The Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards are annual

literary awards A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...

presented by the Booksellers Association in the UK and Ireland since 2016. They are sponsored by

National Book Tokens National Book Tokens is a currency-backed voucher scheme, and successor to the book token programme, that is available in the UK and Ireland. They are solely owned and issued by Book Tokens Ltd (part of the Booksellers Association Group of Compan ...

History and administration

The awards were launched at the 2016 Booksellers Association conference with the aim of being the first literary awards voted for by the public. A shortlist of books are voted for by bookshops who are members of the Booksellers Association, and the winner of each category is chosen by an online public vote, with over 40,000 people voting in the 2017 awards. The ceremony takes place in November in

Foyles W & G Foyle Ltd. (usually called simply Foyles) is a bookseller with a chain of seven stores in England. It is best known for its flagship store in Charing Cross Road, London. Foyles was once listed in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' as the ...

bookshop in London. In 2016, the awards are presented in seven categories of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biography & Autobiography, Children's, Beautiful Book, Breakthrough Author and Readers' Choice. In 2017, there are three more categories presented which are Novel, Young Adult and Middle Grade.

Shortlist and winners

{, class="wikitable" ! Year !! Category !! Nominee !! Winner , - , rowspan="37" , 2016 , rowspan="5" , Fiction , ''Grief is the Thing with Feathers'' by Max Porter , rowspan="5" , ''Grief is the Thing with Feathers'' by Max Porter , - , '' The Green Road'' by

Anne Enright Anne Teresa Enright (born 11 October 1962) is an Irish writer. She has published seven novels, many short stories and a non-fiction work called ''Making Babies: Stumbling into Motherhood'', about the birth of her two children. Her writing explo ...

, - , ''The Muse'' by

Jessie Burton Jessica Kathryn Burton (born 17 August 1982)Inside back cover of 2015 Picador UK paperback edition of ''The Miniaturist'' is an English author and actress. , she has published four novels, ''The Miniaturist'', ''The Muse'', ''The Confession'', ...

, - , ''This Must Be the Place'' by

Maggie O'Farrell Maggie O'Farrell, RSL (born 27 May 1972), is a novelist from Northern Ireland. Her acclaimed first novel, '' After You'd Gone'', won the Betty Trask Award, and a later one, '' The Hand That First Held Mine'', the 2010 Costa Novel Award. She ha ...

, - , ''The Trouble with Goats and Sheep'' by Joanna Cannon , - , rowspan="6" , Non-Fiction , '' It's All in Your Head'' by Suzanne O'Sullivan , rowspan="6" , ''

Reasons to Stay Alive ''Reasons to Stay Alive'' is a novel and memoir written by novelist Matt Haig, published on 5 March 2015. It is based on his experiences of living with major depressive disorder, depression and anxiety disorder, which he suffered from the age of ...

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Matt Haig Matt Haig (born 3 July 1975) is an English author and journalist. He has written both fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults, often in the speculative fiction genre. Early life Haig was born on 3 July 1975 in Sheffield. He went ...

, - , ''Landmarks'' by Robert Macfarlane , - , ''

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, - , '' SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome'' by Mary Beard , - , ''The Silk Roads'' by

Peter Frankopan Peter Frankopan (born 22 March 1971) is a British historian, writer, and hotelier. Early life and education Frankopan is the second of five children born to Yugoslav-born Croatian Louis Doimi de Frankopan (1939–2018) and Swedish-born barris ...

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When Breath Becomes Air ''When Breath Becomes Air'' is a non-fiction autobiographical book written by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi. It is a memoir about his life and battling stage IV metastatic lung cancer. It was posthumously published by Random House on Januar ...

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Paul Kalanithi Paul Sudhir Arul Kalanithi (April 1, 1977 – March 9, 2015) was an American neurosurgeon and writer. His book ''When Breath Becomes Air'' is a memoir about his life and illness with stage IV metastatic lung cancer. It was posthumously published ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Biography & Autobiography , ''Alive Alive Oh!'' by

Diana Athill Diana Athill (21 December 1917 – 23 January 2019) was a British literary editor, novelist and memoirist who worked with some of the greatest writers of the 20th century at the London-based publishing company Andre Deutsch Ltd. Early life ...

, rowspan="6" , '' The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island''
by

Bill Bryson William McGuire Bryson (; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has b ...

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At the Existentialist Café ''At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails'' is a 2016 book written by Sarah Bakewell that covers the philosophy and history of the 20th century movement existentialism. The book provides an account of the modern day exi ...

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Sarah Bakewell Sarah Bakewell (born 1963) is a British author and professor. She currently lives in London. She received the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize in Non-Fiction. Early life Bakewell was born in the seaside town of Bournemouth, England, where h ...

, - , ''Fingers in the Sparkle Jar'' by

Chris Packham Christopher Gary Packham CBE (born 4 May 1961) is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author, best known for his television work including the CBBC children's nature series ''The Really Wild Show'' from 1986 t ...

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The Invention of Nature ''The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World'' is a nonfiction book released in 2015, by the historian Andrea Wulf about the Prussian naturalist, explorer and geographer Alexander von Humboldt. The book follows Humboldt from his ...

'' by

Andrea Wulf Andrea Wulf (born 1972) is a German-British historian and writer who has written books, newspaper articles and book reviews. Biography Wulf was born in New Delhi, India, a child of German developmental aid workers, and spent the first five yea ...

