Six books have been named finalists for the 2026 International Booker Prize. Formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize, this honor is presented annually for a work of fiction that was originally written in a language other than English, then translated into English and published in the U.K. and/or Ireland.

In a moment in which international relations are dominating news headlines around the globe, three of these shortlisted novels explore pivotal moments in world history: imperialist Japan-controlled Taiwan in the 1930s, Nazi-era Germany and the 1979 Revolution in Iran.

“With narratives that capture moments from across the past century, these books reverberate with history,” author Natasha Brown, chair of this year’s International Booker Prize jury, said in a statement. “While there’s heartbreak, brutality, and isolation among these stories, their lasting effect is energising. Rereading each book, we judges found hope, insight and burning humanity – along with unforgettable characters to whom I’m sure readers will return again and again.”

This year’s shortlist particularly celebrates female authors and translators: Five of the authors and four of the translators are women. As well as hailing from four continents, the shortlisted authors and translators come from remarkably diverse professional backgrounds: Taiwan’s Yáng Shuāng-zǐ writes manga and video game scripts, and Bulgaria’s Rene Karabash is a well-established actor as well as author.

The winning author and translator will be announced on May 19. They will split a prize of £50,000 (about $66,000).

The finalists are:

The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, translated from German by Ruth Martin

This is a multigenerational tale told by four different family members – first during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, then as the family seeks a new home in West Germany – that takes readers back to Iran, and the Iranian people’s struggle to come to a new political and social reality during the Green Revolution of 2009. In Australia’s The Saturday Paper, Rhoda Kwan wrote that The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran is “a quietly beautiful exploration of the trauma of losing one’s homeland to a savage regime, the novel is testament to how hope and the revolutionary spirit endure in the face of crushing tyranny, how courage cannot be fully stamped out.”

She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Angel

An independent-minded young woman named Bekja, living in Albania’s rural Accursed Mountains, escapes an arranged marriage, reshapes her life and decides to live as a man. That declaration sets off a chain reaction in the community, ultimately separating Bekja from the person she loves the most. The International Booker Prize judges called She Who Remains “an exquisitely written, brilliantly observed story about a young woman in a contemporary Albanian tribal society, and a blood feud that sets off her journey to self-discovery.”

The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from German by Ross Benjamin

This novel is the fictionalized story of real-life Austrian film maker G.W. Pabst, who fled a prominent career in Nazi Germany to make a new life in Hollywood. Due to his ailing mother, however, he returns to his native country, where the regime begins pressuring him to make propaganda. In The New Yorker, critic David Denby called The Director a “complex entertainment—a sorrowful fable of artistic and moral collapse, but also a novel composed with entrancing freedom, even bravura.”

On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan

This is a horror novella set in a remote penal colony in which every full moon, the warden releases the inmates into the wilderness – only to hunt them down. In The New York Times, critic Gabino Iglesias enthused that On Earth As It Is Beneath is “a must read for those who like their poetry written in blood.”

The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated from French by Jordan Stump

This novel is the oldest of this year’s crop of shortlisted nominees: It was originally published in French in 1996. Its protagonist is Lucie, a not terribly gifted witch, who passes on her familial powers to her own daughters, Maud and Lise. Vulture critic Jasmine Vojdani wrote of The Witch: “This is NDiaye at her disquieting best.”

Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King

This novel, which already won the 2024 National Book Award for translated literature, traces a year-long journey through Taiwan by a (fictional) young Japanese novelist, Aoyama Chizuko, a young writer of voracious appetites. Chizuko has been invited to Taiwan by the Japanese government, which currently controls the island; once there, she meets her Taiwanese interpreter, Chizuru, who enraptures Chizuko. New York Times reviewer Shahnaz Habib wrote that Taiwan Travelogue is “a delightfully slippery novel about how power shapes relationships, and what travel reveals and conceals.”

The judges for the 2026 International Booker prize are author Natasha Brown; writer, broadcaster and professor Marcus du Sautoy; translator Sophie Hughes; writer, editor and bookseller Troy Onyango; and novelist and columnist Nilanjana S. Roy.

We’re rolling out a new feature on World Cafe called Personal Records. We’re inviting non-musicians — or musicians working outside of the industry — to share the songs that define them.

The concept is simple: If someone were to assemble a mixtape that holds the key to who you are and what you do, what songs would be on it?

Tim Heidecker has been on the show a few times to talk about his own music, but he’s also an actor, director, writer and comedian, known for Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, On Cinema at the Cinema and his podcast Office Hours.

Today, Heidecker joins World Cafe to gush about Randy Newman, talk about the Joni Mitchell song that reminds him of his childhood and more.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod.  Our digital producer is Miguel Perez. World Cafe‘s engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.

One Friday night last year, Akylah Cox and her boyfriend took a red-eye flight from Pennsylvania to Dublin for a whirlwind adventure. The trip lasted less than 30 hours. They hit up an impressive number of spots: the Guinness Storehouse, the Book of Kells experience at Trinity College, Ha’penny Bridge, Capel Street for thrifting (“I gave myself only 30 minutes to do this, but it had to get done,” Cox says) and the Celtic Nights dinner and show.

