Swiss Book Prize Shortlist Features Mix of Established Voices and Newcomers

The Swiss Book Prize has announced its shortlist for 2026, featuring five nominees that mix returnees and debut novelists. The prize, worth a total of 42,000 Swiss francs, will be awarded on November 15 at the International Literature Festival Buch Basel.

This year's nominees include Lukas Bärfuss, who won the prize in 2014 with his book Koala. His new work, Königin der Nacht, is a self-interrogating portrait of his mother that explores themes of poverty, origin, and exclusion.

Other notable nominees include Hayat Erdoğan, who makes her debut with Hauptsache kein Zeitgeist, a novel told in 24 songs across 24 hours. The book follows a breakup coinciding with news of the earthquake in Turkey.

The shortlist also features Yael Inokai, a 73-year-old cleaner turned unlikely investigator after finding her employer murdered. Inokai has previously won the Swiss Literature Prize for another work.