, - , ''The Last Act of Love'' by Cathy Rentzenbrink , - , '' The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island''
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Beetle Boy ''Beetle Boy'' is a 2016 middle grade novel written by M. G. Leonard, illustrated by Júlia Sardà, and published by The Chicken House (United Kingdom) and Scholastic (United States). It is the first part of a trilogy, as volume 1 of the ...

'' by M. G. Leonard , rowspan="6" , ''The Detective Dog'' by

Julia Donaldson Julia Donaldson (born Julia Catherine Shields; born ) is an English writer and playwright, and the 2011–2013 Children's Laureate. She is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, ...

and Sara Ogilvie , - , '' One'' by

Sarah Crossan Sarah Crossan is an Irish author. She is best known for her books for young adults, including ''Apple and Rain'' and ''One'', for which she has won several awards. Biography Crossan graduated from Warwick University in 1999 with a degree in Phi ...

, - , ''The Bear and the Piano'' by David Litchfield , - , ''The Day the Crayons Came Home''
by

Drew Daywalt Drew Daywalt (born January 5, 1970), is an American author and filmmaker. He is best known for writing the best-selling children's picture book ''The Day the Crayons Quit'', and its sequel ''The Day the Crayons Came Home'', both illustrated by Ol ...

and

Oliver Jeffers Oliver Brendan Jeffers (born 1977) is a Northern Irish artist, illustrator and writer who now lives and works in Brooklyn. He went to the integrated secondary school Hazelwood College, then graduated from the University of Ulster in 2001. ...

, - , ''The Detective Dog'' by

and Sara Ogilvie , - , ''The Rest of Us Just Live Here'' by

Patrick Ness Patrick Ness (born 17 October 1971) is an American-British author, journalist, lecturer, and screenwriter. Born in the United States, Ness moved to London and holds dual citizenship. He is best known for his books for young adults, including t ...

, - , rowspan="5" , Beautiful Book , ''Cartes Postales from Greece'' by

Victoria Hislop Victoria Hislop (née Hamson; born 1959) is an English author. Early life Born in Bromley, Kent, she was raised in Tonbridge and attended Tonbridge Grammar School. She studied English at St Hilda's College, Oxford, and worked in publishing and ...

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The Essex Serpent ''The Essex Serpent'' is a 2016 novel by British author Sarah Perry. The book is the second novel by Perry and was released on 27 May 2016 in the United Kingdom through Serpent's Tail, an imprint of Profile Books. Set in the Victorian era, in th ...

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Sarah Perry Sarah Grace Perry (born 28 November 1979) is an English author. She has had three novels published, all by Serpent's Tail: ''After Me Comes the Flood'' (2014), ''The Essex Serpent'' (2016) and ''Melmoth'' (2018). Her work has been translated ...

, - , '' Golden Hill'' by

Francis Spufford Francis Spufford FRSL (born 1964) is an English author and teacher of writing whose career has seen him shift gradually from non-fiction to fiction. His first novel ''Golden Hill'' received critical acclaim and numerous prizes including the Costa ...

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Hag-Seed ''Hag-Seed'' is a novel by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, published in October 2016. A modern retelling of William Shakespeare's '' The Tempest'', the novel was commissioned by Random House as part of its Hogarth Shakespeare series. The novel ...

'' by

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

, - , ''Herbarium'' by Caz Hildebrand , - , ''

'' by

, - , rowspan="8" , Breakthrough Author , Abi Elphinstone , rowspan="8" , Joanna Cannon , - ,

Amy Liptrot Amy Liptrot is a Scottish journalist and author. She won the PEN Ackerley Prize 2017 and the Wainwright Prize 2016 for her memoir ''The Outrun''. Biography ''The Outrun'' describes her experience of returning to live in Orkney, where she grew u ...

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Han Kang Han Kang (; born November 27, 1970) is a South Korean writer. She won the Man Booker International Prize for fiction in 2016 for ''The Vegetarian'', a novel about a woman's descent into mental illness and neglect from her family. The novel is ...

, - , Joanna Cannon , - ,

Kit de Waal Mandy Theresa O'Loughlin (born 26 July 1960), known professionally as Kit de Waal, is a British/Irish writer. Her debut novel, ''My Name Is Leon'', was published by Penguin Books in June 2016. After securing the publishing deal with Penguin, De ...

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Lisa McInerney Lisa McInerney is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, editor and screenwriter. She is best known for her novel, '' The Glorious Heresies'', which was the 2016 winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Biography McInerney was born ...

, - , Rowan Hisayo Buchanan , - , Readers' Choice , , ''

The Good Immigrant ''The Good Immigrant'' is an anthology of twenty-one essays edited by Nikesh Shukla and first published by Unbound in the UK in 2016 after a crowd-funding campaign endorsed by celebrities. Written by British authors who identify as BAME (Black, A ...

'' edited by

Nikesh Shukla Nikesh Shukla (born 8 July 1980) is a British author and screenwriter. His writing focuses on race, racism, identity, and immigration. He is the editor of the 2016 collection of essays ''The Good Immigrant'', which features contributions from Ri ...

, - , rowspan="43" , 2017 , rowspan="6" , Popular Fiction , ''

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine ''Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine'' is the 2017 debut novel by Gail Honeyman, and the winner of the 2017 Costa Debut Novel Award. The story centres on Eleanor Oliphant, a social misfit with a traumatic past who becomes enamoured with a sin ...

