Dublin City Council has announced the 69 titles nominated for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award, one of the world's most prestigious prizes for a single work of fiction.
Worth €100,000 to the winner, the award celebrates excellence in world literature and recognises both authors and translators.
This year’s longlist, drawn from nominations by 80 libraries across 36 countries, showcases the best in contemporary fiction from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania.
Among the 69 nominated works are 30 translated titles in 17 languages and 20 debut novels, reflecting the award’s global reach - read the longlist in full here.
Five Irish authors have earned places on the 2026 list - Sally Rooney, already a global bestseller, joins established voices like Christine Dwyer Hickey and Theo Dorgan, alongside emerging talents Garrett Carr and Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, both nominated for their debuts.
The nominated Irish novels are:
Our London Lives by Christine Dwyer Hickey
Camarade by Theo Dorgan
The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Ordinary Saints by Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin
In a new development for 2026, the judging panel will announce a longlist of up to 20 titles on 17 February, followed by a shortlist of six on 7 April. The overall winner will be revealed on 21 May during the International Literature Festival Dublin.
The judging panel includes novelist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo; former diplomat and Irish literature scholar Daniel Mulhall; translator Clara Ministral; Nigerian performance poet Dike Chukwumerije; and Irish author Disha Bose. Professor Chris Morash, Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin, continues as non-voting chair.
Speaking about the judging process, Professor Morash said, "The sense of being led into a world of words brings with it a sense of wonder of which I never tire."
With a prize fund of €100,000 - €75,000 for the author and €25,000 for the translator, if applicable - the Dublin Literary Award continues to be the most valuable prize for a single work of fiction worldwide.
Find out more about the 2026 Dublin Literary Award longlist here
