Black Bag
Luke Kennard
Friday, 2 October 2026
The prize season so far
The newest list from each prize, recent reviews from serious outlets, and the books due next.
2026 · Shortlist out
Booker Prize
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John of John
Douglas Stuart
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May We Feed the King
Rebecca Perry
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The Disappearers
Marlon James
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The End of Everything
M. John Harrison
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The Things We Never Say
Elizabeth Strout
Latest reviews
All reviews-
Rhapsody: A Manifesto by Alice Oswald review – a history of the spoken word, from Homer to Ted Hughes
A twisting, beguiling investigation into the art of poetry that ends in a call to arms on behalf of the natural world
Fiona Sampson on Rhapsody
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Book Review: ‘Don’t Laugh at Other People’s Sex Lives’ and ‘Beautiful Distance,’ by Nao-Cola Yamazaki
Two slim novels by Nao-Cola Yamazaki show that romance can often be pretty unromantic.
Katy Simpson Smith on Don't Laugh at Other People's Sex Lives
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Book Review: ‘The Only Thing There Is to Want,’ by Sarah Hepola
Sarah Hepola’s new memoir picks up where “Blackout” left off: with the story of three passionate, doomed affairs in her 30s and 40s.
Laura Kipnis on The Only Thing There Is to Want
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The Long Cloud by Hector MacKenzie review – there’s only so much depth to a himbo
This wry debut novel about a male model’s inner life, written in lowercase fragments, has tender insights but isn’t as profound as it aims to be
Jack Callil on The Long Cloud
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The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson audiobook review – a Caribbean child’s-eye view of 60s Bradford
The author captures the comedy and cruelty in this tenderly written coming-of-age tale
Fiona Sturges on The Mercy Step
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Book Review: ‘This Cursed Beautiful Land,’ by Evan Gershkovich
In “This Cursed Beautiful Land,” the journalist Evan Gershkovich explores what he learned while imprisoned in the country his parents fled.
David Kortava on This Cursed Beautiful Land