'' by

Gail Honeyman Gail Honeyman (born 1972) is a Scottish people, Scottish writer whose debut novel, ''Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine'', won the 2017 Costa Book Awards, Costa First Novel Award. Biography Born and raised in Stirling in central Scotland to a ...

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How to Stop Time ''How to Stop Time'' is a historical fantasy novel by English writer Matt Haig, published in July 2017. Plot summary Tom Hazard has just moved back to London to take a job as a high school history teacher. He may look like an ordinary 41-year ...

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Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

'' by Robert Harris , - , '' The Dry'' by

Jane Harper Jane Harper (born 1980) is a British–Australian author known for her crime novels '' The Dry'', ''Force of Nature'' and ''The Lost Man'', all set in rural Australia. Early life Born in Manchester in the UK, Harper moved to Australia with her ...

, - , ''The Keeper of Lost Things'' by Ruth Hogan , - , '' The Power'' by

Naomi Alderman Naomi Alderman (born 1974) is an English novelist and game writer. She is best known for her speculative science fiction novel ''The Power (2016 novel), The Power'', which won the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2017. Biography Alderman was bor ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Non-Fiction , '' East West Street'' by

Philippe Sands Philippe Joseph Sands, KC (born 17 October 1960) is a British and French writer and lawyer a11 King's Bench Walkand Professor of Laws and Director of the Centre on International Courts and Tribunals at University College London. A specialist in ...

, rowspan="6" , '' This is Going to Hurt'' by Adam Kay , - , ''Scribbles in the Margins'' by Daniel Gray , - , '' The Adversary'' by

Emmanuel Carrère Emmanuel Carrère (born 9 December 1957) is a French author, screenwriter and film director. Life Family Carrère was born into a wealthy family in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. His father, Louis Carrère d'Encausse, is a retired insuranc ...

, - , '' This Is Going to Hurt'' by Adam Kay , - , ''Travels with my Sketchbook'' by

Chris Riddell Chris Riddell ( ) (born 13 April 1962) is a South African-born British illustrator and occasional writer of children's books and a political cartoonist for the ''Observer''. He has won three Kate Greenaway Medals - the British librarians' ann ...

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Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race ''Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race'' is a 2017 debut book by British writer Reni Eddo-Lodge that was published by Bloomsbury Publishing. Synopsis The book explores the links between gender, class and race in Britain and othe ...

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Reni Eddo-Lodge Reni Eddo-Lodge (born 25 September 1989) is a British journalist and author, whose writing primarily focuses on feminism and exposing structural racism. She has written for a range of publications, including ''The New York Times'', ''The Guard ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Novel , ''Birdcage Walk'' by

Helen Dunmore Helen Dunmore FRSL (12 December 1952 – 5 June 2017) was a British poet, novelist, and short story and children's writer. Her best known works include the novels ''Zennor in Darkness'', '' A Spell of Winter'' and ''The Siege'', and her last ...

, rowspan="6" , '' The Underground Railroad'' by

Colson Whitehead Arch Colson Chipp Whitehead (born November 6, 1969) is an American novelist. He is the author of eight novels, including his 1999 debut work '' The Intuitionist''; '' The Underground Railroad'' (2016), for which he won the 2016 National Book Awa ...

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Conversations with Friends ''Conversations with Friends'' is the 2017 debut novel by the Irish author Sally Rooney, about two young women who become involved with an older couple in Dublin's literary scene. The novel was published by Faber and Faber and received critical ...

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Sally Rooney Sally Rooney (born 20 February 1991) is an Irish author and screenwriter. She has published three novels: ''Conversations with Friends'' (2017), ''Normal People'' (2018), and ''Beautiful World, Where Are You'' (2021). ''Normal People'' was adapt ...

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Hot Milk ''Hot Milk'' is a 2016 novel by British author Deborah Levy. It follows the story of mother, Rose, and daughter, Sofia, who embark on a journey to a Spanish clinic in search of a medical cure for Rose's paralysis. Plot Rose's paralysis confi ...

'' by

Deborah Levy Deborah Levy (born 6 August 1959) is a British novelist, playwright and poet. She initially concentrated on writing for the theatre – her plays were staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company – before focusing on prose fiction. Her early nov ...

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Swing Time In music, the term ''swing'' has two main uses. Colloquially, it is used to describe the propulsive quality or "feel" of a rhythm, especially when the music prompts a visceral response such as foot-tapping or head-nodding (see pulse). This sens ...

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Zadie Smith Zadie Smith FRSL (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She has been a tenured professor ...

, - , ''The End We Start From'' by

Megan Hunter Megan Hunter (born 1984) is an English novelist and poet. She is best known for her debut novel ''The End We Start From'' (2017), a climate disaster survival story which was adapted into a The End We Start From, movie of the same name, released ...

, - , '' The Underground Railroad'' by

, - , rowspan="6" , Young Adult , ''Piglettes'' by Clémentine Beauvais , rowspan="6" , ''

The Hate U Give ''The Hate U Give'' is a 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It is Thomas's debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The book is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-ye ...

'' by

Angie Thomas Angie Thomas (born September 20, 1988) is an American young adult author, best known for writing '' The Hate U Give'' (2017). Her second young adult novel, ''On the Come Up'', was released on February 25, 2019. Early life Angie Thomas was born ...

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Ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thi ...

