Irish author Djamel White has been longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel All Them Dogs. The book is described as “a gripping story of violence, lust, and greed that explores one man’s struggles to find his place in an unsparing world”.

The idea emerged from a short story, Blue Opel, which White wrote during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The book follows Tony Ward, who has arrived back in the West Dublin gangland scene after five years of keeping quiet. He is keen to reinstate himself, jumping on the opportunity to work with Darren ‘Flute’ Walsh, a top enforcer of a notorious crime boss. However, when Tony finds himself drawn to his new associate in more ways than one, the mutual attraction begins to complicate matters, putting their safety at risk.

All Them Dogs is the debut novel from Djamel White. After leaving school at 17, he volunteered at the non-profit literary organisation Fighting Words, which reinforced his love of writing.

He went on to achieve a BA in English and Creative Writing and an MFA in Creative Writing from University College Dublin (UCD). He has also been a recipient of a Literature Bursary Award, as well as an Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland. At 28 years old, he is the youngest person on this year’s longlist.

 

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The Booker Prize 2026 judges described White’s novel as “a ballsy, unsentimental portrait of West Dublin gangland, set well off the beaten track of the city’s usual literary landmarks”. They added that the author is “an impressive stylist” with “an ear for dialogue that is both racy and real, and a gift for atmospheric description that feels at once inventive and classically grounded”.

“This writer understands that the vernacular of the street, handled with precision and care, can carry as much emotional and literary weight as any elevated register,” they continued.

The judging panel is chaired by classicist, writer and broadcaster Mary Beard and features award-winning poet, writer and educator Raymond Antrobus; musician, writer and broadcaster Jarvis Cocker; and journalist, editor and critic Rebecca Liu. Together, they have selected 13 novels for the longlist, which will be narrowed down to a shortlist on September 22, before the winner is announced on November 9.

The Booker Prize is the literary world’s most prestigious award, recognising long-form fiction written in English by authors of any nationality, published in the UK or Ireland. The six shortlistees will receive £2,500 and a specially bound edition of their book, with the winner taking home a trophy and £50,000 prize money.

To view the full longlist for 2026, click here.