Bookies' Favourite

The book club looks back on all 6 books from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist, share their rankings, predict a winner & discuss the bookies' odds. 💬 Share your thoughts with the book club Instagram @bookiesfavouritebookclub Goodreads @The Bookies' Favourite Bookclub Email bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com Aaron @AaronRiceMedia Lucy @bookz2026 Hannah @certifiedbookyapperh...

The book club dives into their final read from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from the German by Ross Benjamin and published by Riverrun. 💬 Share your thoughts with the book club Instagram @bookiesfavouritebookclub Goodreads @The Bookies' Favourite Bookclub Email bookiesfavouritebookclub@gmail.com Aaron @AaronRiceMedia Lucy @bookz202...

The book club dives into their fifth read from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. The Nights are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, translated from the German by Ruth Martin, published by Scribe. 🍰 Read it & Eat it Aaron rustles up some Persian saffron & raisin cookies severed to the characters when they visit Iran. If you enjoyed this book you might also enjoy our many discussi...

The book club dives into their fourth read from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated from the French by Jordan Stump, published by MacLehose Press. 🍰 Read it & Eat it Check out the club’s socials to see journalist & home baker Aaron’s baked cookies from this book. If you’d like to see Aaron bake some of his recipes inspired by the books get...

The book club dives into their third read from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from the Mandarin Chinese by Lin King, published by And Other Stories. This novel was previously awarded: The National Book Award for Translated Literature (2024) The Golden Tripod Award (2021) Baifang Schell Book Prize (2025) ALTA First Translation Prize (2...

Aaron & Lucy dive into the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist ahead of the shortlist announcement later today. We were gifted a copy of Gloria Don't Speak by Lucy Apps, published by Weatherglass Books, for review. Lucy shares her thoughts on the book & speaks with the writer about the novel. We've covered 3 other books on the longlist, check out our previous episodes: - The Ben...

The book club dives into their second read from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated from the Bulgarian by Izidora Angel, published by Peirene Press. This novel was previously awarded the Bulgarian Elias Canetti Prize in 2019 and the English version won the Gulf Coast Translation Prize 2023. It was awarded the PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant i...

The book club dives into their first read from the International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist. On Earth as it is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from the Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan, published by Charco Press. This book was also longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize US & Canada 2026. The original Brazilian Portuguese novel, titled Assim na Terra como embaixo da Terra, won...

Lucy & Aaron star their thoughts n what did & didn't make it to the shortlist. We'll be reading one book a week until the winner is announced. Our current reading schedule: On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from the Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan, published by Charco Press She Who Remains  by Rene Karabash, translated from the Bulgarian by Izidora Angel, publ...

Lucy & Aaron discuss this year's International Booker Prize long-list and share their picks for the shortlist. After tomorrow's announcement we'll be sharing our reactions to the books that have made it onto the shortlist and we'll be setting out our reading schedule for the next 6 weeks before the winner is announced. The book club has covered this award in 2025, the Booker Pr...

Ahead of the winner announcement Aaron & Lucy spoke with the director of the award and one of this year's judges. The insight helps us understand the prize and what is considered when deciding between the books. We'll be jumping into another shortlist next week; the International Booker Prize 2026. Before then we've got our interviews with the team who brought you Eden's Shore....

In this episode, Aaron & Lucy discuss Ghost Driver by Nell Osborne, published by Moist Books. This is the final book we’re covering from the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize 2026 shortlist  before the winner is announced — and we break down its themes, style, and where it sits among this year’s contenders. 🏆 The Winner Is Next 📅 The winner is announced tomorrow (Wednesday) 🎧 We’ll be ba...

In this episode, Colin, Lucy & Aaron discuss Figures Crossing the Field Towards the Group by Rebecca Gransden, published by Tangerine Press. This is the first book we’re covering from the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize 2026 shortlist, and we unpack the novel’s structure, atmosphere, themes, and how it stands out within this year’s field. 📖 What’s Coming Next We’ll be continuing our shor...

All four of us are back together for this episode as we discuss  On the Greenwich Line  by  Shady Lewis , translated by  Katharine Halls , and published by  Peirene Press . This is our third longlist pick from the  Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize 2026 , and we talk through its structure, themes, translation, and how it’s stacking up against the other contenders we’ve read so far. 📖 What’s Ne...

