What we'll be reading in 2026

From romantasy to riveting life stories, experts predict next year's bestsellers.

- Hannah Stephenson reports

READERS planning their book choices for next year may now be making a note of forthcoming titles from new authors and old favourites in 2026.

There will be volumes to mark the late Queen's centenary year, a fat collection of books focusing on the continuing interest in weight-loss jabs and, of course, the usual sprinkling of celebrity memoirs.

"In fiction, the ongoing surge of romantasy continues," says Bea Carvalho, Waterstones' head of books. "Likewise, healing fiction - cosy, cute, meditative novels - particularly translated fiction from Korea and Japan, will be significant next year."

Horror - particularly 'femgore' (violent body-horror centring on female rage and trauma, by female writers) - is becoming big, says Francesca Russell, communications director at Hodder & Stoughton.

"We have Kylie Lee Baker (author of the bestselling Bat Eater), who did write fantasy, and now she's moving more into the horror space. We have her take on the haunted house novel coming next year, Japanese Gothic. It's going to be gory and darkly funny."

A-list celebrity memoirs for 2026 will come from Hollywood icons Liza Minnelli and Sylvester Stallone, and Scottish actor Tom Conti, as well as TV names including presenter Ruth Langsford, plus a fourth volume of diaries, entitled Enough Said, from celebrated playwright Alan Bennett.

Longevity is likely to be popular in self-help, with titles such as Liz Earle's How To Age, while books on weight-loss injections - and how to create a healthy lifestyle to avoid them will also be prolific in the new year, Carvalho predicts.

Here are some of the standout titles coming out next year...

FICTION

■ Departure(s) by Julian Barnes (Jonathan Cape, January 22)