Goldsboro Books is delighted to announce the longlist for the 2026 Glass Bell Award, celebrating outstanding storytelling across contemporary fiction. Now in its tenth year, the Glass Bell Award honours novels that combine brilliant characterisation, a distinctive voice, and stories that truly connect with readers. Unique in the UK literary landscape, the prize is open to all genres, from literary fiction and crime to fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction.
Founded in 2017 by Goldsboro Books Managing Director David Headley, previous winners include Chris Cleave’s Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Elodie Harper’s The Wolf Den, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six, and Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra.
This year’s longlist brings together an exciting mix of established names and exceptional new voices, showcasing the breadth, ambition, and confidence of modern storytelling.
The 2026 Glass Bell Award longlist is:
- ATMOSPHERE — Taylor Jenkins Reid
- BUCKEYE — Patrick Ryan
- THE NAMES — Florence Knapp
- BROKEN COUNTRY — Clare Leslie Hall
- THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION — qntm
- KING SORROW — Joe Hill
- NESTING — Roisín O’Donnell
- DEATH OF THE AUTHOR — Nnedi Okorafor
- THE RUSH — Beth Lewis
- THE PHOENIX PENCIL COMPANY — Allison King
- HEKATE — Nikita Gill
- THE CORRESPONDENT — Virginia Evans
Taken together, this year’s long list reflects the extraordinary range of contemporary fiction today. From intimate literary novels and psychological suspense to speculative fiction, mythic retellings, and genre-defying narratives, the selected books explore memory, identity, grief, ambition, creativity, and human connection with imagination, confidence, and emotional depth.
Goldsboro Books Managing Director David Headley said:
“The Glass Bell Award celebrates books that stay with readers long after the final page. This year’s longlist is full of novels that are emotionally rich, ambitious, and impossible to forget. We’re proud to champion writers who continue to push storytelling in exciting directions.”
The Glass Bell Award is judged exclusively by the Goldsboro Books team, drawing on decades of bookselling experience and a genuine passion for discovering exceptional fiction.
