2026 Int Booker Shortlist Discussion > Likes and Comments

These are the six shortlisted books:

The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar translated by Ruth Martin (Scribe UK), German
She Who Remains by Rene Karabash translated by Izidora Angel (Peirene Press), Bulgarian
The Director by Daniel Kehlmann translated by Ross Benjamin (riverrun), German
On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia translated by Padma Viswanathan (Charco Press), Portuguese
The Witch by Marie NDiaye translated by Jordan Stump (MacLehose Press), French
Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ translated by Lin King (And Other Stories), Mandarin Chinese

Taiwan Travelogue
The Witch
On Earth As It Is Beneath
The Director
She Who Remains
The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran

I guess She Who Remains is indeed a strong candidate.
The Remembered Soldier not being in the shortlist was a surprise.

Some surprises there for me, and some glaring emissions! The two strongest novels not listed, but very happy The Witch, The Director and Taiwan Travelogue made the short list as they made my shortlist with The Remembered Soldier, The Deserters and Women Without Men.

Darn - I only predicted 2 correctly

Very interesting. I thought it was a strong longlist but this is not a great shortlist imo.

Daniel wrote: "The Remembered Soldier not being in the shortlist was a surprise."

I am 100 pages into that book. Isn't it very conventional? I am struggling with what it was doing on the longlist? Not to say it is not a very good book, but like Small Comfort it seems kind of odd. Like Seascraper on the Booker last year, also very conventional.

Or?

Hmmm I was relatively indifferent to the choices but I do not think this is a particularly great selection

Happy with that list

If we'd swapped out The Director for The Wax Child I'd be very happy

Was always going to be one of the Iran books on the list - and while I think the other is better in literary terms, it's less relevant.

And good to see the longest book being culled - huzzah!!!!

Surprised the mathmos didn't push The Deserters on to the list.

Rachel wrote: "Very interesting. I thought it was a strong longlist but this is not a great shortlist imo."

I had the impression The Remembered Soldier was favored by many of us here. (I had some severe reservations)

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Hmmm I was relatively indifferent to the choices but I do not think this is a particularly great selection"

Paul, if you have a passion for mathematical novels, I highly recommend Centroeuropa by Spanish author Vicente Luis Mora. It is an impressive work of numerical structure.

I think how one judges the shortlist depends on the criteria one uses. As far as ticking the boxes, the list did very well. I also think in terms of topical issues, the list is fair. As far as being popular with the readers, I think the list did about average, nailing books like The Director, She Who Remains and On Earth As It is Beneath, but missing The Remembered Soldier. As far as our group goes, I see posts of disappointment but there will probably be more thoughts.

My top 3 was left out so I'm not too excited about this line-up, but I guess that's how it goes :) Still excited to read Taiwan Travelogue and The Witch.

Daniel wrote: "Paul, if you have a passion for mathematical novels, I highly recommend Centroeuropa by Spanish author Vicente Luis Mora. It is an impressive work of numerical structure."

Thanks! - from one of my favourite presses as well - Peninsula Press. I've ordered a copy.

Sam wrote: "As far as ticking the boxes, the list did very well."

Well said. And because of that I am a little concerned (if that is the right word here) that because a woman won last year, there will be a man this year, and there is only one man on this list ...

Well, anyway. Off to some new books.

Disagree quite strongly with this selection. Not sure how you can pick the Bazyar over Remembered Soldier.

I will still read She Who Remains and then eyes on 2027.

I was going to add this thought in the longlist discussion but it fits here as well. I am a little sad for books that were hard to come by to be considered by readers for the shortlist. The Witch is fine because it advanced but Small Comfort and The Duke did not and I wonder if their being listed at all will work in their benefit, since many of us lose interest in the books unread after the shortlist is released. I managed a copy of The Duke and will read it, but Small Comfort released too late for me to order it from overseas and I doubt I will have interest when it is published in the U.S. despite liking The Details. This loss of interest from readers only reflects our preoccupation with the prize, but it makes me curious how late arriving books do that aren't pushed forward by either this prize future book prize recognition.

Sam wrote: "I think how one judges the shortlist depends on the criteria one uses"

For me, "literary quality" is key. There were 5 standout books on the list - the 6th place was up for grabs - and the judges have picked 4/5.

Followed by "tomeness" as a disqualify characteristic and they are 1/1 there in terms of dropping.

So that seems pretty impressive.

Paul wrote: "Sam wrote: "I think how one judges the shortlist depends on the criteria one uses"

For me, "literary quality" is key. There were 5 standout books on the list - the 6th place was up for grabs - and..."

"Tomeness," I love the term!

