2026 - The Year of the Rebeccas?
As a Rebecca myself, I’m obviously delighted to announce that 2026 is apparently the year that the Rebeccas will be rising up and taking over the (literary) world!
Kind of.
How do I know this?
Well, in the debut WhatsApp chat that I’m part of, there are a whopping eight Rebeccas including myself. Which, in a group chat of around 47, means we make up approximately 17% of the debut population, apparently! (Although, honestly maths has never been my strong point, so please no one @ me about these dubious figures!)
So, without further ado, may I introduce you to the debut Rebeccas set to take the book world by storm in 2026 with their brilliant books!
January
First over the line in the Rebecca uprising is Rebecca Hannigan, whose debut novel Darkrooms is a moody thriller that’s being called masterful and menacing and it’s out THIS WEEK!!!
Joining her, in the first of the 2026 Rebeccas over the line is Rebecca Fallon with Family Drama, which is also out this week and has already been declared a Good Housekeeping’s Book of the Month, and Rebecca Ferrier with her historical fantasy novel, The Salt Bind, which is set on the Cornish coast, and weaves fairytale and folklore with a touch of the gothic.
February
Next month, Rebecca Philipson takes the reins with How to Get Away With Murder, a clever and twisty thriller centred around a how-to manual for serial killers.
March
Spring brings us Rebecca Coxon’s memoir on the true meaning of family, Inconceivable.
June
I could hardly write a blog about debut authors named Rebecca without including myself on the list! My novel, The Honeymoon Suite is a historical psychological thriller set on the Amalfi Coast in the 1960s and is out in the UK on the 18th of June!
July
Joining me as summer debuts, are Rebecca Bainbridge with The Pool Party, a twisty tale of friendship, marriage, secrets and lies that promises to be the perfect summer read for fans of Liane Moriarty, and Rebecca Birrell with Venus, Vanishing, a story of art and desire set in Berlin in the late 1920s (*grabby hand motions here*)
Other Exciting Debuts That Aren’t Written by a Rebecca!
Of course there are literally hundreds of incredible books by debut authors that are coming out this year, and some of them have even been written by authors who aren’t named Rebecca. Whaaaat? I know, right? Crazy but true.
Allow me to present some of my fellow authors who are also debuting this year who aren’t called Rebecca…
January
In a promising start to the year, January, brings The Sea Child by Linda Wilgus, Esther is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney, and Room 706 by Ellie Levenson.
February
February seems to be a busy month for debuts (is there some science behind that, I wonder?)
Whether you’re in the mood for the delightfully dark comedy of M. K. Oliver’s A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage (I've read this one and you're in for a real treat!) or the magical realism meets dark academia of Caitlin Breeze’s The Fox Hunt (check out that cover!) there’s something for everyone.
February also brings us The Waiting List by Matilda Wilding, and Dwell by Rue Baldry, as well as Anna Brook-Mitchell’s Motherfaker, and Rachel Canwell’s Paper Sisters.
March
If you’re already looking forward to spring (and frankly, who wouldn’t be with this weather), March will not only bring daffodils and daylight savings but also Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey, Aimée Macdonald’s Last Witch on the Knock, Samantha Dooey-Miles’ Under the Hammer, and Jay Mackenzie’s, How to Lose the Lottery.
April
In April, you’ll be able to get your hands on copies of The Best Man by T H Murdock, Turn Back Time by Eleanor Tucker and Alessandra Ranelli’s Murder at the Hotel Orient.
May
In May, Lesley Bungay’s debut A Year Without a Summer will be released (I love that title! IYKYK!) along with Lucy Waverley’s Noble Beasts.
June
Summer is also a busy time for us debuts it seems!
In June Natalie Gregory’s debut, Mother, Ghost, Mango Seed will be released (what a title!) along with Catherine Kurtz’s Feast, and Victoria West’s Never Alone.
This month also brings us It Comes in Waves by Rukky Brume and Fellow Creatures by Emma Lowther.
July
In July, you can read Ever Land by Amy Abdelnoor, Mr Sidhu’s Post Office by Amman Brar and Ruth Newton’s The Carriers. Lorna Elcock also debuts this month with The Windhover (I was lucky enough to receive a proof copy of this and it’s stunning), along with Fran Moldaschl with When The Giants Passed Through and Elle Blair’s In Deep Water.
August
This month brings The Strangling Fig by Fauzia Musa and A Healthy Appetite by Katie Huttlestone.
October
Autumn brings us debut novels from Alys Cummings with Murder Most Cryptic and Ahad Abbas’ The Lotus Warrior.
Phew!!!
Why Is It Important to Support Debut Authors?
So, why is it so important to show support for a debut author?
Being a Debut Is Scary
While being a debut author is incredibly exciting, it’s also pretty nerve-wracking. Up to now, it’s just been you, scribbling away in a notebook or tapping away at your keyboard in your garret / spare room / local coffee shop, and now, suddenly (or not so suddenly, for many of us) your words are OUT THERE, being read by people you don’t know!
If you’re lucky, you might get some lovely reviews. Odds are, you’ll probably get some not-so-nice ones too. It’s thrilling, but in the sort of way that makes you want to pop champagne and then drink it under the duvet, somehow.
Showing up for a debut author, whether by pre-ordering their book, sharing their cover on socials, going along to their events or celebrating with them during publication week can help to make the whole experience more joyful, and, frankly, less scary.
Everyone Wants to Make a Splash
Publishing is a business. Writers write books and publishers publish them and booksellers sell them, and everyone needs to get paid fairly for the hard work they put in at each stage. If an author’s debut offering doesn’t sell especially well, a publisher is less likely to want to publish their next book, and a bookseller is less likely to want to stock it.
While it isn’t necessarily true that authors have one shot to ‘make it’, as a debut author it can still sometimes feel that way!
It’s Just a Nice Thing to Do????
Times are hard. Writing is hard. Celebrating each other’s accomplishments and achievements is a way to combat the narrative that we’re all in competition with one another, and to push back against the idea that there isn’t enough space in this world for all of us, no matter what our similarities and differences may be.
Connecting with my fellow authors, whether my Discoveries alumni, or my 2026 debut group, has honestly been one of the biggest joys of my author journey so far. Every time I see one of my fellow debuts book covers pop up on my Instagram feed or catch a review in The Bookseller, I feel a wonderful thrill and can’t wait to share the news with them.
How Can Readers Help?
Obviously, if you have a debut author in your life, I’m going to assume you’re already singing their praises to anyone who’ll stand still long enough to listen!
But more generally, what can readers do to support debut authors? Obviously pre-orders are fantastic, but not everyone has the budget to buy up hardbacks like they’re going out of fashion, and authors totally understand this.
Other ways you can support authors include:
Pre-order the book in a format that works for you, whether that’s e-book, paperback, or audiobook etc
Request that your local library stock their book and borrow it when they do
Leave a review if you enjoyed their book or rate it on Goodreads
Recommend their book to other readers, whether that’s on a blog, on your socials or over coffee with your mates
Send the author a wee message to let them know you liked their book
Pre-order the next one as soon as you’re able!
While there are never any guarantees in publishing (sadly!) all these things can certainly help to increase the odds of the author being able to build a writing career, which is what most writers (myself included) dream of!
Let me know in the comments which of these brilliant 2026 debuts you’re most excited to read this year.
Also, if you’re an author debuting in 2026, and you’d like to be added to this list (or the aforementioned group chat) please just give me a shout!
