Guardian books team fields reader questions on this year's Booker prize shortlist

The Guardian's books team held a question-and-answer session with readers following the announcement of this year's Booker prize shortlist, addressing queries about the selected contenders, the panel of judges, and the state of contemporary literary fiction.

Several readers questioned the absence of certain widely praised titles from the shortlist, expressing disappointment that some novels they considered strong contenders did not make the final cut. The editors acknowledged these omissions while noting the shortlist still includes ambitious and experimental works.

A debate over gender balance

Discussion also touched on the gender balance among this year's shortlisted authors, a point raised publicly by one of the judges, who noted that the prevalence of books by male authors was unexpected given that, in the judge's view, the male-written entries were not necessarily stronger than those by women.

The Guardian's editors observed that despite the male-dominated shortlist, the authors involved bring a range of perspectives, including differing approaches to gender and sexuality within their writing. They pointed to two previous Booker winners among this year's nominees, alongside newer voices.

The exchange formed part of the Guardian's ongoing live coverage of the 2026 Booker prize, ahead of the announcement of the eventual winner, with the books team continuing to field reader questions about the contenders and the judging process in the lead-up to the ceremony.