Djamel White, an Irish writer of Algerian and Irish heritage, has been longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize with his debut novel All Them Dogs, making him the only writer of African heritage among this year’s Booker list. White was born in Lucan, Dublin, and raised largely in County Cavan; his mother is Irish and his father is Algerian, giving him roots on the African continent through a country, Algeria, that is both North African and the largest by total area on the continent. At 28, White is the youngest author on this year’s list and one of only three debut novelists selected, chosen from 163 submissions by publishers across the UK and Ireland.
Set in west Dublin, All Them Dogs follows Tony Ward, a man who returns to the city after five years away hoping to reclaim his place in its criminal underworld, and who finds himself drawn into an increasingly precarious relationship with Darren “Flute” Walsh, an enforcer working for local crime boss Aengus Lavelle. The Booker judges, chaired by classicist Mary Beard, called the novel “a mouthy, ballsy and bracingly unsentimental portrait of West Dublin gangland, set well off the beaten track of the city’s usual literary landmarks,” praising White’s ear for dialogue and his ability to locate “a subtle, textured humanity woven among the violent hyper-masculine protagonists.” The novel grew out of an earlier short story, “Blue Opel,” which White wrote during the early days of the Covid lockdown.
Speaking with The Irish Times about the nomination, White described the experience as still sinking in: “It’s a bit mad. It’s still kind of incubating at the moment. But, yeah, it’s amazing. It feels amazing.” Asked whether he felt proud, given his age and debut status, he was measured but clear: “I think that’s something I can safely say I’ll let myself be proud of.” He also reflected on the judges’ description of the novel and its setting, noting that the unremarkable suburban sprawl just outside Dublin’s city limits, the world he grew up in, isn’t the kind of place traditionally represented in literary fiction. “So, yeah, I’m delighted with the judges’ response,” he said.
White joins previous Booker winners Marlon James and Douglas Stuart on this year’s longlist, alongside Chloe Aridjis, Emma Cline, Makenna Goodman, M. John Harrison, Luke Kennard, Kenan Orhan, Gwendoline Riley, Rebecca Perry, and Missouri Williams. The shortlist of six will be announced September 22 at the Southbank Centre in London, with the winner named November 9 at Old Billingsgate. Full longlist details are available via the Booker Prize’s official site.
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