Dublin City Council has revealed the 20 novels longlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award, the 31st edition of the international prize. Irish debut novelist Niamh Ní Mhaoleoin and Sally Rooney feature prominently on the list with their respective works. The award recognizes outstanding fiction in English and translated works nominated by libraries worldwide.
The Dublin Literary Award, one of the world's richest prizes for fiction, has unveiled its longlist for 2026, comprising 20 novels selected from submissions by librarians and readers across global library systems. Valued at €100,000 for works originally in English, the prize awards €75,000 to the author and €25,000 to the translator for eligible translated titles.
Leading the list are Niamh Ní Mhaoleoin's debut novel Ordinary Saints, published by Manilla Press, and Sally Rooney's Intermezzo, from Faber. Other notable entries include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Dream Count (4th Estate/HarperCollins), Alan Hollinghurst's Our Evenings (Picador), and Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness (Jonathan Cape).
Six translated works appear on the longlist, highlighting international voices. These include Olga Tokarczuk's The Empusium, translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, and Madalena Blažević's In Late Summer, translated from Croatian by Anđelka Raguž for Linden Editions.
Additional titles encompass Rachel Kushner's Creation Lake (Simon & Schuster), Maria Reva's Endling (Penguin Random House), Ali Smith's Gliff (Hamish Hamilton), Aria Aber's Good Girl (Bloomsbury), and Elif Shafak's There are Rivers in the Sky (Viking).
The shortlist of six books will be announced on 7 April, with the winner revealed on 21 May 2026 by Dublin's Lord Mayor, Councillor Ray McAdam, as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin. This annual event underscores the prize's role in promoting diverse literary talent.
