The books to look out for in 2026

2026 is already promising plenty of unmissable releases: there are new novels by George Saunders, Ali Smith and Douglas Stuart, memoirs from Gisèle Pelicot, Lena Dunham and Mark Haddon, and plenty of inventive debuts to look forward to. Here, browse all the biggest titles set to hit shelves in the coming months across fiction and nonfiction, selected by the Guardian’s books desk. Illustration: David Newton/Photo by David Levene Illustration: David Newton/Photo by David Levene Illustration: David Newton/Photo by David Levene Illustration: David Newton/Photo by David Levene Fiction Novels by George Saunders, Ali Smith and Douglas Stuart are among the big books to look forward to in the coming year. Nonfiction Memoirs from Gisèle Pelicot and Siri Hustvedt, Naomi Klein on fascism and Patrick Radden Keefe on a mysterious death are among the highlights of the year ahead in nonfiction. Debuts A love story, a coming-of-age tale and an epic portrait of a country are among the best debut novels to look out for in 2026.

Preview: ~165 words