The longlist for the The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2026 was announced yesterday. As a huge fan of historical fiction, this is always an exciting moment, seeing books I’ve loved appear on the list or discovering new titles.
This year I’ve read eight of the twelve books on the list. One (The Artist) is in my TBR pile and the remaining three (Boundary Waters, Edenglassie and Once the Deed Is Done) have gone straight on my wishlist.
Here are the twelve books on the longlist. Links from the titles will take you to my review or the book description on Goodreads.
- 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
As in previous years, I’ll attempt to read all the longlisted novels I haven’t already before the shortlist is announced in April.
Have any of your favourites made the longlist?
What Cathy Read Next... 