The finalists have been announced for the book prize where you choose the winner.
The Nota Bene Prize celebrates the kind of books that stay with you; the ones you press into a friend’s hands, underline on the train, or think about weeks after you’ve finished.
The Prize’s organisers say they’re looking for fiction that feels alive: original, compelling, beautifully written, and impossible to ignore. Books that spark conversation, travel by word of mouth, and quietly (or loudly) become favourites.
But this prize has always belonged to readers. Not critics. Not committees. You.
Your taste, your instincts, your “you have to read this” recommendations — that’s what shapes the prize. And now they need your help to do it again.
See the 2026 finalists below – there are some crackers! Order online to collect from our shop or have titles shipped to your door by using clicking the covers below and buying from our friends at Bookshop.org. Remember to nominate Chorlton Bookshop and we earn a small commission on sales – so even though you’re buying online, you’re still supporting local, independent bookshops like ours.
And read what you fancy, vote for your favourites and you decide who gets the 2026 prize.
That’s a win-win in our book!