Books / Events
International Booker readings travel to Bristol for the first time
Bulgarian, German, Portuguese, French and Mandarin words echoed through a packed room of readers at the Bristol Beacon on Friday evening.
The International Booker shortlist readings, generally held in London, travelled to Bristol for the first time in 2026 and were hosted in collaboration with Translated By, Bristol, Storysmith and Gloucester Road Books.
“The fact that you are here means that you are pressingly aware of how vitally important the International Booker Prize is in bringing wildly exciting translated literature from all around the world to the public consciousness,” said Polly Barton, co-founder of Translated By, Bristol, author and translator of books like Butter and Hooked.
Shortlisted authors read from their books in the original language, followed by a translated reading in English
Conversations with the authors and translators, moderated by the emeritus director of the prize Fiammetta Rocco, moved seamlessly between their writing inspiration and styles to discussions on political and cultural themes in their books.
Readers also had the chance to buy the shortlisted titles and get them signed by the authors and translators after the event.
The titles shortlisted for the International Booker 2026 prize are:
- The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, translated by Ruth Martin
- She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated by Izidora Angel
- The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin
- On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated by Padma Viswanathan
- The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated by Jordan Stump
- Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King
The winner of the International Booker Prize 2026 will be announced on Tuesday at a ceremony at the Tate Modern in London.
All photos: Karen Johnson
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