Padma Viswanathan's Translation Nominated for International Booker Prize 2026

Canadian-American writer Padma Viswanathan, of Indian origin, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026 for translating Brazilian author Ana Paula Maia's 'On Earth As It Is Beneath.' The prestigious literary honor will be awarded in May 2026 at Tate Modern, London, recognizing outstanding fiction translated into English.

Padma Viswanathan, a Canadian-American writer and translator of Indian-origin, has been shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize. Her translation of Brazilian author Ana Paula Maia's novel 'On Earth As It Is Beneath' is among six contenders for the esteemed literary accolade.

The shortlist was meticulously selected by a panel of judges chaired by award-winning author Natasha Brown, alongside Indian novelist and columnist Nilanjana S. Roy. Formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize, this annual award, supported by Bukhman Philanthropies, honors fiction initially written in a non-English language, subsequently translated, and published in the UK or Ireland. The 50,000-pound prize will be divided between the winning author and translator, with the winner to be announced at London's Tate Modern on May 19, 2026.

In addition to Viswanathan's nomination, the shortlist features works exploring significant historical events. Titles include narratives set in imperialist Japan-controlled Taiwan, Nazi-era Germany, and Iran's 1979 Revolution. 'On Earth As It Is Beneath' is a horror novella situated in a remote penal colony.

(With inputs from agencies.)