The 2026 International Booker Prize | Vinnaren

Taiwan Travelogue © India Hobson for Booker Prize Foundation

Og vinnaren av den internasjonale Booker-prisen 2026 er Yáng Shuāng-zǐ med romanen Taiwan Travelogue. I internasjonal Booker-samanheng er det like viktig å hylle omsetjaren, i dette tilfellet Lin King.

Gratulera til begge!

Sakset frå e-post frå Booker-prisen:

Why did Taiwan Travelogue win?

Chair of the 2026 judges Natasha Brown said:

‘Can love overcome a power imbalance? Taiwan Travelogue, winner of the International Booker Prize 2026, teases out the nuances of this question against a backdrop of 1930s Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule.

‘Taiwan Travelogue follows Aoyama, a well-meaning author from Japan, and her Taiwanese interpreter, Chizuru, on a government-sponsored tour of Taiwan. From their first meeting, sparks fly between the two women. The power dynamics inherent to their burgeoning relationship, however, prove difficult to navigate. Chizuru is a cipher: enchanting, yet unknowable. She resists all of Aoyama’s efforts to pierce her carefully-constructed mask of professionalism.

‘This book doesn’t shy away from the complexities (both real and fictional) of its journey into the English language. Instead, it uses the hallmarks of a more traditional text – introductions, footnotes, afterwords – to wrap an intriguing metafictional layer around its core love story. Lin King’s deft translation perfectly conveys the nuances of the novel’s narrative voices.’

Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King © David Parry for Booker Prize Foundation

XOXO

The 2026 International Booker Prize | Shortlist

6 bøker har fått plass på årets kortliste og dei er som følger:

* 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

Sakset frå Booker-prisen:

This year’s shortlisted books are ‘energising’ and ‘unmissable’, featuring ‘unforgettable characters’, according to the judges.

Chair of judges, Natasha Brown, explains:

‘Our shortlist offers readers a six-stop tour of highlights from the world of translated fiction.

‘With narratives that capture moments from across the past century, these books reverberate with history. While there’s heartbreak, brutality, and isolation among these stories, their lasting effect is energising. Rereading each book, we judges found hope, insight and burning humanity – along with unforgettable characters to whom I’m sure readers will return again and again.

‘Make space on your TBRs; this is an unmissable reading list.’

Eg har lest meget intensivt dei siste vekene, og endte opp med 11 av 13 bøker frå langlista, og mangler bare Marie Ndiayes The Witch på kortlista. Den klarer eg garantert før vinnaren annonseres 19. mai.

XOXO

The 2026 International Booker Prize | Longlist

13 bøker har fått plass på årets langliste og dei er som følger:

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

* We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated from Spanish by Robin Myers

* The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated from Dutch by David McKay

* The Deserters by Mathias Énard, translated from French by Charlotte Mandell

* Small Comfort by Ia Genberg, translated from Swedish by Kira Josefsson

* 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 Duke by Matteo Melchiorre, translated from Italian by Antonella Lettieri

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

* Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh

* The Wax Child by Olga Ravn, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken

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

Sakset frå Booker-prisen:

The 2026 longlist features a ‘sparkling selection’ of ‘fresh and innovative’ books that capture the ‘calibre and variety of translated fiction’, according to the judges.

Chair of judges, Natasha Brown, explains:

‘Whether it’s for a birthday, a book club, or the bus ride to work, I’m confident that there’s a perfect fit among these 13 brilliant books.

‘Many of the submitted books examined the devastating consequences of war, which is reflected in our longlist. The list also features petty squabbles between neighbours, mysterious mountain villages, Big Pharma conspiracies, witchy women, ill-fated lovers, a haunted prison, and obscure film references. And while the books’ original publication dates span four decades, each story feels fresh and innovative.

‘The calibre and variety of translated fiction being published in the UK is unbelievable. As judges, we’ve been spoilt for choice during these past eight months reading this year’s 128 submissions. Our discussions are always lively, and we’ve often been surprised by the myriad ways these books engaged us.

‘It is my absolute pleasure to share this sparkling selection of our favourites.’

XOXO