Penguin Random House is reporting that its ReadDown editorial staff has compiled a list of new historical fiction titles scheduled for release in fall 2026, spanning settings from ancient Rome to post-World War II London.
It said the collection includes "Agrippa" by Robert Harris, a novel about ancient Rome's descent into dictatorship, and "Our Noble Selves" by Kate Atkinson, set in postwar London as a nation rebuilds its identity. Penguin Random House said Elif Shafak's "In One Brief Moment All Eternity" imagines the life of writer Gustave Flaubert and the women who shaped him.
The publisher said Ariel Lawhon's "The Pirate Queen" draws on the life of Irish folk heroine Grace O'Malley, while "American Nightmare" by Kelly McWilliams is inspired by civil rights activist Walter White, who passed as a white man to expose lynchings. It said "The Last Prince of Florence" by Zoe Sivak is based on the true story of Alessandro de' Medici.
Penguin Random House said other titles include "Jane Austen's The Watsons," a continuation of Austen's unfinished novel by Claudia Gray; "Mystery Play" by Elizabeth Kostova; "The Poison Palace" by Shreya Ila Anasuya, set during Alexander's invasion of India; and "When We Were Brilliant" by Lynn Cullen, about Marilyn Monroe and photographer Eve Arnold.
It said the list also features "I, Medusa" by Ayana Gray, "Witches Three" by Kristin Judd, "All Her Beautiful Deaths" by A. Rushby, "Odette Rising" by Julianne Edwards, "To Crown It All" by Rhys Bowen, "No Good Deed" by Nekesa Afia, "The Vanished Sister" by Sherry Thomas, and a deluxe 10th anniversary edition of Amor Towles' "A Gentleman in Moscow."
Penguin Random House said the titles carry release dates ranging from September 2026 through January 2027.