'' by Alice Broadway , - , ''

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, - , ''Things a Bright Girl Can Do'' by

Sally Nicholls Sally Nicholls (born 22 June 1983) is a prize-winning British children's book author. Life Nicholls was born and grew up in Stockton-on-Tees, England. She attended Great Ayton Friends' School until its closure and subsequently Egglescliffe ...

, - , ''Welcome to Nowhere'' by Elizabeth Laird , - , rowspan="6" , Middle Grade , ''Letters From the Lighthouse'' by Emma Carroll , rowspan="6" , ''Letters From the Lighthouse'' by Emma Carroll , - , ''Moonlocket'' by Peter Bunzl , - , ''Radio Boy'' by

Christian O'Connell Christian Liam O'Connell (born 7 April 1973 in Winchester, Hampshire) is a British radio disc jockey, television host, writer, and comedian living in Australia. He presents ''The Christian O'Connell Show'' on weekday mornings on Gold 104.3 in ...

, - , ''The Explorer'' by

Katherine Rundell Katherine Rundell (born 1987) is an English author and academic. She is the author of ''Rooftoppers'', which in 2015 won both the overall Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Story, and was short-listed for t ...

, - , ''The Guggenheim Mystery'' by Robin Stephens and

Siobhan Dowd Siobhan Dowd (4 February 1960 – 21 August 2007) was a British writer and activist. The last book she completed, '' Bog Child'', posthumously won the 2009 Carnegie Medal from the professional librarians, recognising the year's best book fo ...

, - , ''Who Let the Gods Out'' by Maz Evans , - , rowspan="6" , Beautiful Book , ''As Kingfishers Catch Fire'' by Alex Preston and Neil Gower , rowspan="6" , ''The Lost Words'' by Robert Macfarlane and

Jackie Morris Jackie Morris (born 1961) is a British writer and illustrator. She was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2016 and won it in 2019 for her illustration of ''The Lost Words'', voted the most beautiful book of 2016 by UK booksellers. She ...

, - , '' Homegoing'' by

Yaa Gyasi Yaa Gyasi (born 1989) is a Ghanaian-American novelist. Her debut novel ''Homegoing'', published in 2016, won her, at the age of 26, the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Award for best first book, the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first ...

, - , ''Ravilious & Co'' by Andy Friend , - , ''Tangleweed and Brine'' by Deirdre Sullivan , - , ''The Bedlam Stacks'' by

Natasha Pulley Natasha Pulley (born 4 December 1988) is a British author. She is best known for her debut novel, ''The Watchmaker of Filigree Street'', which won a Betty Trask Award. Education She was educated at Soham Village College, New College, Oxford ...

, - , ''The Lost Words'' by Robert Macfarlane and

, - , rowspan="6" , Breakthrough Author , Abir Mukherjee , rowspan="6" ,

Kae Tempest Kae Tempest (formerly Kate Tempest; born 22 December 1985) is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. At the age of 16, Tempest was accepted into the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in ...

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Édouard Louis Édouard Louis (born Eddy Bellegueule; 30 October 1992) is a French writer. Biography Édouard Louis, born Eddy Bellegueule was born and raised in the town of Hallencourt in northern France, which is the setting of his first novel, the autob ...

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Fiona Mozley Fiona Mozley (born 1988)''Vogue'' interview, 16 October 201Retrieved 24 May 2018./ref> is an English novelist and Medieval studies, medievalist. Her debut novel, ''Elmet (Mozley novel), Elmet'', was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker prize. Li ...

, - , Harriet Cummings , - ,

, - , Mary Paulson-Ellis , - , Readers' Choice , , '' This is Going to Hurt'' by Adam Kay , - , rowspan="46" , 2018 , rowspan="6" , Novel , '' Home Fire'' by

Kamila Shamsie Kamila Shamsie FRSL (born 13 August 1973) is a Pakistani and British writer and novelist who is best known for her award-winning novel '' Home Fire'' (2017). Named on ''Granta'' magazine's list of 20 best young British writers, Shamsie has bee ...

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The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle ''The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle'' (published in United States as ''The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle'') is a novel by Stuart Turton which won the Best First Novel prize in the 2018 Costa Book Awards and reached number one on ''The'' ' ...

'' by Stuart Turton , - , ''Midwinter Break'' by

Bernard MacLaverty Bernard MacLaverty (born 14 September 1942) is an Irish fiction writer and novelist. His novels include ''Cal'' and ''Grace Notes''. He has written five books of short stories. Biography ''MacLaverty'' was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a ...

, - , ''The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock'' by Imogen Hermes Gowar , - , ''The Music Shop'' by Rachel Joyce , - , ''

'' by

Stuart Turton Stuart Turton (born 1980) is an English author and journalist. His first novel, ''The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle'' (2018) was a bestseller internationally and won a number of awards including the First Novel Award at the 2018 Costa Book ...

, - , ''Tin Man'' by

Sarah Winman Sarah Winman (born 24 December 1964 in Ilford, Essex) is a British author and actress. Biography In 2011, Winman's debut novel, ''When God Was a Rabbit'' (2011), became an international bestseller and won Winman several awards including New ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Non-Fiction , ''

Educated Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

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Tara Westover Tara Jane Westover (born September 27, 1986) is an American memoirist, essayist and historian. Her memoir '' Educated'' (2018) debuted at No. 1 on ''The New York Times'' bestseller list and was a finalist for a number of national awards, includin ...

