Waterstones announces Book of the Year 2026 shortlist

Waterstones has revealed a 20-book shortlist for its Book of the Year 2026 prize. The selection, chosen by booksellers, includes a diverse range of fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature.

Among the contenders is Douglas Stuart’s Booker Prize-nominated novel ‘John Of John’. Other notable titles on the list include Patrick Radden Keefe’s ‘London Falling’, Elizabeth Strout’s ‘The Things We Never Said’, and Rebecca Perry’s ‘May We Feed The King’.

The shortlist also features works by authors such as Maggie O’Farrell, Robert Macfarlane, Ben Macintyre, and Yotam Ottolenghi. Bea Carvalho, Waterstones’ head of books, noted that the selection reflects an impressive year of publishing, highlighting both established literary heavyweights and promising newcomers.