Fifteen books on Boekenbon Literature Prize longlist
The jury selected works by authors from the Netherlands and Flanders for the prize, which will be awarded on 25 November.
The longlist for the 2026 Boekenbon Literature Prize consists of fifteen titles. It includes work by, among others, Alex Bakker, Johan de Boose, Marjolijn van Heemstra and Ester Naomi Perquin.
The organisation announced the longlist on Thursday. It includes Alex Bakker with Transgender pioniers, Johan de Boose with Joegoslavië, Rasit Elibol with Vuistslagen, Mina Etemad with De zangvogel and Dominique de Groen with Corpus Britney.
Also selected are Marjolijn van Heemstra with Nachtgids, Tine Hens with Archief van mogelijk verlies, Maite Karssenberg with Dubbelleven, Bernke Klein Zandvoort with Oogsprong and Xillan Macrooy with Mensen als zonnen en mensen als manen. Eva Meijer, Iraida Martha Ooft, Richard Osinga, Ester Naomi Perquin and Jan Vantoortelboom are also on the list.
The prize is open to Dutch-language literary books published between 1 July 2025 and 31 May 2026. The jury consists of professional readers from the Netherlands and Flanders. Kathleen Ferrier is chair; the other jury members are Jenneke Harings, Willem Bongers-Dek, Bernice Vreedzaam, Martijn Nicolaas, Sarah Vankersschaever, Chris Dols, Ellen Van Tichelt and Hilde Sabbe.
The longlist is an initial selection; the authors have therefore not yet been nominated for the final prize. The shortlist will follow on 21 October. The winner will be announced on 25 November and, according to the organisation, will receive 50,000 euros.
The selection gives publishers and bookshops an early indication of the titles that may receive extra attention in the coming weeks. For readers, the list is primarily a roadmap through the literary output of the past year; the jury itself published no ranking with the longlist.
The Boekenbon Literature Prize annually honours the best Dutch-language literary book of the year. The organisation says that both fiction and non-fiction are eligible. The longlist says nothing yet about the eventual winner or the jury members’ preferences among the books.
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The list and all the names mentioned were checked directly against the official longlist. The description remains limited to verifiable selection information and makes no claims about literary quality.
- confirmed The 2026 longlist consists of fifteen titles. — The official edition page lists fifteen books. source
- confirmed Kathleen Ferrier is chair of the jury. — The official jury information names Ferrier as chair. source
- confirmed The shortlist will be announced on 21 October and the prize will be awarded on 25 November. — These dates appear on the official website. source
- confirmed The winner will receive 50,000 euros. — The prize page states the amount. source
Editor's note
The titles, jury, selection period and subsequent dates come from the official organisation. The longlist contains no ranking, and the organisation provided no substantive explanation for each book.Sources
- Boekenbon Literatuurprijs 2026: Longlist — Boekenbon Literatuurprijs
- Veel non-fictie op longlist Boekenbonprijs — Boekblad
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „boekenbon literatuurprijs”
- NU.nl — „boekenbon literatuurprijs”
- De Telegraaf — „boekenbon literatuurprijs”