EBRD Literature Prize Announces 2026 Shortlist Featuring Global Voices

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has officially announced the shortlist for its 2026 Literature Prize. This annual award recognizes outstanding works of literary fiction that have been translated into English from countries where the bank operates. The selection highlights a diverse range of voices and narratives from across the globe. Ten books were chosen by an independent jury to compete for the final honors. These works represent authors from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Poland, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The list also honors the essential contributions of the translators who brought these stories to an English-speaking audience. Themes of conflict, displacement, memory, and technological futures are prominent throughout the selected titles. The jury noted that the authors employed bold formal experiments to explore these complex subjects. One featured work is a Polish science fiction odyssey that imagines a counterfactual history of the Russian Revolution. Another shortlisted book is a moving meditation on grief centered on a gardener-father. A third notable entry is a Bildungsroman that follows a Ukrainian veteran of the Afghan war as he navigates life with post-traumatic stress disorder. The prize aims to foster cultural exchange and support the literary arts in the regions served by the bank. By highlighting these specific works, the organization hopes to increase the visibility of international literature. The competition has been running since 2018 and continues to grow in its reach and influence. Three finalists will be selected from this group at the end of April. The final winner will be revealed on July 2 at a public ceremony held at the bank's headquarters in London. The winning author and their translator will share a prize of 20,000 euros, while the other two finalists will each receive 2,000 euros.