Tristan Hughes longlisted for Walter Scott Prize in Historical Fiction

Tristan Hughes, Reader in Creative Writing, has been longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction with his latest novel Boundary Waters.

The 2026 longlist was announced by The Abbotsford Trust. Boundary Waters is one of 12 novels selected for this year’s Prize.

Set in Canada in 1804, Boundary Waters follows Arthur Stanton, a young adventurer chasing his father’s approval, who signs up to the fur trade after hearing tales of riches.

Joining a ragtag band of voyageurs led by the maverick trader McLeod, he travels north by canoe across the Great Lakes into the contested borderlands between Canada and the United States.

Out of his depth in trade and love, Arthur’s fear and missteps threaten the group, turning the expedition into a tragicomic story of love, loss and redemption.

Honouring Sir Walter Scott and the achievements of the historical novel, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction is one of the UK’s most prestigious literary prizes. The winner receives £25,000 and shortlisted authors each receive £1,500.

The Prize celebrates quality of writing in English and is open to novels published in the previous year in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth, with most of the storyline set at least 60 years ago, reflecting the subtitle of Scott’s famous work Waverley.

The shortlist will be announced in April.