The longlist for the 2026 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction was announced last Thursday! Thanks to this prize, I have discovered lots of great books and authors and always look out for the longlists and shortlists; in fact, trying to read all of the shortlisted titles since the prize began in 2010 is a personal project of mine (you can see my progress here).
There are twelve books on this year’s longlist and here they are:
Venetian Vespers by John Banville
The Two Roberts by Damian Barr
Eden’s Shore by Oisín Fagan
Helm by Sarah Hall
The Pretender by Jo Harkin
Boundary Waters by Tristan Hughes
The Matchbox Girl by Alice Jolly
Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko
Benbecula by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Once the Deed is Done by Rachel Seiffert
The Artist by Lucy Steeds
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
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As you can see, I’ve only read two books from this year’s longlist, but I liked both, particularly Seascraper, and wasn’t surprised to see them on the list! I’m not planning to try to read all of these books, but I was already intending to read Benbecula and some of the others look appealing as well. I’ll be looking out for the shortlist announcement in April!
Have you read any of the longlisted books?
She Reads Novels 
I loved The Artist. A great story, engaging characters, and a very satisfying ending. Highly recommended, and I’m not the only one, it’s already won a couple of awards.
The only one I’ve read is Seascraper which I loved. Keen to read The Artist as well
Once the deed is done is an interesting title and The Artist does look great!
I’ve read the two you’ve read plus six more. I didn’t get on with Eden’s Shore at all. I was completely confused at the end! I hope it doesn’t make the shortlist because I might have to force myself to read it again. I have The Artist in my TBR pile. I like the sound of all of the remaining three – Edenglassie, Boundary Waters and Once the Deed Is Done – none of which I’d come across before now. As you say, that’s the exciting thing about this prize.
I did like your reviews very much, Helen, so I’ll bear these two in mind as potential reads.
Despite getting super behind on new books this last year, I have actually read two of them, Edenglassie and Seascraper! I already reviewed Seascraper as part of Novellas in November, and my Edenglassie review is coming out soon. I have Benbecula in my pile, I think, and Helm and Venetian Whispers on my radar. It will be interesting to see if I’ve actually read some of the ones that make the shortlist before it comes out, as I don’t think that has ever happened before.
I thought that The Pretender was rubbish, but maybe it was just me!