Pierce Alquist

2025 was an astonishingly good year for literature in translation, and after poring over catalogs and galleys, I’m thrilled to say that it’s only going to continue in 2026. In a year of uncertainty and challenge, I’ll take that small silver lining. I’ve highlighted some of the best 2026 new releases in translation, and because there is so much to choose from, I’ve added notes for others you should seek out as well! This list is just a taste of all that’s coming up.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. The fall is always a busy time of year for books, with publishers releasing their big titles in the hope of capturing the interest of readers shopping for the holidays or looking to curl up with a blanket and a good book as the temperatures drop.

“Why the obsession with motherhood?” writes author and journalist Gabriela Wiener in her book Nine Moons, translated by Jessica Powell. And it’s a question so many writers turn their minds to. It’s perhaps not surprising. Motherhood, in one way or another, affects us all—even the not having or the not doing can create tensions, pain, and societal implications that many have to grapple with.