Read100% confidence
May We Feed the King
Rebecca Perry
Two eras in very short alternating sections and lyrical prose, with nothing confirmed pointing to audio.
- Audiobook
- 5h 2m
- Narrated by
- Ian Dunnett Jr., Sarah Barron
- 272 pages
Waterstones Book of the Year 2026
The Waterstones shortlist: read it or listen to it?
The 20 books on the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist, with a read or listen verdict for every one, plus the narrators and lengths.
The 20, at a glance
12 Read3 Listen5 Either
Shortlist announced Thursday 29 October 2026. All 20 checked.
Read100% confidence
Ottolenghi Simple Too
Yotam Ottolenghi and Verena Lochmuller
A recipe book with no audiobook: the book is the only format.
- Audiobook
- None found
- 304 pages
Read100% confidence
Pick Your Bottles
Dan Keeling
A buying guide to 100 bottles with no audiobook: the book is the only format.
- Audiobook
- None found
- 256 pages
Read100% confidence
Is This a Plum?
Dan Ojari and Finn Ojari
A picture book built around holes in the page, with no audiobook: the book is the only format.
- Audiobook
- None found
- 40 pages
Read100% confidence
The Heirs
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Five viewpoints and a timeline that jumps back and forth, all in one voice: one for the page.
- Audiobook
- 10h 42m
- Narrated by
- Torian Brackett
- 368 pages
Read75% confidence
Solace House
Will Maclean
A cipher hidden in the printed verse is central to the plot, which points to print. The length is the only confirmed point for audio.
- Audiobook
- 16h 12m
- Performed by
- Sebastian Humphreys, Greg Wagland
- 512 pages
Read71% confidence
Said the Dead
Doireann Ní Ghríofa
Two timelines and compressed, lyrical prose point to print, though the author’s own reading is praised.
- Audiobook
- 10h 8m
- Narrated by
- Doireann Ní Ghríofa
- 368 pages
Read70% confidence
Stations
Louise Kennedy
Critics praise the prose, which points to print; the accents and dialect point to audio.
- Audiobook
- 9h 17m
- Narrated by
- Bríd Brennan
- 304 pages
Listen65% confidence
The Things We Never Say
Elizabeth Strout
One viewpoint and one narrator, with nothing confirmed that points to print.
- Audiobook
- 6h 35m
- Narrated by
- Robert Petkoff
- 208 pages
Read65% confidence
Taiwan Travelogue
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ
The footnotes are the one confirmed check, and they point to print.
- Audiobook
- 11h 3m
- Narrated by
- Sarah Mariè Skaer
- 320 pages
Read65% confidence
Lázár
Nelio Biedermann
Time jumps across three generations point to print; little else is confirmed yet.
- Audiobook
- 7h 48m
- Narrated by
- Justin Avoth
- 272 pages
Listen65% confidence
Redwood
Ben Macintyre
A long, readable true story with nothing confirmed for print; only the length counts so far.
- Audiobook
- 17h 24m
- Narrated by
- Ben Macintyre
- 464 pages
Listen62% confidence
Yesteryear
Caro Claire Burke
One narrator, a single viewpoint and praised narration point to audio, but the story jumps between the present and 1855.
- Audiobook
- 13h 47m
- Narrated by
- Rebecca Lowman
- 400 pages
Read62% confidence
The Book of Birds
Robert Macfarlane
The paintings are half the book, and they are not in the audiobook.
- Audiobook
- 3h 38m
- Performed by
- Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris
- 384 pages
Read56% confidence
John of John
Douglas Stuart
Several viewpoints and literary prose point to reading, but the long book, praised narration and Gaelic and island accents point to audio.
- Audiobook
- 15h 30m
- Narrated by
- Lorne MacFadyen
- 416 pages
Either53% confidence
Land
Maggie O’Farrell
Three timelines favour print and a praised reading favours audio, so the points land almost level.
- Audiobook
- 16h 47m
- Narrated by
- Dane Whyte O’Hara
- 448 pages
Either50% confidence
London Falling
Patrick Radden Keefe
Nothing could be confirmed either way yet, so neither format is favoured.
- Audiobook
- 12h 59m
- Narrated by
- Patrick Radden Keefe
- 384 pages
Either50% confidence
Sleeping Beauties
David Byrne
Nothing could be confirmed either way yet, and the audiobook comes with the pictures as a PDF.
- Audiobook
- 12h 42m
- Narrated by
- David Byrne
- 400 pages
Either50% confidence
The Adventures of Portly the Otter
M.G. Leonard
Nothing could be confirmed either way, so both the illustrated hardback and the author’s reading work.
- Audiobook
- 4h 7m
- Narrated by
- M.G. Leonard
- 224 pages
Either50% confidence
The Neverland Thieves
Katie and Kevin Tsang
Nothing could be confirmed either way yet, so neither format is favoured.
- Audiobook
- 6h 24m
- Narrated by
- Russell Tovey
- 320 pages
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About this shelf
The Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist of 20 was announced on Thursday 29 October 2026, and Waterstones booksellers vote for it. It mixes novels, non-fiction, a cookbook, a wine guide and children’s books, so the verdicts vary more than on a fiction prize shelf.
All 20 are checked. Twelve are better read, three are better listened to, and five are close calls either way. Three of the twelve reads, Ottolenghi Simple Too, Pick Your Bottles and Is This a Plum?, have no audiobook at all, so the printed book wins by default. The children’s books, The Adventures of Portly the Otter, The Neverland Thieves and Is This a Plum?, appear on this shelf only. Each verdict page gives the narrators, lengths and the reasoning in full.
Questions about the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 audiobooks
Which Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 books are better as audiobooks?
Three of the 20: The Things We Never Say (65%), with one viewpoint and one narrator, Redwood by Ben Macintyre (65%), a long true story read by its author, and Yesteryear (62%). The rest are better read or a close call.
Which shortlisted books are better read?
May We Feed the King and The Heirs (both 100%), Solace House (75%), Said the Dead (71%), Stations (70%), Taiwan Travelogue and Lázár (both 65%), The Book of Birds (62%) and John of John (56%), plus Ottolenghi Simple Too, Pick Your Bottles and Is This a Plum?, which have no audiobook.
Which are close calls?
Land by Maggie O’Farrell (53%), where three timelines balance a praised reading, and four books at 50% where nothing could be confirmed either way yet: London Falling, Sleeping Beauties, The Adventures of Portly the Otter and The Neverland Thieves.
Which shortlisted books have no audiobook?
Ottolenghi Simple Too, Pick Your Bottles and Is This a Plum? had no audiobook on Audible UK or Audible US on 30 October 2026.
Which children’s books are on the shortlist?
The Adventures of Portly the Otter by M.G. Leonard and The Neverland Thieves by Katie and Kevin Tsang (both either format), the picture book Is This a Plum? (no audiobook), and the YA mystery The Heirs (better read).
How long are the Waterstones 2026 audiobooks?
From 3 hours 38 minutes for The Book of Birds and 4 hours 7 minutes for The Adventures of Portly the Otter, up to 16 hours 47 minutes for Land and 17 hours 24 minutes for Redwood.
When was the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist announced?
On Thursday 29 October 2026.
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