They were back home on Sunday and went to work the next day.

She shared her experience on TikTok with the caption, “Was this crazy?!” The responses varied.

“I would be tired the rest of the week,” one person commented with two woozy-face emojis.

“This inspired me!” another said.

“I’m tryna be this level crazy,” commented another.

For Cox, who was working full time in engineering and pursuing an MBA while her boyfriend was completing his medical residency, creating an ultra-compacted itinerary was the only possible way to travel. And she loves the practice. On TikTok, she shares her itineraries for “microtrips” — short, usually international trips lasting 24 to 72 hours.

“You can just leave,” says Cox, who lives in Chicago. “You can have that quick break, that quick reset.”

She’s part of a new wave of travelers, particularly Gen Z, opting for these types of trips over extended vacations, according to an AirBnb trend report. Partly fueled by a viral TikTok trend in which people break down how they spent one to two days in another country, young travelers are no longer waiting for spring break or to accumulate paid time off to cross destinations off their bucket lists. A recent Expedia survey found that 25% of Gen Z and millennial travelers said they plan to take a microtrip in 2026, with Toronto; Nassau, Bahamas; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, being the most popular destinations.

“Short trips can fit busy schedules much better than a longer vacation can, which allows more people to explore the world without committing to long absences from work or family,” says Airbnb communications lead Ali Killam. “I think people are really embracing this idea that even brief changes of scenery can really recharge you, your mind and spirit.”

Another driver of the trend could be the fact that younger generations consider travel a top priority in their lives. In 2023, Gen Z and millennial travelers took an average of five trips per year, compared with Gen Xers and baby boomers who took less than four. Gen Zers and millennials allocate an average of 29% of their income for travel, reports the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. (though a study last year by Savings.com found that a growing number of parents are helping their adult children out financially more than ever). Among younger generations, there’s also a mantra of doing things “for the plot” and taking chances because the future feels uncertain.

“Younger millennials and Gen Z are really creating their own version of the American dream, which I think is really based off of experiences and the memories that you’re able to create,” said N’Dea Irvin-Choy, 30, an L.A.-based content creator who posts about luxury travel, skiing and tennis experiences.

Kareen Hill, 27, of New York, is another microtrip crusader on social media. Since October, he’s been taking trips to explore the food scenes of various cities. In January, he went to London for two days and posted a recap video on TikTok that received more than 1.5 million likes. He now tries to take a trip, either international or domestic, about every two weeks.

“I just realized you do have free will,” says Hill, who works at an airport. “Like why not?”

N’Dea Irvin-Choy at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, left, and Kareen Hill at the Colosseum in Rome.

(N’Dea Irvin-Choy; Kareen Hill)

Beyond convenience, microtrips can also be more affordable than longer trips — an important factor as oil prices rise and airfares are already beginning to surge. With the help of credit card points and a travel credit, Cox’s trip to Dublin was just under $450. She says these quick trips are a “low barrier to entry” to international travel because you only have to plan an itinerary for one or two days. And the more flexible you can be on the timing or destination, the better chance you’ll have at finding deals.

Another benefit is how short trips force you to be intentional about how you spend your limited time. “You can get a lot more done than maybe you think you can,” she said. During a three-day trip to Japan with her mother and grandparents in May (not including the travel time), they were able to squeeze in a food tour and multiple tourist attractions in Tokyo and Mt. Fuji.

Of course, a common concern about microtrips is how exhausting they can be, especially if you’re traveling across time zones. And, yes, the fatigue can be real and travelers should certainly consider their bodies’ limits. But the purpose of these trips is to explore a destination rather than relax, Cox says. Once you’re in that mindset, you can better embrace the experience. “You really don’t have the impact of jet lag because you’re purely running on adrenaline,” she says.

Want to take a microtrip yourself? Here are some tips:

• Book the earliest flight possible to your destination and the latest flight back so you can optimize your time, advises Irvin-Choy. Definitely try to opt for nonstop flights.
• Make it easy to move around your destination. Hill says it’s best to avoid checking a bag and to pack light. Cox recommends booking a hotel that allows you to store your bag even if your room isn’t ready.
• Prioritize your “musts.” For each of her microtrips, Cox uses the same formula: Pick three must-do activities or sights and plan the rest of your trip around those. One of her favorite things to do in any new city she’s visiting is go on a food tour.
• Prepare to jump back into the grind at home. Irvin-Choy recommends parking your car at or near the airport, which can sometimes be cheaper than opting for a ride share when it’s such a short trip. You also might want to wear your work clothes on the plane, so you can head straight into work if necessary.
• And finally, don’t forget to get some rest during your trip — even if it’s on the plane. “That’s the hardest part when it’s so short,” Irvin-Choy says. “But make sure you get some sleep at some point during the weekend.”