Readers Vote in Booker Prize Poll
Readers can now vote for their favorite of six shortlisted novels before the winner is announced Monday in London.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Books
The Booker Prize has opened a readers' poll for its six shortlisted novels, with voting taking place on the publication's website. The winner is scheduled to be announced Monday at a ceremony in London.
Why it matters
The reader poll gives the public a direct voice in a prestigious literary award that has previously recognized major works such as Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children. Bookmakers currently list Marlon James's The Disappearers as a favorite.
The shortlist includes six nominees, and readers vote for their favorite through a poll on the publication's website. The poll results are not reported in the source, and it remains unclear how much weight reader preferences carry in the final judging.
The players
Booker Prize
The Booker Prize is a major annual literary award for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland, and past winners include Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy.
Marlon James
Marlon James is a Jamaican author who previously won the Booker Prize for his novel The Disappearers, which is currently a bookmaker favorite for this year's award.
The details
Readers vote for their favorite shortlisted novel through a poll on the publication's website and can explain their choice in the comments. The shortlist includes Marlon James's The Disappearers, a novel about closeted gay men in 1980s Jamaica who try to stage a play, and Luke Kennard's satirical Black Bag, about a failing actor hidden in a black leather bag during a professor's psychology experiment.
Timeline
November 6, 2026: Reader poll opens for voting on the six shortlisted novels.
Monday: Booker Prize winner is scheduled to be announced at a ceremony in London.
Literary Tradition
The Booker Prize has previously recognized landmark works including Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things. This year's reader poll adds public participation to a long-running award that has honored major English-language fiction.
Readers can participate directly by voting for their favorite shortlisted novel through the poll on the publication's website. The poll allows the public to share opinions and explain their choices in the comments.
The takeaway
Readers who want to engage with this year's prize can vote in the poll and compare the shortlisted titles before the winner is revealed Monday. Reading the nominees offers a way to judge the books alongside the official panel.
What happens next
The Booker Prize winner is scheduled to be announced Monday at a ceremony in London.
Further reading
Explore more literary coverage in the Books section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The New York Times.
