As the new year dawns, resolve to expand your literary horizons with a compelling selection of January 2026 releases. From a landmark final work by a literary giant to incisive non-fiction and dazzling fiction, this month offers rich pickings for every reader.
Essential Non-Fiction: Geopolitics and Hidden Histories
The icy tensions of the far north take centre stage in Kenneth R Rosen's "Polar War: Submarines, Spies and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic". This revealing book, published by Profile Books, details how Russia's foreign policy continues to confound Western nations. Rosen identifies the 830-mile border with Finland as a critical flashpoint, alleging that Moscow has forced roughly 1,300 migrants annually into Finland to sow disruption. In response, Finland has constructed a staggering 50,500 bomb shelters, including 5,000 in Helsinki alone, creating what the author describes as a veritable underground city.
Closer to home, Eloise Moss's "The Secret Life of the Hotel: Sex, Crime and Protest in British Guesthouses Since 1981" (Bloomsbury Academic) unveils a dismal portrait of Britain's hospitality industry. Moss's research exposes systemic racism, noting that famed Black performer Paul Robeson was turned away from The Savoy in 1929. The book also highlights the perilous conditions for chambermaids, who faced high risks of sexual assault and appalling working conditions. Furthermore, it reveals that prejudice persisted for decades; as late as 1976, the English Tourist Board excluded a Littlehampton hotel from its guidebook simply for welcoming LGBTQ+ patrons.
Fiction Highlights for January
January promises a strong lineup of new novels and short stories. Key recommendations include Camille Bordas's imaginative and wry collection "One Sun Only" (Serpent's Tail), and poet Neil Rollinson's beautifully written, dark debut novel "The Dead Don't Bleed" (Vintage). For those seeking international settings, Daniyal Mueenuddin's "This is Where the Serpent Lives" (Bloomsbury) offers a moving narrative set in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Rob Doyle's "Cameo" (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) provides a dazzling and inventive satire of literary ambition.
Book of the Month: A Literary Titan's Farewell
The most poignant release of January is undoubtedly Julian Barnes's "Departure(s)", published by Jonathan Cape on 22 January. This will be the final book from the acclaimed author, released just three days after his 80th birthday. At a concise 157 pages, this moving and engaging work grapples with the vagaries of memory and the author's own ageing body, framed by his experience of navigating Covid alongside a blood cancer diagnosis.
Barnes blends personal rumination with a delicately told, possibly true, story of a couple named Stephen and Jean who fall in love twice—in youth and again in old age. With his characteristic humour and insight, Barnes explores the effects of time on love and the mischievous nature of recollection. It is a rather lovely swansong from a writer sure of fewer things nowadays, but still capable of profound entertainment and truth.
Biography and Novel of the Month
Biography of the Month: "Lazarus: The Second Coming of David Bowie" by Alexander Larman (New Modern). Published to mark the tenth anniversary of the icon's death, this sharp and balanced study focuses on Bowie's later career, from 1989's Tin Machine to 2016's Blackstar. Larman pieces together an intriguing portrait of a complex man—quixotic, cynical, kind, and cruel. The book is packed with revealing anecdotes, from Bowie's secretive communications using the alias "Mr Schmitt" to his witty take on his own acting flops and his surprising potential film collaboration with Mick Jagger.
Novel of the Month: "Vigil" by George Saunders (Bloomsbury). From the Booker Prize-winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo comes an even more anarchic and funny novel. It follows ghost narrator Jill "Doll" Blaine as she guides odious oil baron KJ Boone into the afterlife. Through Boone's unrepentant memories, Saunders creates a biting satire on wealth, power, climate denial, and the manipulative language of the ultra-wealthy. This irreverent and sly novel poses profound questions about guilt, justice, and whether a day of reckoning truly awaits, resonating deeply in our fractious age.
Whether your interest lies in global tensions, hidden social histories, or transformative fiction, January 2026 provides a powerful start to the year's reading.
