Marlon James is the Booker Prize-winning novelist behind The Book of Night Women and a prominent voice in Caribbean and global fiction.
Federal data show SNAP enrollment has fallen by more than 13% from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026. Arizona records the largest drop, with declines exceeding 50% over 12 months as the program implements stricter work requirements. Benefits average $344 per month per household and remain a crucial support for more than 1 in 10 Americans.
AP News reports on major literary prize announcements and new books, including a debut that has earned critical attention, a forthcoming memoir, and winners and longlists across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation and youth categories. The timelines stretch from nominations this week to ceremonies in November.
The 2026 Booker Prize shortlist has been announced, featuring six novels from Jamaica to Scotland. Jurors led by Mary Beard highlight risk-taking writing, with contenders including Marlon James, Elizabeth Strout, Rebecca Perry, Douglas Stuart, M. John Harrison, and Luke Kennard. The winner will be named on November 9 in London.
The Independent reports a six-book Booker shortlist chaired by Mary Beard, spanning romance, history, and sci‑fi, with praise for prose and world‑changing ideas. The Guardian reflects on whether historical novels endure, highlighting Yiyun Li’s Music Against the Night and a Jamaica‑set exploration of identity in The Disappearers. Hadley’s Alone With a Book surveys the art of reading and memory.