Debutiful Podcast: Stephanie Wambugu discusses Lonely Crowds
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The Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2026, Part One
When I started Debutiful in 2019, I relied on scrounging up galleys sent to Changing Hands Bookstore, where I worked one or two days a week, hosting author events. I received a few advanced copies because I was writing freelance for outlets like Electric Literature and The Millions, but not enough to truly keep up with the debuts.
Flash forward to 2026 releases, and I can’t even count the number of pitches I get. With a pile of books awaiting my eye, how does a book get selected for a Most Anticipated List?
This recent Galley Brag newsletter between editor Ezra Kupor and writer Kristen Martin shed light on most anticipated lists with Martin saying, “I mean this has been said thousands of times, but with those “most anticipated” lists, the people who are writing it are not reading the books. Like, you just can’t. There is not enough time, and you’re not being paid nearly enough.”
I’m not sure how other outlets choose their titles, but here is some insight into how I select these lists. Which, yes, does include publicists doing their jobs, but also includes me reading full books and a handful of pages of each book I can get my hands on.
The “long list” of books that caught my attention one way or another (a publicist’s email or a book deal from three years ago, I kept noted in a spreadsheet) clocked in at 180 titles that will be released in 2026. From there, I looked at every book I’ve received a copy or PDF of, read around 20 pages, and started compiling titles that excited me the most. This ranged from writers I covered who were now debuting with a novel, books with terrific opening pages, recommendations from writers, or just reading about a book deal that sparked a four-way, multi-million-dollar battle.
The final list of Debutiful’s Most Anticipated Debut Books is 66 titles, most of which are coming out in the next six months. A Part Two will come out in June covering the second half of the year. This is effectively my TBR pile. I want to read all of these, and I know books I don’t list on here will come out, and I’ll be dying to read them, so they become a new most anticipated book.
Before you enjoy the list, and pre-order the books that catch your eye, please check out DEBUT U, a new series of classes we’re launching in 2026 taught by Jared Lemus, Ehsani Surya, and m. mick powell!
Now, we’re proud to introduce Debutiful’s Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2026, Part One!
Debutiful Podcast: Claire Jia discusses Wanting
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Continue reading “Debutiful Podcast: Claire Jia discusses Wanting”See the cover for Earthly Playing Field by Radhika Singh
In her debut novel, Earthly Playing Field, author Radhika Singh invites readers into a world where war rages, futuristic technology is used to hack AI warfare, and local Punjabi farmers create a frontline resistance. Set to publish on May 5, 2026 from Common Notions Press, the book is available for pre-order now.
Singh is a writer and editor from New York City, whose work speculates on the presence of magic in this world, the connection to spirit and consciousness, and the power of the people to organize for collective liberation.
Debutiful is honored to reveal Earthly Playing Field‘s cover, designed by Josh MacPhee with art from Samita Chatterjee, along with a Q&A with Singh about its creation.
Continue reading “See the cover for Earthly Playing Field by Radhika Singh”See the cover for No God but Us by Bobuq Sayed
Bobuq Sayed, a 2022–23 Steinbeck fellow at San José State University, a Lambda Literary scholar, and an award-winning James A. Michener fellow in the University of Miami’s MFA program, is set to release their debut novel, No God But Us, on May 26. 2026. Set in Istanbul, Sayed’s novel follows Delbar, a queer Afghan man who recently moved from Washington, DC, with dreams of becoming a drag queen, and Mansur, a refugee who left behind his first love in Iran. The two are thrust together when riot police descend on attendees of the annual Istanbul Pride march.
No Gods But Us is available for pre-order from Harper and will be published on May 26, 2026.
Debutiful is honored to reveal No God But Us‘s cover, designed by Olivia McGiff with artwork from Iman Raad along with a Q&A with Sayed about its creation.
Continue reading “See the cover for No God but Us by Bobuq Sayed”See the cover for Magdalena Is Brighter Than You Think by Grace Spulak
Grace Spulak is a writer and attorney based in her home state of New Mexico with an MFA from Warren Wilson, who will be releasing her debut story collection, Magdalena Is Brighter Than You Think, from Autumn House on April 21, 2025. Magdalena is set largely in New Mexico and explores the complexities of gender, queerness, trauma, and resilience.
Debutiful is honored to reveal Magdalena Is Brighter Than You Think‘s cover, designed by Connie Amoroso, with art from Joel Becktell, along with a Q&A with Spulak about its creation.
Continue reading “See the cover for Magdalena Is Brighter Than You Think by Grace Spulak”Inhabiting Another’s Voice: Lana Lin on Gertrude Stein, Identity, and the Art of Autobiomythography
The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam by Lana Lin reimagines Gertrude Stein’s classic experiment in life writing for a new century. Blending memoir, myth, and critical inquiry, Lin explores queer partnership, artistic collaboration, and the fragmented ways we remember our lives.
We caught up with Lin via email to get some insight into the book, Gertrude Stein, and the art of autobiomythography.
Continue reading “Inhabiting Another’s Voice: Lana Lin on Gertrude Stein, Identity, and the Art of Autobiomythography”The Best Debut Nonfiction Books of 2025
Debutiful tends to cover novels and short story collections the most for a myriad of reasons, but in recent years, there’s been a more concerted effort to read and cover more nonfiction at Debutiful HQ. Most of what founder Adam Vitcavage finds interesting are memoirs and essay collections. Many of the titles you see will fall into those two categories, and some of the titles can also be found in the Best Debut Books of 2025 list.
Below are the 10 Best Debut Nonfiction Books of 2025.
Continue reading “The Best Debut Nonfiction Books of 2025”The Best Debut Short Story Collections of 2025
“Love the collection, do you have a novel?”
Did we just make every writer with a short story collection tense up? Fear not, here at Debutiful, we love short story collections. Mastering a story in a few thousand words is the hardest thing to do. Figuring out how to do it 10+times is truly masterful work. These story collections explore places like Hawai’i and Guatemala, female desire, trans communities, and addiction.
Below are the ten best debut collections Debutiful founder Adam Vitcavage read this year, some of which were on the Best Debut Books of 2025 list.
Continue reading “The Best Debut Short Story Collections of 2025”My Reading Life: Jennifer Sears on the books that shaped her life
What Mennonite Girls Are Good For, the debut short story collection from Jennifer Sears, won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award, judged by the novelist Margot Livesey. Through eleven connected stories, Sears asks how faith influences and informs our lives. Each story is a subtle and nuanced look into a life that spans the globe but is always searching for one thing.
Prior to releasing her debut, Sears MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. She currently is an associate professor of English and creative writing at New York City College of Technology/City University of New York where she co-coordinates the Minor in Creative Writing with the poet Robert Ostrom.
Debutiful asked her to answer our recurring My Reading Life Q&A so readers could get to know the books that shaped her life and influenced her debut book.
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