The shortlist for the International Booker Prize has been announced
The organizers of the prestigious International Booker Prize have officially announced the shortlist of works in the running for the 2026 award.
The final list includes six landmark works, which a professional jury selected from among 128 contenders.
This year’s selection by the experts highlights the deep connection between contemporary literature and the historical past as well as social transformations.
The works span a wide geographical range: from Taiwan under Japanese rule to Europe during World War II and revolutionary Iran.
Jury Chair Natasha Brown highlighted the emotional power of the selected texts and their significance for today’s readers.
“These books, whose stories reflect moments from across the past century, are steeped in history. Although these stories contain despair, cruelty, and loneliness, their impact on the reader is inspiring,” she noted.
Good news for Ukrainian book lovers is that two works from the shortlist are already available or will soon be published in Ukrainian.
The Fabula publishing house has released Daniel Kelman’s novel *The Game of Light*, and the Safran publishing house is preparing *Chizuko’s Taiwan Notes* for publication.
This year’s lineup of authors and translators features significant female representation: five of the six nominees are women.
Among the creators are not only professional writers, but also a well-known actress, a former social worker, and even a video game and manga screenwriter.
The stories are populated by extraordinary characters who embody complex moral dilemmas and the search for identity.
Readers will encounter Iranian immigrants, a director with questionable principles, a virgin on a mission, and even a suburban witch, all of which add a unique flavor to the texts.
The full list of finalists includes the following novels: “Silent Nights in Tehran” by Shida Baziar, “The One Who Remains” by Rene Karabash, and “The Game of Light” by Daniel Kelman.
Also on the list are “On the Ground as It Is” by Ana Paula Maiá, “The Witch” by Marie Ndiaye, and “Taiwan Travel Diary” by Yang Shuangji.
As a reminder, Bangkok will host the first-ever “Eurovision Asia” contest.
Also, iconic books about Paris and London have been published in Ukrainian for the first time.
