Marlon James and Douglas Stuart among Booker Prize contenders
Former winners Marlon James and Douglas Stuart are competing again, as the judges reveal a shortlist they describe as hard to agree on.
Key points
- Six novels are on the 2026 Booker Prize shortlist, according to BBC News.
- Marlon James and Douglas Stuart have both won the prize before.
- Seven books from the July longlist were dropped before the final six were chosen.
- The £50,000 prize goes to the champion, who is due to be named in London on Monday night.
- A live BBC Radio 4 Front Row programme will carry the ceremony.
Two past Booker Prize winners are among the writers competing for this year’s award, according to BBC News. Jamaican novelist Marlon James and Scottish author Douglas Stuart are both on the shortlist. The champion is due to be named in London on Monday night, and the prize is worth £50,000.
James won the prize in 2015 for A Brief History of Seven Killings. Stuart took it in 2020 with Shuggie Bain. This year, James is nominated for The Disappearers, while Stuart is shortlisted for John of John.
The final six titles
The other shortlisted writers are US novelist Elizabeth Strout and British authors M John Harrison, Luke Kennard and Rebecca Perry. Strout is a former Pulitzer Prize winner and has been nominated for the Booker twice before.
- The End of Everything by M John Harrison, a story set after an unexplained catastrophe.
- The Disappearers by Marlon James, based on a violent attack in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1988.
- Black Bag by Luke Kennard, a satire about an out-of-work actor.
- May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry, Perry’s debut novel.
- The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, about a history teacher in modern America.
- John of John by Douglas Stuart, set in the Outer Hebrides in the mid-1990s.
Harrison, at 81, would be the oldest winner in the prize’s history if he won, BBC News reported. This is his first nomination for the Booker.
A difficult selection
The panel was chaired by Dame Mary Beard. When she announced the shortlist in September, she praised the quality of English-language fiction and said novelists should be rewarded more than they are.
Dame Mary said that agreeing on the final six had been very hard work. Seven books that had appeared on the July longlist were removed from consideration. Fellow judge Raymond Antrobus described the discussions as a contest, saying each judge had started with a different shortlist in mind.
Patricia Lockwood, another judge and a former Booker shortlisted novelist, said she had been more forceful in meetings than she expected. Jarvis Cocker, the Pulp frontman, compared the panel’s work to being in a band, and said he had joined one meeting from a hotel room while on tour in Australia.
Why it matters
The Booker Prize is one of the best-known literary awards in English. The shortlist mixes styles, from a satire and a campus comedy to a historical novel set in a medieval court. The judges said the books are rooted in human experience and take real risks.
Listeners can also follow the event on BBC Radio 4, where a dedicated Front Row programme will carry the proceedings live. A longlisted novel, Emma Cline’s Switzy, was seen by some as a likely winner. It did not make the shortlist. Critic Giles Coren, writing in the Times, had backed the book strongly, and Dame Mary responded to his comments with a joke about the result.
Frequently asked questions
When will the Booker Prize winner be named?
The champion is due to be named in London on Monday night, according to BBC News. The prize is worth £50,000.
Who is on the 2026 Booker Prize shortlist?
The shortlist includes Marlon James, Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout, M John Harrison, Luke Kennard and Rebecca Perry. Each has a novel on the list.
Where can I hear the Booker Prize ceremony?
BBC News reported that a dedicated Front Row programme on BBC Radio 4 will carry the event live as it happens.
Sources
This article was written with the help of AI from reports by the outlets listed above. See our Editorial Policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