Ann wrote: "Daniel wrote: "I am 100 pages into that book. Isn't it very conventional? I am struggling with what it was doing on the longlist? Not to say it is not a very good book, but like Small Comfort it seems kind of odd. Like Seascraper on the Booker last year, also very conventional.
"

I'd say The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran is much more conventional than TRS. I don't think it's comparable at all to Small Comfort in terms of its inclusion on the longlist.

I think it’s a mix of topical resonance (which would suggest Director or Nights in Tehran might win) and maybe the judges misunderstanding what the short in shortlist is meant to signify!!

And in a more serous take on that second list we should not forget the Chair of Judges wrote a debut that was ineligible for the WP on grounds of

Anyway the real thing is now less than four months away.

Daniel wrote: "Paul, if you have a passion for mathematical novels, I highly recommend Centroeuropa by Spanish author Vicente Luis Mora. It is an impressive work of numerical structure.

I read Centroeuropa this month and loved it. Here are two great articles from the translator and author to read after you finish, Paul:
https://lithub.com/freedom-through-st...

https://vicenteluismora.blogspot.com/...

Rachel wrote: "Ann wrote: "Daniel wrote: "I am 100 pages into that book. Isn't it very conventional? I am struggling with what it was doing on the longlist? Not to say it is not a very good book, but like Small C..."

Thinking about it I am sorry I used such a blatantly unfair concept as "conventional" about TRS, esp. because of its beautiful, poetic language. I am just frustrated that after 100 pages nothing has happened, it just goes on and on. The same things I really enjoyed in The Duke frustrates me in TRS. And in this meaning of conventional, yes, Tehran is better suited, you are right.

In my next life I'll write my thesis on what conventional literature means ;)

Interesting Sam, I don’t really lose interest in books if they’re not shortlisted. I just use the long list to sample/discover new books and if I don’t get to something it often still lives on the back burner. I guess if the two books I own but haven’t read I’ll advance the one on the shortlist, but I’m more likely to buy The Duke than The Nights are Quiet when it becomes available

Emmeline wrote: "Interesting Sam, I don’t really lose interest in books if they’re not shortlisted. I just use the long list to sample/discover new books and if I don’t get to something it often still lives on the ..."

I'm much more likely to buy The Duke as well, Emmeline.

Based on our rankings (on the Paul method of course!) - the shortlist is books 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12

Which means the shortlist is at least slightly better (6.33 avg vs 6.5) than a random pick - i.e. they've not picked what this group see as the worst books, plus they've picked 3/4 of the favourites.

[And given the high ranking of #2 which missed out and the low ranking of #12 which made it are both collective blind spots of this group, it's actually better than that it looks!]

I am surprised that two German authors made it. Especially since Kairos won not too long ago, I assumed the chances were slim for another German winner and thus others might make the cut!

Making up for 2018 when a from German translator was on the jury but I seem to recall suggestions he wasn’t keen on German books as the translations weren’t up to his standard.

He allowed only one on but even then did insist that he personally translate the author’s next book.

Which proceeded to then win the prize - ie the aforementioned Kairos.

Actually Hoffman has quite the set of awards:

Independent Foreign Fiction
International Booker
International Dublin Literary Award
Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize
PEN Translation Prize
And for translations from German only:
Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize
Schlegel-Tieck Prize (three times)

I really feel the loss of Women Without Men on this list. Someone said it was clearly the most impactful of the books, given its history, and I found it very satisfying on a literary level too.

In the UK, She Who Remains is currently £1.99 on kindle if you have one.

And today Taiwan Travelog is 1.99 on Kindle in the UK

Very happy about having read all the six books on the short list. That is, I did not finish Taiwan Travelogue, and won't either - even if it should win.

If I should bet on a book to win I think it would be The Director, though I would prefer The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran myself.

The best read for me has been The Duke, but my greatest find was Small Comfort, I just loved that book. And The Remembered Soldier has been put on pause after having read 100andsomething pages, not sure if I ever will get back to that one.

Now, looking forward to May 19th, and then - the main Booker Prize.

Ann wrote: "Very happy about having read all the six books on the short list. That is, I did not finish Taiwan Travelogue, and won't either - even if it should win. ."

Normally I don't ask but your phrasing begs the question. Do you wish to share why? Don't feel obliged to share if you are uncomfortable about answering. And if anyone disagrees with Ann's assessment please respect her opinion if she shares it. All of us deserve that even if our views are different.

Sam wrote: "Do you wish to share why?"

I have mentioned it earlier. I started and got into, I don't know, 25 pages, 100 pages ... and all the food talk took away my enjoyment of it. I have seen people think this is a meta layer, I just couldn't/wouldn't understand it, too artsy? Just too much.
Even if it had been food/plates I knew I dont think it would have mattered to me.

Did you enjoy it, the book?

Ann wrote: "Sam wrote: "Do you wish to share why?"

