Here are the debut books that caught Debutiful’s eye this month. We think readers will find plenty to love among them.
To see our curated list of standout titles, check out our “12 noteworthy debut books to read in January 2026.”
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In Hands, Pardeep Toor takes readers through a series of stories that explore lofty ideals of assimilation in America and the brutal comedy of the journey. Maria Kuznetsova, author of Oksana, Behave! calls the collection “As devastating, hilarious, and absurd as the immigrant experience itself.”
Toor won the PEN American Dau Prize, and his writing has appeared in the Best Debut Short Stories 2021, Southern Humanities Review, Electric Literature, Midwest Review, and Longreads. His debut book is available for pre-order now and will be published by Cornerstone on April 14, 2026.
Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of Hands, which was designed by Hasreet Gill, along with a Q&A with Toor and Gill about its creation.
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Debutiful will host a new event introducing Coloradans to three of the most exciting new voices in writing, presented by Denver Public Library, on March 13, 2026.
Debutiful’s New Arrivals will feature three recent debut authors discussing why and how they write, their path to publication, and how media influences their work.
Continue reading “Debutiful to host “New Arrivals” event at Denver Public Library”
Chicago-based writer Sophie Lefens has published her writing in Third Coast Magazine, Passengers Journal, The Christian Century, and Scary Sugar. A graduate of the Yale Divinity School, she is set to release her debut novel, Her Kind, on October 13, 2026, on Mariner Books. It is available for pre-order now.
Described as a novel about friendship and motherhood, it follows Ada, who is raising her son alone. When she is plagued by visions of being pulled away from Earth, Ada invites her three closest friends for a weekend to an old family cabin to see who might care for her son if she dies. What follows at the cabin is a series of events that opens deep wounds and reveals long-forgotten secrets.
Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of Her Kind, which was designed by Mark Robinson, along with a Q&A with Lefens about its creation.
Continue reading “See the cover for Her Kind by Sophie Lefens”
In False Prophet, readers meet Jal Persad, a grieving actor-turned-memoirist, who writes a viral memoir about his mother’s time with Jim Jones. The only problem? His mother never met Jim Jones. What follows is a web of lies,that explores how much we’re willing to let go of ourselves to achieve greatness.
Afsheen Farhadi’s writing has appeared Ploughshares, The Georgia Review, Conjunctions, The Southern Review, Catapult, Bright Lights Film Journal, and elsewhere. He is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Nevada, Reno. His debut book, False Prophet,, is scheduled for publication by Melville House on July 7, 2026. It is available for pre-order now.
Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of False Prophet, which was designed by Beste Miray Doğan, along with a Q&A with Farhadi about its creation.
Continue reading “See the cover for False Prophet by Afsheen Farhadi”
In their debut novel, The Body Riddle, Sam K MacKinnon introduces readers to Lex, who finally receives top surgery, but nothing that comes after is what they imagined. Their partner finds a new flame, well within the boundaries of their non-monogamous relationship’s rules, but Lex starts to spiral. That is, until they meet a nonbinary coworker who helps Lex discover something new about themself. What follows is a meditation on queerness, the body, and belonging.
The Body Riddle will be published on May 19, 2026, by House of Anasi Press and is available for preorder now.
MacKinnon was previously nominated John Hirsch Emerging Manitoba Writer Award and has had their writing appear in Catapult, Prairie Fire, CBC, them., and elsewhere.
Debutiful is honored to reveal The Body Riddle‘s cover, designed by Alysia Sewchuk, along with a Q&A with MacKinnon about its creation.
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In her debut novel, Voyagers, writer Meg Chalrton introduces readers to Alex and Ana, who vanished decades ago in what was seemingly an alien abduction. Now, grown and distant from one another, they watch as the Signal, a mysterious and extraterrestrial beacon from the far reaches of the universe, contacts the world. Throughout the novel, Charlton explores what friendship looks like at the end of the world and how we confront memory and truth.
Charlton’s fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Yale Review, Slate, Lux, Atlas Obscura, and Vice, and the anthology Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us. Her debut book is available for pre-order now and will be published by Harper on June 16, 2026.
Debutiful is honored to reveal the cover of Voyagers, which was designed by Milan Bozic, along with a Q&A with Charlton about its creation.
Continue reading “See the cover for Voyagers by Meg Charlton”
Debutiful’s Adam Vitcavage recommends noteworthy debut books for readers to discover each month.
Continue reading “12 noteworthy debut books to read in January 2026”
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!
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”