Five Books

Thank you so much for putting together this list of books by or about Jack Kerouac, the celebrated American author and icon of the Beat Generation. When I think of Kerouac, I think: stream-of-consciousness, rebellion, hitchhiking, drug-taking. What have I missed—or misunderstood? Sincerity and faith. Joy, vulnerability and sadness.

You’ve just written The Shortest History of the United States and you’ve also written a book about your travels in the US, which gives a slightly different perspective on the country. How would you describe the United States to someone who had just arrived from outer space or has never been there? Well, without wanting to dodge the question, that would depend very much on where they touched down.

We at Five Books consider the shortlists for the annual Bram Stoker Awards an excellent source of horror novel recommendations. Every year, the members of the Horror Writers Association—an international collective of authors and publishing professionals—nominate new work for consideration in a number of different literary forms, from screenplays and anthologies to short stories and even poetry.

Margaret Atwood—prolific author and two-time Booker Prize-winner—has written more than fifty books, but she is best known for her multi-million-copy-selling novels of many genres, from feminist dystopia (The Handmaid’s Tale) to historical mystery (Alias Grace) and domestic drama (Life Before Man). Here, we put together a full list of her novels for adults, in order of publication, for those who plan to work their way through her full back catalogue.

We at Five Books consider the shortlists for the annual Bram Stoker Awards an excellent source of horror novel recommendations. Every year, the members of the Horror Writers Association—an international collective of authors and publishing professionals—nominate new work for consideration in a number of different literary forms, from screenplays and anthologies to short stories and even poetry.

I first became aware of MAGA when I started seeing it printed on red baseball hats. Before we get to the books and your particular focus, could you explain what it is? MAGA is the ‘Make America Great Again’ movement, which is the slogan that Donald Trump chose at some point in his first candidacy to represent the spirit of his movement. He put it on the red hats and all over.

What drew you, as a historical novelist, to the 1700s? In my own school history lessons, and in a lot of the historical fiction I grew up reading, there was a huge amount of focus on the Tudor and Victorian periods—yet in between those well-trodden eras, the 18th century seemed to be a bit neglected.

The Hugo is a fan-chosen award, voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Society. Notably, every choice this year was also selected by readers of Locus Mag to appear on another major award list, the Locus Awards. So there is considerable consensus this year. The list is also crammed with previous award-winners, so it’s set to be a high-quality field this year. Last year’s Hugo went to the The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, and this year the sequel is a finalist: A Drop of Corruption.

I wonder if you could just explain what a default is and why sovereign debt restructuring is famous for being such a complicated process? A default is when a debtor doesn’t pay money back that was borrowed, typically in a bond or a loan, on time or in full. The heart of the problem with sovereign default and debt restructuring is that governments are different from individuals. They can’t just not provide their services. They are responsible for the well-being of people.

Thanks for joining us to discuss the shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Perhaps you could start us off by reflecting on what the judges are seeking to highlight or reward? The Women’s Prize for Fiction is all about celebrating and championing women’s voices, women’s storytelling, and how women’s storytelling can change the world.