The prize, which is awarded annually, celebrates the best works of long-form fiction or collections of short stories translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. It recognises the vital work of translators, with the £50,000 prize money divided equally between authors and translators.

The International Booker Prize Shortlist for 2026 is:

• The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, translated from German by Ruth Martin

• She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Angel

• The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from German by Ross Benjamin

• On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan

• The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated from French by Jordan Stump

• Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King

The International Booker Prize Longlist for 2026 is: 

International Booker Prize 2026 Longlist:  

• The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, translated from German by Ruth Martin, published by Scribe UK
• We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated from Spanish by Robin Myers, published by Harvill  
• The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated from Dutch by David McKay, published by Scribe UK
• The Deserters by Mathias Énard, translated from French by Charlotte Mandell, published by Fitzcarraldo Editions
• Small Comfort by Ia Genberg, translated from Swedish by Kira Josefsson, published by Wildfire
• She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Angel, published by Peirene Press
• The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from German by Ross Benjamin, published by riverrun
• On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan, published by Charco Press
• The Duke by Matteo Melchiorre, translated from Italian by Antonella Lettieri, published by Foundry Editions
• The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated from French by Jordan Stump, published by MacLehose Press
• Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh, published by Penguin International Writers
• The Wax Child by Olga Ravn, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken, published by Viking
• Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King, published by And Other Stories 

The Winner of the International Booker Prize will be announced on the 19th May, 2026.