational range among the 13-book 'Booker Dozen'. Djamel White, 28, earns his place with his debut novel All Them Dogs, which emerged from his short story Blue Opel. He left school at 17, volunteered with the Irish non-profit Fighting Words, and later earned an MFA in Creative Writing at University College Dublin.
At the other end of the spectrum is 81-year-old M. John Harrison, longlisted for his 13th novel, The End of Everything. Harrison, a former Booker judge in 2022, could become the oldest winner in the prize's history if he triumphs – a record currently held by Margaret Atwood, who was 79 when she won in 2019.
Judges' Selection Process
Chosen from 163 submissions by a judging panel chaired by classicist and broadcaster Mary Beard, the longlist reflects an incredible variety of styles, themes, and form. Discussing the selection process, Beard said: “It’s been an extraordinary seven months. The five Booker judges have each read 163 books, discussed and debated them, and sometimes re-read them, to whittle them down to a longlist of just 13.”
Beard added: “I would not be telling the truth if I said that I hadn’t occasionally felt daunted, as a new box of 30 or so gleaming volumes landed on my doorstep. Just think: if you include the re-reading and the occasional day off, you have to average a book a day to get through the total. But what I shall most remember is the eye-opening pleasure of it all, and what I learnt about reading and the power of fiction from my fellow judges.”
Beard further commented: “Great books have never been written to a single formula. We are confident that our longlist of books has something for everyone... Great books are not cosy. In their various ways, the novels we have chosen are (we hope) dynamite.”
Foundation CEO's Reaction
Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, echoed this enthusiasm, saying: “I’m delighted to have witnessed this year’s erudite, entertaining judges in action over the course of this year. Their range of tastes, openness of mind and rich discussions have resulted in a list that shows how capacious an art form the novel is... The 2026 longlist rewards risk: it is full of genuinely original work, and has human fingerprints all over it.”
Full Longlist and Key Dates
Alongside White and Harrison, the longlist features former winners Marlon James (The Disappearers) and Douglas Stuart (John of John), three-time nominee Elizabeth Strout (The Things We Never Say), and fellow debutants Kenan Orhan (The Renovation) and Rebecca Perry (May We Feed the King). The complete 2026 longlist is: The Shadow of the Object by Chloe Aridjis, Switzy by Emma Cline, Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman, The End of Everything by M. John Harrison, The Disappearers by Marlon James, Black Bag by Luke Kennard, The Renovation by Kenan Orhan, May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry, The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, John of John by Douglas Stuart, All Them Dogs by Djamel White, and The Vivisectors by Missouri Williams.
The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 at London's Southbank Centre, with the winner of the £50,000 prize revealed on Monday, 9 November 2026 at Old Billingsgate.
