The 2026 longlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction has been announced! The list honours sixteen books, including seven from debut novelists, nine from independent publishers and one from Australian author Charlotte McConaghy!
Discover the full list below, and keep an eye on our blog for the shortlist, to be announced in April!
The 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction longlist
Gloria Don’t Speak by Lucy Apps (currently out of stock, will be available as soon as possible)
Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi (stock expected in April)
Moderation by Elaine Castillo
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens (stock expected in late March)
The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine (stock expected in April)
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson (stock expected in May)
The Others by Sheena Kalayil (currently out of stock, will be available as soon as possible)
Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly (stock expected in June)
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Audition by Katie Kitamura
A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
The Best of Everything by Kit de Waal (stock expected in May)
A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang (currently out of stock, will be available as soon as possible)
Australia's own Julia Gillard is the chair of judges for the 2026 prize, and said in her judge's statement:
'Across a longlist that is international in both scope and setting, these sixteen books masterfully demonstrate the power of fiction to examine the messy business of being human. From climate change to artificial intelligence, they navigate the issues of our time with urgency and purpose, they immerse us in environments and experiences that are sometimes like our own, but more often are radically different, and they explore identities and perspectives that are often ignored or forgotten, amidst those inherently universal and recognisable.'
Read more about the longlist and the Women's Prize for Fiction here, or explore the longlist for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.
The shortlist of six books will be announced on 22 April, with the winner announced at a ceremony in London on 11 June.
