TWELVE EXPANSIVE TITLES LONGLISTED FOR THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE AS 2026 MARKS A DECADE OF ADVENTURE

Yorùbá Boy Running by Biyi Bándélé (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House)

The Tarot Reader of Versailles by Anya Bergman (Manilla Press, Bonnier Books UK)

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown (Bantam, Transworld, Penguin Random House)

House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama (Bantam, Transworld, Penguin Random House)

Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper (Head of Zeus, Bloomsbury)

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji (Arcadia, Quercus Editions, Hachette)

The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley (Gollancz, Orion Publishing Group)

The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao (Oneworld Publications)

59 Minutes by Holly Seddon (Orion Publishing Group)

The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan (The Emma Press)

White Road by Harry Whitehead (Claret Press)

Poor Girls by Clare Whitfield (Head of Zeus, Bloomsbury)

All housing adventure within their pages, the books reflect the many places adventure can be found, spanning historical fiction to contemporary fiction, alongside crime, science fiction, eco-thriller, and, for the first time in the Prize’s history, horror.

As published in The Bookseller earlier this year, the Prize now only accepts titles from the point they are published in paperback. In doing so, the Prize’s ethos of ‘An Adventure for Everyone’, extends beyond the content of the novels. The belief that paperback books are better accessible and affordable for readers, both library-users and the book-buying public, guided the decision, which has been substantiated by a 48% increase in entries since 2025.

Melissa Ames, Assistant Library Manager at Inspire Mansfield Central Library, and Prize panellist, said, “The exciting and welcome shift to books released in paperback within the past year gives library services greater buying power, enabling them to fully support the Prize and ensure that both physical and digital editions of shortlisted titles reach as many readers as possible.

Once again, the longlist reflects the Foundation’s commitment to championing adventure writing for everyone. These titles promise immersive journeys across both geography and time. Readers will travel from ancient Thebes to present‑day Chicago, via 19th‑century Nigeria, 1920s London and post‑independence India. Along the way, there is the opportunity to relive the joy of childhood reading through a choose‑your‑own adventure; to consider how you would face an imminent nuclear attack; to delve into the world of a secret society sworn to

protect magical artefacts; and to explore the aftermath of Boudicca’s failed rebellion against Rome via her eldest daughter. Prepare to lose yourself in this exceptional longlist, and discover your own kind of adventure within the pages.”

Booksellers are invited to engage directly this year. To match the Prize’s work with libraries, UK bookshops can access free digital and physical materials to promote the titles. Those who register for materials will also be in with a chance of securing credit for their bookshop to purchase stock that builds their selection of adventure titles. Booksellers can register here.

Niso Smith, Prize Founder, said, “It feels fortuitous to be celebrating a decade of adventure fiction in the National Year of Reading. Adventure stories are a gateway into reading for both children and adults, but they can also offer devoted readers something new - such as this expansive longlist does!

Wilbur Smith shared over 60 years of his adventures with the world and now, we’re proudly working with readers to celebrate and support the contemporary writers who are redefining the genre. The focus on paperback will allow us to bring adventure stories to even more readers, and to do so with such accomplished books is incredibly exciting. Congratulations to each of the authors!”

A shortlist will be announced on 28th May, and the winning book will be selected by a panel of judges whose combined experience straddles adventure and storytelling, before being revealed on 17th September at the Prize’s awards reception at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London.

The 2026 judging panel is Josh Adeyemi, outdoor influencer, content creator & Founder of Black Scottish Adventurers; Alex Bescoby, filmmaker, author and broadcaster; Costanza Casati, author and winner of the 2025 Adventure Writing Prize; Preet Chandi, record-breaking army officer and Polar Explorer; and Tamsin Collison, audio director and producer. Additionally, readers will be invited to cast three online votes which, collated, will represent one seat on the judging panel.

Also celebrated on the 17th September will be the New Voices Award for aspiring writers and the Author of Tomorrow Award for young writers aged 21 and under.

-Ends-

Press Contact: Charlotte Maddox | Prize Manager e: charlotte@wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org | 07792 614652

NOTES FOR EDITORS: All downloads and more information on each title will also be available on our website, here, from 8am on 30th April 2026.

More information about the Prize’s shift to paperback can be found on our website: ● The ‘Paperback Prize’ - 10 Years in the Making: An open letter to our community to demonstrate the impact we imagine ● Out Now In Paperback: An article outlining in more detail why we made the shift to paperback

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION:

The Prize is awarded by The Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation, a charity established in 2015 by the late bestselling author Wilbur Smith and his wife, Niso. The Foundation empowers writers, promotes literacy and advances adventure writing as a genre, working to uplift, inspire and educate. Through our work, we reach out to writers and readers across the world, ensuring everyone can have their own adventures through the words on a page.

PAST WINNERS:

2025: Babylonia by Costanza Casati (Penguin Michael Joseph)

2024: Saltblood by Francesca de Tores (Bloomsbury)

2023: No Country for Girls by Emma Styles (Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group)

2022: Where Blood Runs Cold by Giles Kristian (Bantam Press, Transworld)

2021: Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (Doubleday)

2020: Prize hiatus due to Covid-19

2019: Firefly by Henry Porter (Quercus)

2018: A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (Vintage)

2017: Under a Pole Star by Stef Penney (Quercus)

2016: The Tears of Dark Water by Corban Addison (Quercus)

TWELVE “EXPANSIVE” TITLES LONGLISTED FOR THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE, AS 2026 MARKS A “DECADE OF ADVENTURE”