Ali Smith, a celebrated queer author from Scotland, was announced as the winner of the 2026 Dublin Literary Award this Thursday, May 21.
Her novel Gliff, which was chosen as the winner, explores dystopian themes and offers political commentary on education, the environment, and authoritarianism. The book follows two child protagonists and a horse, navigating a world not too dissimilar from our own, in an undefined near-future.
Smith, a Scottish native and prolific writer, has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize four times. Her novel Gliff is followed by a sister novel, Glyph, which was published at the start of 2026.
Smith is an openly queer writer and creative, frequently exploring LGBTQ+ topics in her literature. She has been with her partner, filmmaker Sarah Wood, for 17 years, and dedicates all her books to her.
Winning the 2026 Award, Smith said, “I couldn’t be more amazed and delighted that my novel has come to the surface and won the Dublin Literary Award”.
“This is an award prized among writers”, she continued, “an award that dares always to be international and that knows the importance of translation– the beating heart of all writing. It’s an award whose nominations all always come from worldwide public libraries and their readers– in other words from the open heart of communal thought and imagination”.
This marks the 31st iteration of the Dublin Literary Award, and is the world’s largest prize for a single novel published in English (accepting translated titles), with €100,00 presented to the winner. The nominations came from 80 libraries across 36 countries, amounting to a longlist of 69 titles. The award is sponsored by Dublin City Council.
The award was announced in Merrion Square Park as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin, with deputy chief executive of Dublin City Council, Anthony Flynn, presenting it to Smith. Anna Burns, the 2020 winner, offered a keynote speech at the event.
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The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam, noted that “Gliff is a remarkable and deeply powerful work.”
“Through the eyes of two young protagonists navigating an increasingly authoritarian society, we are reminded that courage is not always loud, but it is always consequential”, he continued.
The novel was nominated by Katona Jósef Library in Hungary, and chosen from a shortlist of six novels. Richard Shakespeare, chief executive of Dublin City Council, said: “It’s heartening that a Hungarian library nominated the winning title, showing how great literature can strike a universal chord”.
On Friday, May 22, Ali Smith will be discussing her novel with Belinda McKeon as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin.
© 2026 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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