I have mentioned it earlier. I started and got into, I don't know, 25 pages, 100 pages ... and all the food talk took away my enjoyment of it. I have seen pe..."

Thanks, I had seen your earlier posts but wasn't sure about the actual specifics. I liked the novel but my like was based on how well I thought the author made the novel palatable to a Western audience while still retaining the work's national identity. So IMO, the novel worked much like Murakami's works did for the Japanese author, appealing enough to a Western audience without the writing becoming completely Western. I also thought the novel quite bold sexually and politically, without becoming offensive.

Sam wrote: "I liked the novel but my like was based on how well I thought the author made the novel palatable to a Western audience while still retaining the work's national identity."

That is a very good review, and I never got to that point because of all the plates in the foreground.
Could it have done in another way? Does it matter if I don't read it?
Last year I had the same experience with Endling, maybe the problem is with me and that national identity is not my thing? Not sure.
But, thanks for asking and making me reflect on this.

On the other hand, to me it seems like us readers either really like it, TT, or really don't like it, there is no middle ground here?

Yes it is a marmite book, I think. With the Women's Prize and Carol Shields longlists, my approach this year is to read more with a eye to the cultural diversity and less thought to quality which is making the books more enjoyable to read. So even though I will eventually rate them, I am more focused on the variety.

Ann wrote: "On the other hand, to me it seems like us readers either really like it, TT, or really don't like it, there is no middle ground here?"

I've got it here and hope to start soon - I read three books set in Taiwan last year, one a travelogue from someone in the disapora Two Trees Make a Forest: Travels Among Taiwan's Mountains & Coasts in Search of My Family's Past, a kind of Eco-fiction/magic realism mix The Man with the Compound Eyes, and a horror/ghost story Whisper the latter two translated from Chinese - that I'm hoping will give me more context for this one. And I'm forewarned about the food content! 😂

For once, I have no favorite. If forced to choose, I'd go with She Who Remains. I have no idea on which the winner will be.

Having now read 12 out of the 13 books, I think this was a mixed bag of a longlist, saying that it is better than last year where I genuinely liked two books (imo).

My faves from 2026 are:

She who remains
Women without men
The Director
The deserters

Bubbling Under
The Duke
Small Comfort
The Remembered Soldier
The Nights are Quiet in Teheran
On Earth as it is Beneath
Taiwan Travelogue

Eh not so great
We are green and trembling
The Wax Child

Largely agree your faves Robert.

The long standing if unofficial shadow jury of bloggers have come up with our shortlist.

It is:

The Wax Child
The Remembered Soldier
She Who Remains
The Witch
On Earth As It Is Beneath
Taiwan Travelogue

Pretty happy with that list. I’d swap The Tome Soldier for The Deserters (which was 7th in our voting) but it’s a lot stronger than the official list.

Finished the shortlist (just haven't read the Duke from the longlist). Here is my final ranking of the shortlist using their position in my longlist rankings:
2. She Who Remains
4. The Director
6. On Earth as It is Beneath
7. The Witch
8. The Nights are Quiet in Tehran
12. Taiwan Travelogue

Overall, I enjoyed most of the books on the list, and pretty excited to read The Duke still. Really, the only book I would say I didn't enjoy was Taiwan Travelogue, but my rating still comes with an *.

The Wax Child was in the top 10% of books I read last year, and I would be really surprised if that didn't end up being the case for The Remembered Soldier and She Who Remains as well.

Hugh wrote: "These are the six shortlisted books:

The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar translated by Ruth Martin..."

Is the winner announced today?

No 19th May

What made you think it was today?
They are doing a bit of a hype about something at 2pm but that’s just those shortlist videos with actors reading brief extracts - which the Booker seems to get a lot more excited about than I ever do.

It always makes me smile how serious these actors take their foray into the literary world... there is a fair bit of overacting, but I have to say, some are really good.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "What made you think it was today?
They are doing a bit of a hype about something at 2pm but that’s just those shortlist videos with actors reading brief extracts - which the Booker seems to get a ..."

I think it's just that they're well-known people (I assume) but since this group doesn't watch much TV we're kind of immune to it. I never even watch the videos because I never have headphones!

As per request in shortlist rankings.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...

I just finished the short list, and all in all enjoyed it quite a bit! The average length is rather short, with the exception of Kehlmann, which made it easy to get through and, at least for me, made the more adventerous novels more interesting than annoying.

I might re-read the German authors, since it has been quite some time since I first enjoyed them (especially the Bazyar, which I read in 2021...). I do think The Nights are quiet is an outlier in many ways on this list. It is much more conventional in narration, which makes it hard to compare to the others. I remember it being perfect for what it aims to be - but far less experimental or exciting than the other options.

And I adore the tone of Marie NDiaye, and will be reading more of her work. While not my favorite entry, the prose just makes me very happy. So, that is a great discovery for me!