Anna and Geoff discuss the 2026 International Booker Prize longlist. We're intrigued by Women Without Men: A novel of Modern Iran by Shahrnush Parsipur translated by Faridoun Farrokh and The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar translated by Ruth Martin. Our book of the week is SEASCRAPER by Benjamin Wood. This short novel about a man who works as a shanker on a foggy beach and a film-maker who wants to set a movie there was long listed for the 2025 Booker Prize. There is much to discuss:

• Are we now shrimping experts?
• How do we feel about dreams in novels?
• Do we like bleak, isolated settings?

Annas suggests two read-alikes if you enjoyed Seascraper:

• The Horse by Willy Vlautin
• Clear by Carys Davies

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Substack: Books On The Go

Credits

Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz