Thirteen books have been longlisted for the International Booker Prize, celebrating translated fiction, as the award enters its tenth year. The nominees, announced today, represent a diverse range of voices and stories, with authors from Argentina, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Italy and Sweden vying for the £50,000 prize.
Among the authors recognized are Olga Ravn, Daniel Kehlmann, Ia Genberg, Mathias Énard, and Gabriela Cabezón Cámara – all of whom have previously been shortlisted for the award. This year’s selection includes works originally published over four decades, highlighting the enduring power of translated literature.
Daniel Kehlmann’s The Director, translated by Ross Benjamin, draws inspiration from the life of film-maker GW Pabst and his collaborations during the Third Reich. A review in The Guardian described the novel as possessing “all the darkness, shapeshifting ambiguity and glittering unease of a modern Grimms’ fairytale,” and Kehlmann’s “best operate yet.”
Olga Ravn’s The Wax Child, translated by Martin Aitken, explores the historical context of 17th-century Danish witch trials. Marie NDiaye’s The Witch, translated by Jordan Stump, also delves into themes of witchcraft, originally published in French in 1996. NDiaye was previously longlisted in 2016 and shortlisted in 2013, when the prize recognized writers for their entire body of work.
The longlist also features works with significant historical backgrounds. Shahrnush Parsipur’s Women Without Men, translated by Faridoun Farrokh, was originally published in Persian in 1989 and has been banned in Iran since then. Parsipur was imprisoned twice in Iran following the book’s publication, which tells the story of five women who create a secluded life together on the outskirts of Tehran.
Several independent publishers are also represented on the list. Fitzcarraldo Editions, the most-nominated imprint in the prize’s history, has secured a 17th nomination for Mathias Énard’s The Deserters, translated by Charlotte Mandell. Peirene Press is recognized with Rene Karabash’s debut novel, She Who Remains, translated by Izidora Angel, which explores a woman’s choice to turn into a sworn virgin to avoid an arranged marriage.
Other debut novels on the list include Matteo Melchiorre’s The Duke, translated by Antonella Lettieri. Gabriela Cabezón Cámara’s We Are Green and Trembling, translated by Robin Myers, previously won the US National Book Award for translated literature. Shida Bazyar’s The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran, translated by Ruth Martin, and Anjet Daanje’s The Remembered Soldier, translated by David McKay, also feature on the list, alongside Ana Paula Maia’s On Earth As It’s Beneath, translated by Padma Viswanathan, and Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue, translated by Lin King.
Judging chair and novelist Natasha Brown noted that many of the submitted books examined the consequences of war, but also encompassed a wide range of themes, from “petty squabbles between neighbours” to “big pharma conspiracies.”
The shortlist of six books will be announced on March 31st, with each shortlisted author and translator receiving £5,000. The winner will be revealed on May 19th at a ceremony held at Tate Modern in London. The judging panel includes novelist Natasha Brown, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, translator Sophie Hughes, and writers Troy Onyango and Nilanjana S Roy.
This year’s longlist was selected from 128 titles published in the UK or Ireland between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026. Booker Prize Foundation chief executive Gaby Wood highlighted a record total of 34 original languages represented in this year’s submissions, suggesting increasing accessibility of translated works to English-speaking readers.