, rowspan="6" , '' The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken''
by The Secret Barrister , - , '' How Not to Be a Boy'' by

Robert Webb Robert Patrick Webb (born 29 September 1972) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell. Webb and Mitchell both starred in the Channel 4 sitco ...

, - , ''I Am, I Am, I Am'' by

, - , ''Notes on a Nervous Planet'' by

, - , ''The Diary of a Bookseller'' by Shaun Bythell , - , '' The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken''
by The Secret Barrister , - , rowspan="6" , Poetry , ''100 Poems'' by

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

, rowspan="6" , ''The Last Hedgehog'' by Pam Ayres , - , ''England: Poems from a School'' edited by

Kate Clanchy Kate Clanchy MBE (born 1965 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a British poet, freelance writer and teacher. Early life She was born in 1965 in Glasgow to medieval historian Michael Clanchy and teacher Joan Clanchy (née Milne). She was educated at Ge ...

, - , ''Off the Shelf'' edited by

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...

, - , ''She Must Be Mad'' by Charly Cox , - , ''The Last Hedgehog'' by Pam Ayres , - , ''The Poetry Pharmacy'' by

William Sieghart William Matthew Timothy Stephen Sieghart (born 1960) is a British entrepreneur, publisher and philanthropist and the founder of the Forward Prizes for Poetry. He is former chairman of the Somerset House Trust. Education and career Born in 1 ...

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A Skinful of Shadows A Skinful of Shadows is a 2017 children's or young adults' paranormal historical fiction novel by Frances Hardinge. Her seventh novel, it revolves around Makepeace Felmotte, a girl with the inherited ability to see and absorb ghosts. It is set d ...

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Frances Hardinge Frances Hardinge (born 1973) is a British children's writer. Her debut novel, '' Fly By Night'', won the 2006 Branford Boase Award and was listed as one of the ''School Library Journal'' Best Books. Her 2015 novel '' The Lie Tree'' won the 201 ...

, rowspan="6" , '' La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One''
by

Philip Pullman Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman (born 19 October 1946) is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy ''His Dark Materials'' and ''The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ'', a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, ''The ...

, - , ''A Sky Painted Gold'' by Laura Wood , - , ''Bookshop Girl'' by Chloe Coles , - , '' Children of Blood and Bone'' by

Tomi Adeyemi Tomi Adeyemi (born August 1, 1993) is a Nigerian-American novelist and creative writing coach. She is known for her novel ''Children of Blood and Bone'', the first in the ''Legacy of Orïsha'' trilogy published by Henry Holt Books for Young Reade ...

, - , '' La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One''
by

, - , ''Where the World Ends'' by

Geraldine McCaughrean Geraldine McCaughrean ( ; born 6 June 1951) is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including ''Peter Pan in Scarlet'' (2004), the official sequel to ''Peter Pan'' commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, t ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Middle Grade , ''A Spoonful of Murder'' by

Robin Stevens Robin Gordon Stevens (born 30 January 1960) is an English puppeteer, actor, director and writer for children's TV for nearly 30 years, and has done many successful programmes. These include ''Pob's Programme'', '' Corners'', ''Teletubbies'', ...

, rowspan="6" , ''The Storm Keeper's Island'' by Catherine Doyle , - , ''Brightstorm'' by Vashti Hardy , - , '' Nevermoor'' by Jessica Townsend , - , ''Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different''
by Ben Brooks and Quinton Winter , - , ''The 1,000-year-old Boy'' by

Ross Welford Ross Welford is an English children's science-fiction/fantasy author. Biography Welford was born in Cullercoats, a small seaside town in the north-east of England. He attended Marden High School and studied English at Leeds University before b ...

, - , ''The Storm Keeper's Island'' by Catherine Doyle , - , rowspan="6" , Beautiful Book , ''A Sky Painted Gold'' by Laura Wood , rowspan="6" , ''Virago Modern Classics 40th anniversary series''
designed by Hannah Wood, illustrated by Yehrin Tong , - , ''Bookworm'' by

Lucy Mangan Lucy Katherine Mangan''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for ''The Guardian''. A major part of her writing is related t ...

, - , ''Life in the Garden'' by

Penelope Lively Dame Penelope Margaret Lively (née Low; born 17 March 1933) is a British writer of fiction for both children and adults. Lively has won both the Booker Prize (''Moon Tiger'', 1987) and the Carnegie Medal for British children's books ('' Th ...

, - , ''The Librarian'' by

Salley Vickers Salley Vickers (born 1948) is a British novelist whose works include ''Miss Garnet's Angel'', ''Mr. Golightly's Holiday'', ''The Other Side of You'' and ''Where Three Roads Meet'', a retelling of the Oedipus myth to Sigmund Freud in the last mon ...

, - , ''The Wood: The Life & Times of Cockshutt Wood''
by

John Lewis-Stempel John Lewis-Stempel (born 1967) is an English farmer, writer, and '' Sunday Times'' Top 5 best selling author. He was born in Herefordshire, where his family have lived for over 700 years. Career He has written on a range of subjects from Nativ ...

, - , ''Virago Modern Classics 40th anniversary series''
designed by Hannah Wood, illustrated by Yehrin Tong , - , rowspan="8" , Breakthrough Author , A J Pearce , rowspan="8" , Sarah J. Harris , - , Joe Heap , - , Laura Carlin , - ,

Polly Clark Polly Clark (born 1968) is a Canadian-born British writer and poet. She is the author of ''Larchfield'' (2017), which fictionalised a youthful period in the life of poet W.H. Auden, and ''Tiger'' (2019) about a last dynasty of wild Siberian tigers. ...

