Marlon James and Douglas Stuart between nominated for Booker literary prize

Nthe official page of the award – one of the most important fiction in English – the organization reveals that in the 13 authors nominated there are two already awarded Booker: Jamaican Marlon James, now indicated with “The Disappearers”, and British Douglas Stuart, who competes with “John of John”.

To them joins the American Elizabeth Strut, who has been twice named and is again listed with “The Things We Never Say”.

The other ten authors are named for the first time and among them there are three literary premieres in the novel, with "The Renovation", by Turkish-North American Kenan Orhan, "All Them Dogs", by Irish Djamel White, and "May We Feed the King", by British Rebecca Perry.

The remaining nominees are “The Shadow of the Object”, by Chloe Aridjis, “Switzy”, by Emma Cline, “Helen of Nowhere”, by Makenna Goodman, “The End of Everything”, by M. John Harrison, “Black Bag”, by Luke Kennard, “The Palm House”, by Gwendoline Riley, and “The Livesectors”, by Missouri Williams.

“The list includes a mix of new talents and consecrated names, rising writers and others who are already at an advanced stage of their careers”; there are poets, playwrights, editors and critics, people with ties to advocacy, high competition sport, fashion design and representation, listed the organization.

Jury president Mary Beard underlined the scope of the nominees: “There are funny and disturbing books (and, in some cases, funny and disturbing at the same time), there is dystopic fantasy and family drama; there are realistic books and other magically mysterious ones, there are some that will please and others that may shock.”.

Of the 13 named authors, most have no work published in the Portuguese market. The exception is Emma Cline, Marlon James, Elizabeth Strout and Douglas Stuart, of whom the Alfaguara announced the September edition of “John of John” with the title “John, Son of John”.

The 13 novels were chosen from 163 works submitted to competition, written in English and published in the United Kingdom and Ireland between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2026.

The jury of this issue of Booker is composed of Mary Beard, Raymond Antrobus, Jarvis Cocker, Rebecca Liu and Patricia Lockwood.

The finalists will be announced on 22 September, each receiving 2,500 pounds (about 2,900 euros).

The winner is known on November 9, being awarded a monetary prize of £50,000 (about €58,400).

In 2025, the Booker award was awarded to writer David Szalay, by the novel “Carne”, already published in Portugal by Clock d’Água.