As this year’s shortlist is announced, we’ve picked out the most interesting facts, figures and findings that have emerged in this year’s selection
- Published
Ahead of this year’s ceremony, the shortlisted authors tell us about the best and worst writing advice they ever received, the lessons they learned the hard way – and their desert island books
With the Booker Prize 2026 ceremony just around the corner, it felt like the perfect time to get to know this year’s shortlistees a little better. In a series of video interviews, we sat down with M. John Harrison (The End of Everything), Marlon James (The Disappearers), Luke Kennard (Black Bag), Rebecca Perry (May We Feed the King), Elizabeth Strout (The Things We Never Say) and Douglas Stuart (John of John) for a quick chat, and to ask some all-important questions.
Here, they tell us about the one book that made them fall in love with reading, how they like to decompress after a day at their writing desk, and just what they would spend their Booker Prize winnings on.
Watch the videos below to discover their answers to these questions, and more, ahead of the winner announcement on Monday, 9 November 2026.