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Preti Taneja Preti Taneja is a British writer, screenwriter and educator. She is currently professor of world literature and creative writing at Newcastle University. Her first novel, ''We That Are Young'', won the Desmond Elliott Prize and was shortlisted for ...

, - , Sarah J. Harris , - , Sophie Mackintosh , - ,

Tommy Orange Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fi ...

, - , Readers' Choice , , ''

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, - , Oustanding Contribution to Bookselling , , Vivian Archer, Newham Bookshop , - , rowspan="44" , 2019 , rowspan="6" , Fiction , ''Lanny'' by Max Porter , rowspan="6" , ''

Circe Circe (; grc, , ) is an Magician (paranormal), enchantress and a minor goddess in ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion. She is either a daughter of the Titans, Titan Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse (mythology), Perse ...

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Madeline Miller Madeline Miller (born July 24, 1978) is an American novelist, author of ''The Song of Achilles'' (2011) and ''Circe'' (2018). Miller spent ten years writing ''The Song of Achilles'' while she worked as a teacher of Latin and Greek. The novel tell ...

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An American Marriage ''An American Marriage'' is a novel by the American author Tayari Jones. It is her fourth novel and was published by Algonquin Books on February 6, 2018. In February 2018, the novel was chosen for Oprah's Book Club 2.0. The novel also won the 2019 ...

'' by

Tayari Jones Tayari Jones (born November 30, 1970) is an American author and academic known for '' An American Marriage'', which was a 2018 Oprah's Book Club Selection, and won the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, the ...

, - , ''The Binding'' by Bridget Collins , - , ''Leonard and Hungry Paul'' by Ronan Hession , - , ''

Washington Black ''Washington Black'' is the third novel by Canadian author Esi Edugyan. The novel was published in 2018 by HarperCollins in Canada and by Knopf Publishers internationally. A bildungsroman, the story follows the early life of George Washington "Wa ...

'' by

Esi Edugyan Esi Edugyan (born 1978) is a Canadian novelist.Donna Bailey Nurse"Writing the blues" ''Quill & Quire'', July 2011. She has twice won the Giller Prize, for her novels '' Half-Blood Blues'' and '' Washington Black''. Biography Esi Edugyan was born ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Non-Fiction , ''The Salt Path'' by

Raynor Winn Raynor Winn (born 1962) is a British long-distance walker and writer; her first book ''The Salt Path'' was a ''Sunday Times'' bestseller in 2018. Winn and her husband Moth, who was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, became homeless after ...

, rowspan="6" , '' Becoming'' by

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

, - , ''Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm'' by Isabella Tree , - , ''

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference ''No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference'' is a book by climate activist Greta Thunberg. It was originally published on 30 May 2019. It consists of a collection of eleven speeches which she has written and presented about global warming and th ...

'' by

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...

, - , '' Becoming'' by

, - , '' Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men'' by

Caroline Criado Perez Caroline Emma Criado Perez (born 1984) is a British feminist author, journalist and activist. Her first national campaign, the Women's Room project, aimed to increase the presence of female experts in the media. She opposed the removal of the ...

, - , ''A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings'' by Helen Jukes , - , rowspan="6" , Poetry , '' The Flame'' by

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

, rowspan="6" , '' The Flame'' by

, - , ''Poems to Fall in Love With'' by

, - , ''The Poetry Pharmacy Returns'' by

, - , ''The Black Flamingo'' by

Dean Atta Dean Atta is a British poet of Greek Cypriot and Caribbean descent. He has been listed by ''The Independent'' newspaper as one of the 100 most influential LGBT people in the United Kingdom. In 2012, his poem "I Am Nobody's Nigger", written in res ...

, - , ''The Girl Aquarium'' by Jen Campbell , - , ''A Year of Nature Poems'' by Joseph Coelho and Kelly Louise Judd , - , rowspan="6" , Young Adult , '' On the Come Up'' by

, rowspan="6" , ''Toffee'' by

, - , ''"I Will Not Be Erased": Our stories about growing up as people of colour'' by

gal-dem ''gal-dem'' (stylised lower case) is an independent British online and print magazine produced by women of colour and non-binary people of colour. History and profile The magazine was founded by Liv Little in 2015. It produces one printed issue ...

, - , ''Proud'' by various authors with foreword by

Juno Dawson Juno Dawson (formerly James Dawson; born 10 June 1981) is a British author of young adult fiction and non-fiction. Dawson's notable works include ''This Book Is Gay'', ''Mind Your Head'', ''Margot & Me'', ''The Gender Games'', ''Clean'' and ''Me ...

, - , ''Toffee'' by

, - , ''Becoming Dinah'' by

, - , '' Heartstopper Volume 1'' by

Alice Oseman Alice May Oseman (born 16 October 1994) is an English author of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 17, and had her first novel ''Solitaire'' published in 2014. Her novels include ''Radio Silence'', ''I Was Born for Th ...

