2026 Booker shortlist predictions

The time has come for our shortlist predictions. We’ve spent the last few months reading all the longlist books and rating the nominees. Keep reading to see which books topped our collective list and what panelists picked as their personal predictions.
Each year the panel reviews books and scores them on the following categories: writing, plot development, character development, originality, and enjoyment. Of course ratings are highly subjective and often influenced by which books we liked the most. Our collective rankings are often not too well aligned with what books actually make it. Individually, our lists have varied in success.
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