On May 13, 2024, The British Book Awards, organised by The Bookseller, celebrated the best in literature at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London and online.
The event showcased the intimate connection between books, their creators, and their audiences, judged by a distinguished panel including Lorraine Kelly, Adrian Chiles, and Diana Evans.
G.T. Karber’s Murdle emerged as the big winner, securing the Overall Book of the Year, Non-fiction Lifestyle & Illustrated Book of the Year, and Author of the Year. The panel lauded the book’s concept as “genius.” Publisher Souvenir Press’s year-long campaign, featuring “Murdle Nights” and custom merchandise, helped Murdle become the Christmas number one, with over 360,000 copies sold.
Jamie Smart won Illustrator of the Year for Bunny vs Monkey 7: Multiverse Mix-up, which also claimed Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year. Smart’s book sales surged by 84% in 2023, making him one of the top-selling graphic novelists and surpassing last year’s winner, Alice Oseman.
Rebecca F. Kuang won Fiction Book of the Year for the second consecutive year with Yellowface, a novel about the publishing industry. The Borough Press was praised for its “iconic” cover design and impactful marketing, earning Marketing Strategy of the Year.
Rebecca Yarros’ fantasy novel Fourth Wing won Pageturner of the Year, the first hardcover to do so. Lisa Jewell’s None of This Is True won Crime and Thriller and Fiction Audiobook, and Alice Winn’s In Memoriam was awarded Debut Fiction of the Year.
Rory Stewart’s Politics On the Edge won Non-fiction: Narrative, besting Prince Harry’s Spare and Britney Spears’ memoir The Woman in Me.
In the Children’s category, Atinuke’s Brilliant Black History won Best Non-fiction, and Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures took home Best Children’s Fiction.
The awards also celebrate the Book Trade, including those working behind the scenes, including booksellers and publishers. Magic Cat Publishing, known for Amy Adele’s The Christmas Songbook, was named Small Publisher of the Year. Book-ish, a bookstore in Crickhowell, Wales, won Independent Bookshop of the Year. Bloomsbury Children’s Books was awarded Children’s Publisher of the Year.
For a full list of winners and the panel’s decisions can be viewed here.
Words by Georgia McInnes
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