, - , rowspan="6" , Children's Fiction , '' Julián Is a Mermaid'' by Jessica Love , rowspan="6" , ''No Ballet Shoes In Syria'' by Catherine Bruton , - , ''Malamander'' by Thomas Taylor , - , ''Tilly and the Bookwanderers'' by Anna James , - , ''No Ballet Shoes In Syria'' by Catherine Bruton , - , ''Rumblestar'' by Abi Elphinstone , - , ''The Good Thieves'' by

, - , rowspan="6" , Beautiful Book , ''

'' by

, rowspan="6" , ''The Binding'' by Bridget Collins , - , ''The Binding'' by Bridget Collins , - , ''The Lost Words: Spell Songs'' by various including Robert Macfarlane and

, - , ''How To Eat a Peach'' by Diana Henry , - , ''Migrations: Open Hearts, Open Borders'' with foreword by

Shaun Tan Shaun Tan (born 1973) is an Australian artist, writer and film maker. He won an Academy Award for '' The Lost Thing'', a 2011 animated film adaptation of a 2000 picture book he wrote and illustrated. Other books he has written and illustrated inc ...

, - , ''All the Ways to be Smart'' by

Davina Bell Davina Bell is an Australian literary editor and children's writer. Her 2020 book, ''The End of the World Is Bigger than Love'', won a New South Wales Premier's Literary Award in 2021. Early life and education Bell was born in Perth, Western ...

and Allison Colpoys , - , rowspan="6" , Breakthrough Author ,

Candice Carty-Williams Candice Carty-Williams (born 21 July 1989) is a British writer, best known for her 2019 debut novel, ''Queenie (novel), Queenie''. She has written for publications including ''The Guardian'', ''i-D'', ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', ''The Sunday Ti ...

, rowspan="6" ,

, - ,

Ocean Vuong Ocean Vuong (born , ; October 14, 1988) is a Vietnamese American poet, essayist, and novelist. Vuong is a recipient of the 2014 Ruth Lilly/Sargent Rosenberg fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, a 2016 Whiting Award, and the 2017 T.S. Eliot P ...

, - , Onjali Q. Raúf , - ,

, - , Kerry Hudson , - , Readers' Choice , , '' Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men'' by

, - , Outstanding Contribution to Bookselling , , Trevor Goul-Wheeker, former Chairman at Blackwell's , - , rowspan="26" , 2020 , rowspan="5" , Fiction , ''Boy Parts'' by Eliza Clark , rowspan="5" , ''The Devil and the Dark Water'' by

, - , ''The Devil and the Dark Water'' by

, - , ''Kim Ji-young, Born 1982'' by Cho Nam-joo , - , ''

The Vanishing Half ''The Vanishing Half'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Brit Bennett. It is her second novel and was published by Riverhead Books in 2020. The novel debuted at number one on ''The New York Times'' fiction best-seller list. HBO ac ...

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Brit Bennett Brit Bennett is an American writer based in Los Angeles. Her debut novel ''The Mothers (novel), The Mothers'' (2016) was a ''The New York Times, New York Times'' best-seller. Her second novel, ''The Vanishing Half'' (2020), was also a ''New York ...

, - , ''

Weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

'' by

Jenny Offill Jenny Offill (born 1968) is an American novelist and editor. Her novel ''Dept. of Speculation'' was named one of "The 10 Best Books of 2014" by ''The New York Times Book Review''. Early life Jenny Offill is the only child of two private-school ...

, - , rowspan="4" , Non-Fiction , ''The Dance Cure'' by Dr Peter Lovatt , rowspan="4" , ''Diary of a Young Naturalist'' by

Dara McAnulty Dara Seamus McAnulty (born 2004) is a Northern Irish naturalist, writer and environmental campaigner. He is the youngest ever winner of the RSPB Medal and received the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing in 2020 after being the youngest au ...

, - , ''Diary of a Young Naturalist'' by

, - , '' Humankind: A Hopeful History'' by

Rutger Bregman Rutger C. Bregman (born 26 April 1988) is a Dutch historian and author. He has published four books on history, philosophy, and economics, including '' Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World'', which has been translated into thirt ...

, - , ''Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent''
by

Priyamvada Gopal Priyamvada Gopal (born 1968) is an Indian-born academic, writer and public intellectual who is Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge. Her primary teaching and research interests are in coloni ...

, - , rowspan="4" , Poetry , ''Homie'' by

Danez Smith Danez Smith is an African-American, poet, writer and performer from St. Paul, Minnesota. They are queer, non-binary and HIV-positive. They are the author of the poetry collections '' nsertBoy'' and ''Don't Call Us Dead: Poems'', both of which have ...

, rowspan="4" , ''Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: An Animal Poem
for Every Day of the Year'' by Britta Teckentrup and Fiona Waters , - , ''Seagull Seagull'' by James K. Baxter , - , ''Sylvanian Family'' by Summer Young , - , ''Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: An Animal Poem
for Every Day of the Year'' by Britta Teckentrup and Fiona Waters , - , rowspan="4" , Young Adult Fiction , '' Children of Virtue and Vengeance'' by

, rowspan="4" , ''Cinderella is Dead'' by Kalynn Bayron , - , ''Cinderella is Dead'' by Kalynn Bayron , - , '' The Crossover: Graphic Novel'' by

Kwame Alexander Kwame Alexander (born August 21, 1968) is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction. His verse novel ''The Crossover'' won the 2015 Newbery Medal and was selected as an Honor book for the Coretta Scott King Award. Personal life and educ ...

, - , ''Heartstopper Vol 3'' by Alice Oseman , - , rowspan="4" , Children's Fiction , ''A Kind of Spark'' by Elle McNicoll , rowspan="4" , ''The Highland Falcon Thief'' by M. G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman , - , ''Blended'' by

Sharon Draper Sharon Mills Draper (born August 21, 1948) is an American children's writer, professional educator, and the 1997 National Teacher of the Year. She is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award for books about the young and adolescent Afric ...

