Since 2006, the Center for Fiction has been highlighting the best debut novels of the year through its First Novel Prize. This year’s 180 eligible titles were published in the US between January 1st and December 31st, and were narrowed down to 19 books by more than 500 writers, librarians, booksellers, and others. The shortlist will be announced in the fall, and in early December, the winning author will receive $15,000, while each shortlisted author will receive $1,000.
A few of the past award winners include Viet Thanh Nguyen, Tommy Orange, Raven Leilani, Marisha Pessl, and De’Shawn Charles Winslow.
This year’s longlist includes a literary mystery that has been on everyone’s most anticipated of the year (Whidbey), family sagas, each with its own unique spin (Honey in the Wound, Lost Lambs), a tale of community and resistance (Ruins, Child), and lots more.
The list is fairly diverse, and some of these books have also been among our favorites or made it to our Best of the Year So Far list (Whidbey, Upward Bound, and Kitten).
2026 First Novel Prize Longlist
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood
Hope House by Joe Bond
Upward Bound by Woody Brown
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash
Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein
To Stay, To Stay, To Stay by Devon Halliday
Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han
Carrying by Samantha Josephs
Whidbey by T Kira Madden
200 Monas by Jan Saenz
On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield
Ruins, Child by Giada Scodellaro
Offseason by Avigayl Sharp
Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau
Blow Yourself Up by Ankur Thakkar
The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Rabbit, Fox, Tar by P. C. Verrone
Kitten by Stacey Yu
The shortlisted authors will read from their books on December 4, 2026, for the First Novel Fête, and the winner will be announced on December 8, 2026.
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