Revealed: Six novels shortlisted for €100k Dublin Literary Award

It is the world's most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English

Chair of the judging panel Professor Chris Morash and City Librarian Mairead Owens with the six novels shortlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award. Picture: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography

Six novels have been shortlisted for the world’s most valuable annual literature prize, the Dublin Literary Award.

The longlist had featured works such as Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney and Ordinary Saints, by debut Irish novelist Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, however no Irish authors made it to the shortlist.

The books in contention for the prize includes four novels in translation, three from French and one from Croatian, with authors who are American, Bosnian, British, and Canadian. 

The shortlist comprises of: Gliff, by Ali Smith; In Late Summer, by Magdalena Blažević, translated from the Croatian by Anđelka Raguž; Live Fast, by Brigitte Giraud, translated from the French by Cory Stockwell; Perspectives, by Laurent Binet, translated from the French by Sam Taylor; The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong; and What I Know About You, by Éric Chacour, translated from the French by Pablo Strauss.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam with the six novels shortlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award. Picture: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography

There are two debut novelists in the running, Magdalena Blažević and Éric Chacour, and this year’s shortlisted titles were nominated by libraries in Hungary, Switzerland, France, USA, and Canada.

The Dublin Literary Award was established in 1994 and is the world's most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English, worth €100,000 to the winner. If the book has been translated, the author receives €75,000 and the translator receives €25,000. 

Last year’s winner was The Adversary, by Michael Crummey, a Canadian author. The last Irish winner was Milkman, by Anna Burns in 2020.

Nominations for the award are submitted by librarians and readers from libraries around the world. 

 “We are deeply grateful to the 80 libraries that nominated 69 titles, and to the international judging panel for the challenging work of selecting a longlist of 20 and, now the shortlist of six exciting and diverse titles,” said City Librarian Mairead Owens.

All nominated novels will be available for readers to borrow from public libraries around Ireland, while some can be borrowed as eBooks or eAudiobooks on the free Borrowbox app available to all public library users.

The international judging panel, chaired by Professor Chris Morash, will select the winner, which will be announced on May 21, at a gala event during Dublin City Council’s International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFD).

The ILFD runs from May 15 to 24 in Merrion Square Park.

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