Toby Jones and Indira Varma among stars of International Booker Prize shorts

Toby Jones, Indira Varma and Toheeb Jimoh are among the stars of short films for the International Booker Prize 2026.

The coveted prize is an annual literary award honouring the best works of fiction translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland, with a £50,000 prize up for grabs.

The star-studded line-up, which also features Kae Alexander, Jehnny Beth and Xelia Mendes-Jones, will feature in a series of shorts performing extracts from the shortlisted six novels.

Among the novels up for the sought-after prize is The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, which has been translated from German by Ross Benjamin.

It will be performed by Harry Potter star Jones in one of the shorts, which were all directed by Holly Blakey, while Varma will perform an extract from The Witch by Marie NDiaye, translated from French by Jordan Stump.

Elsewhere, Ted Lasso star Jimoh will read The Nights Are Quiet In Tehran by Shida Bazyar, which has been translated from German by Ruth Martin, and Alexander will perform Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi, translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King.

Rene Karabash’s critically acclaimed novel She Who Remains, which has been translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Angel, will be read by French musician and actress Beth.

The shorts, which were filmed in the Southbank Centre in London, will also feature Mendes-Jones reciting an extract from On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan.

The Booker Prize Foundation first launched its short film series in 2022, with Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Adjoa Andoh and Will Poulter among the stars who have previously featured in the campaign.

This year’s short films will be released online on April 16, and will also be shown during an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the International Booker Prize at Southbank Centre on May 8.

Blakey said directing the shorts was a joy and she enjoyed searching for “new homes for the words to live in”.

Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: “It’s four years since we first produced a series of shorts featuring high-profile performers, with the aim of engaging readers with great fiction.

“Each year these videos, which we think of as film trailers for books, have amassed millions of views online and led countless more people to read the shortlisted books for the Booker Prizes.

“In that time, we’ve been lucky enough to work with leading talent of the screen, stage and music world, and forged inspiring creative partnerships with innovative directors and production teams.”

She added: “I can’t wait to see how they are received and hope they entice scores more people to pick up the shortlist.”

The winner of the International Booker Prize 2026 will be announced on May 19, during a ceremony at the Tate Modern in London.