Six writers have been shortlisted for the 2026 Goldsmiths Prize, a £10,000 award that recognises fiction breaking new ground in the novel form. The shortlist, selected by a panel chaired by novelist Francis Spufford, demonstrates what the judges described as "newness of many different kinds" in contemporary fiction, affirming the prize's mission to celebrate adventurous writing that extends the possibilities of the novel.

The shortlisted authors include established names such as China Miéville (for his 1,200-page paranormal novel The Rouse, 20 years in the making) and Missouri Williams (for The Vivisectors, a university-set power struggle), alongside debuts from Polly Barton (What Am I, a Deer?) and Aea Varfis-Van Warmelo (Attention-Seeking Behaviour). Also shortlisted are Irish authors Doireann Ní Ghríofa (Said the Dead, exploring the history of women incarcerated in a Cork asylum) and Keith Ridgway (Dooneen, depicting social unrest in Dublin). The winner will be announced on 4 November at Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London; previous recipients include Rachel Cusk, Eimear McBride and Ali Smith.