Adventure Writing Prize | Longlist 

We are delighted to share the longlist for the £10,000 2026 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. Selected by a panel of librarians and library staff from across the UK, these twelve remarkable books span historical fiction to contemporary fiction, alongside crime, science fiction, eco-thriller, and, for the first time in the Prize’s history, horror! 

We can't wait to hear what you think of them, so dive in and get reading! Click on the icons below to find out more. 

Yorùbá Boy Running by Biyi Bándélé Yorùbá Boy Running by Biyi Bándélé
The Tarot Reader of Versailles by Anya Bergman The Tarot Reader of Versailles by Anya Bergman
The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown
House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama
Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji Esperance by Adam Oyebanji
The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley
The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao
59 Minutes by Holly Seddon 59 Minutes by Holly Seddon
The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan
White Road by Harry Whitehead White Road by Harry Whitehead
Poor Girls by Clare Whitfield Poor Girls by Clare Whitfield