In this episode, Lucy, Hannah & Colin discuss  The Weasel and the Whore  by  Martha Luisa Hernández Cadenas , translated by  Julia Sanches  and  Jennifer Shyue , published by  Héloïse Press . This is the second book we’ve selected from the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize 2026 longlist , and we dig into its themes, structure, voice, and why it feels like such a bold and challenging contend...

In this bonus episode , Aaron, Colin & Hannah revisit  There’s a Monster Behind the Door  by  Gaëlle Bélem , translated by  Karen Fleetwood  and  Laëtitia Saint-Loubert , published by  Bullaun Press . The novel was the  2025 winner of the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Press  (now the  Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize ), and we take this opportunity to examine why it won. We dis...

We begin our  Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize 2026 longlist series  with  Small Boat  by  Vincent Delecroix , translated by  Helen Stevenson . Published by Small Axes / HopeRoad. Our bookie this week is Jean-François Bodart @ nathanael_archer This is our  second time discussing  Small Boat , having previously covered it during our  International Booker Prize 2025  episodes. Returning to the n...

We’re kicking off a  brand new reading series  focused on selected titles from the  Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize 2026 Longlist  — formerly known as the  Republic of Consciousness Prize . We’ll be reading  five longlisted books , before choosing a  final sixth title from the shortlist  once it’s announced. From there, we’ll follow the prize all the way to the winner. 📅  New episodes every...

We reach the end of  Eden’s Shore  by  Oisín Fagan  with  Part III, Chapter 5:  World  — the final chapter of our read-along series. Aaron & Lucy discuss the closing moments of the novel, the meaning and placement of the letters threaded between each chapter, and share their overall reflections on the book as a whole now that the journey is complete. 📚 What’s Next Our next episode will be a s...

Aaron & Lucy return to  Eden’s Shore  by  Oisín Fagan  for  Part II, Chapter 4:  Play  — the chapter where everything comes to a head. In this episode, we dig into the  climax of the novel : the play itself, the unfolding revolution, and how the many threads of the story are tied together. We also talk through the return of familiar faces, with cameo appearances from characters we last encount...

It’s official —  Flesh  by  David Szalay  (Jonathan Cape) has won the  Booker Prize 2025 , and the Bookies are here to react! Aaron, Colin, Lucy & Hannah unpack the result — with  Aaron  diving deeper into the novel after his re-read and celebrating becoming the  first  host to successfully predict the Booker winner (from the two shortlists we’ve covered so far!). We also hear from  Bob the Bo...

**This episode was recorded before Flesh was announced as the Booker Prize 2025 winner*** We’re onto  book five  of the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist with  Flesh  by  David Szalay  — a look at how others can influence our lives and define the relationships we form. 📅 Coming Up Next Next week: our  final shortlisted title ,  The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny  by  Kiran Desai  (Hamish Hamilton). 🌙...

It’s time for our  Booker Prize 2025 finale predictions!  The Bookies sit down to  rank all six shortlisted books , share their  personal winner picks , and look at the  bookies’ odds  to see who the experts think will take home this year’s prize. We’re also joined (in spirit!) by some returning friends of the podcast: 📚  @bobthebookerer 📖  @dymphnaflynn 📘  @afewofchifavoritethings 💡 Plus,  Ma...

We’ve reached the  final book  on the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist! This week,  Aaron, Hannah, and Lucy  discuss  The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny  by  Kiran Desai  — a tender, multi-layered story exploring how the two titular characters navigate love, family, and belonging, both in India and beyond. The team dive into Desai’s luminous prose, the emotional depth of her characters, and how this n...

This week, the team hit the road with  The Rest of Our Lives  by  Ben Markovits  — a story of  midlife crisis, family tensions, and health struggles , all unfolding across a cross-country road trip through the US. Opinions are divided on this one, but there’s plenty to discuss! Our  Bookie of the Week  is  @dymphnaflynn  — book reviewer,  Costa Book Awards Judge 2021 , and  former BBC Arts produce...