, - , ''Gargantis'' by Thomas Taylor , - , ''The Highland Falcon Thief'' by M. G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman , - , rowspan="4" , Breakthrough Author ,

, rowspan="4" , Jean Menzies , - , Jean Menzies , - , Kiley Reid , - , Douglas Stuart , - , Readers' Choice , , ''Hamnet'' by

, - , rowspan="25" , 2021{{cite news, url=https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/latestnews/Books-Are-My-Bag-Readers-Awards-2021-shortlist-ann, title=Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2021 shortlist announced, publisher=Booksellers Association, language=en, date=7 October 2021, accessdate=10 June 2022 , rowspan="4" , Fiction , ''Still Life'' by

, rowspan="4" , ''Still Life'' by

, - , ''Assembly'' by Natasha Brown , - , ''Panenka'' by Rónán Hession , - , ''The Appeal'' by Janice Hallett , - , rowspan="4" , Non-Fiction , ''The Power of Geography'' by

Tim Marshall Tim Marshall may refer to: * Tim Marshall (journalist) (born 1959), British journalist, writer and broadcaster * Tim Marshall (radio host) Tim Marshall is a South Jersey radio personality, music producer, journalist, concert promoter, educator, a ...

, rowspan="4" , ''I Belong Here'' by

Anita Sethi Anita Sethi is a British journalist and writer, who was born in Manchester, England. Sethi has written for ''The Guardian,'' ''The Observer,'' ''The Sunday Times,'' ''The Independent,'' the ''New Statesman,'' ''Granta,'' and ''The Times Literary ...

, - , ''Ancestors'' by

Alice Roberts Alice May Roberts (born 19 May 1973) is an English biological anthropologist, biologist, television presenter and author. Since 2012 she has been Professor of the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She was President ...

, - , ''The Book of Trespass'' by

Nick Hayes Nick Hayes is a British writer, illustrator, and campaigner for land access. He has written a number of graphic novels and a non-fiction book, ''The Book of Trespass''. Life and work Hayes grew up in Upper Basildon, Berkshire. He works as an il ...

, - , ''I Belong Here'' by

, - , rowspan="4" , Poetry , ''The Hill We Climb'' by

Amanda Gorman Amanda S. C. Gorman (born March 7, 1998) is an American poet and Civil rights activist, activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, Race and ethnicity in the United States, race, and Social exclusion, marginalization, as well a ...

, rowspan="4" , ''The Hill We Climb'' by

, - , ''Slug'' by

Hollie McNish Hollie McNish is a poet and author based between Cambridge and Glasgow. She has published four collections of poetry: ''Papers'' (2012), ''Cherry Pie'' (2015), ''Why I Ride'' (2015), ''Plum'' (2017) and one poetic memoir on politics and parenthoo ...

, - , ''Empty Nest'' by

, - , ''The Heeding'' by Rob Cowen &

, - , rowspan="4" , Young Adult Fiction , ''The Great Godden'' by

Meg Rosoff Meg Rosoff (born 16 October 1956) is an American writer based in London, United Kingdom. She is best known for the novel '' How I Live Now'' (Puffin, 2004), which won the Guardian Prize, Printz Award, and Branford Boase Award and made the ...

, rowspan="4" , ''

Ace of Spades The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game. Design The orn ...

'' by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé , - , ''The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne'' by

Jonathan Stroud Jonathan Anthony Stroud (born 27 October 1970) is a British writer of fantasy fiction, best known for the ''Bartimaeus'' young adult sequence and '' Lockwood & Co.'' children's series. His books are typically set in an alternate history Londo ...

, - , ''

'' by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé , - , ''All Our Hidden Gifts'' by Caroline O'Donoghue , - , rowspan="4" , Children's Fiction , ''Amari and the Night Brothers'' by BB Alston , rowspan="4" , ''When the Sky Falls'' by

Phil Earle Phil Earle is a British children's author. In 2013, ''The Guardian'' described ''Heroic'' as "a unique, challenging and engaging read". In 2016, Earle was appointed as the 13th online Writer in Residence for BookTrust, a children's reading chari ...

, - , ''Show Us Who You Are'' by Elle McNicoll , - , ''By Ash, Oak and Thorn'' by Melissa Harrison , - , ''When the Sky Falls'' by

, - , rowspan="4" , Breakthrough Author ,

, rowspan="4" ,

Marcus Rashford Marcus Rashford (born 31 October 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Manchester United and the England national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his explosive ath ...

, - , Elle McNicoll , - ,

Monique Roffey Monique Roffey (born 1965) is a Trinidadian-born British writer and memoirist. Her novels have been much acclaimed, winning awards including the 2013 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, for ''Archipelago'', and the Costa Book of the Y ...

, - ,

, - , Readers' Choice , , ''

The Thursday Murder Club ''The Thursday Murder Club'' is the debut novel by ''Pointless'' and '' House of Games'' presenter Richard Osman. It was published on 3 September 2020 by Viking Press, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House. Plot A group of pensioners (Elizabeth B ...

'' by

Richard Osman Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, novelist and comedian. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show ''Pointless''. He has presented the BBC Two quiz sho ...

References

British literary awards English-language literary awards Awards established in 2016