The 2026 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize shortlist has been announced, with six debut novels selected entirely by Waterstones booksellers across the UK. The prize celebrates first-time fiction and relies on the expertise of front-line staff who recommend books to customers.
Shortlist Highlights
Last year's winner, The Artist by Lucy Steeds, became the Waterstones Book of the Year 2025. Bea Carvalho, Waterstones Head of Books, said: “We are proud to present the shortlist for the 2026 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, signifying an exceptionally bright future for fiction.”
Carvalho described the collection as “a shortlist which showcases writing of tremendous energy, poetic precision, and spry humour, balancing nostalgia with innovation to stunning effect.” She added there is “pure magic and electricity in these pages.”
Nominated Books
- Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash – A family caper set on a Thai island, called “clever and funny” by Laura from Waterstones Ipswich.
- Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han – Covering ninety years of Korean history with magical realism, praised by Lara from Waterstones Plymouth as “devastating yet profoundly tender.”
- Under Water by Tara Menon – Set after the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, Steve from Waterstones Islington called it “superb nature writing and a breath-taking study of grief.”
- May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry – Shifts between a modern-day curator and a medieval monarch, described by Katy from Waterstones Guildford as “sinking into a cosy armchair.”
- A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia – Examines forbidden love in 1950s Rome, called “beautifully told” by Paul from Waterstones Bristol Galleries.
- The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski – An offbeat English country house novel, with Erika from Waterstones Coventry noting the house as a “haunted emotional landscape.”
The winner will be announced on Thursday, 16th July 2026.
