What nickname is used for the Booker Prize longlist?

The nickname used for the Booker Prize longlist is the Booker Dozen.

The name comes from the longlist’s traditional size: judges normally select 12 books from the eligible novels submitted for that year’s prize. In some years, the list expands to 13, but “Booker Dozen” remains the established nickname rather than changing with the occasional extra title.

The longlist is the first major public stage of the annual Booker process. It narrows a large field of eligible fiction to a manageable group, after which judges choose the six-book shortlist and then one overall winner. A longlisting can significantly increase a book’s visibility even when it does not reach the final six.

A common mix-up is to confuse the Booker Dozen with the shortlist. “Dozen” refers to the longlist, while the shortlist is normally six books. The International Booker Prize also uses a longlist, but it is a separate award for translated fiction.