Waterstones puts twenty books through the booksellers’ vote
From Douglas Stuart to Maggie O’Farrell, the British shortlist brings together fiction, non-fiction, illustrated books and children’s titles.
Waterstones has announced the twenty finalists for its 2026 Book of the Year in the United Kingdom, selected from nominations made by the chain’s booksellers. The list includes Douglas Stuart’s John of John, Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling, Elizabeth Strout’s The Things We Never Said and Maggie O’Farrell’s Land. Fiction sits alongside non-fiction, illustrated publishing, food writing and children’s books, including The Neverland Thieves by Katie and Kevin Tsang. The selection therefore reflects a bookselling culture built on personal recommendation rather than a single sales chart. An expert panel will choose the winner, to be announced on 26 November. Established in 2012, the award went to Lucy Steeds for The Artist in 2025.