Harman Patil (Editor)

Specsavers National Book Awards

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The Specsavers National Book Awards, or simply National Book Awards — previously known as the Galaxy National Book Awards (2010–11); British Book Awards or Nibbies (1990–2009) — is a British literary award for the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry. As of 2012–13, the awards are organised and governed by Agile Marketing and sponsored by Specsavers, among others.

Contents

The shortlists are created by around 50 individuals from the National Book Awards Academy, who are drawn from retailer chain buyers, independent booksellers, wholesalers and trade press columnists. Winners are then chosen by the entire 750-strong National Book Awards Academy by way of vote. Each member gets one vote per category and the most votes wins. The criteria for a winning book is primarily the appeal, profile and sales impact of the title concerned.

From 2010–11, the headline sponsor was Galaxy. Prior to 2010, it was known as the British Book Awards and was promoted by the UK publishing industry trade journal Publishing News. It was also known as the Nibbies because of the golden nib-shaped trophy given to winners.

National Book Award winners

The latest National Book Awards were generally announced or presented 26 November 2014 at the Foreign Office. Four weeks later, Jessie Burton's debut novel The Miniaturist was named 2014 Book of the Year, or "Britain's favourite book".

Book of the Year

Starting in 2010, the Best was chosen by the public via open internet vote from among one of the winning books in the other categories. Prior to 2010 the Best was a unique winner.

Outstanding Achievement

Previously called the Lifetime Achievement Award (1993–2009). Renamed to Outstanding Achievement Award in 2010.

UK Author of the Year

Previously called Author of the Year. Renamed to UK Author of the Year in 2010.

International Author of the Year

  • 2014 – We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves – Karen Joy Fowler
  • 2013 – Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
  • 2012 – The Snow Child – Eowyn Ivey
  • 2011 – A Visit From the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan
  • 2010 – Freedom – Jonathan Franzen

    • Children's Book of the Year

    Previously called British Children's Book of the Year. Renamed to Children's Book of the Year in 2010.

    New Writer of the Year

    Previously called the Newcomer of the Year. Name changed to New Writer of the Year in 2010.

    Biography/Autobiography of the Year

    Previously called Biography of the Year. Name changed to Biography/Autobiography of the Year in 2010.

  • 2014 – Please, Mister Postman – Alan Johnson
  • 2013 – David Jason: My Life – David Jason
  • 2012 – My Animals and Other Family – Clare Balding
  • 2011 – Charles Dickens – Claire Tomalin
  • 2010 – The Fry Chronicles – Stephen Fry
  • 2009 – Dreams From My Father – Barack Obama (Canongate)
  • 2008 – My Booky Wook – Russell Brand (Hodder & Stoughton)
  • 2007 – The Sound of Laughter – Peter Kay (Century)
  • 2006 – Sharon Osbourne Extreme – Sharon Osbourne (Time Warner)
  • 2005 – My Life – Bill Clinton (Hutchinson)
  • 2004 – Toast – Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate)
  • 2003 – Churchill: A Biography – Roy Jenkins (Pan)

    • Previously called Popular Fiction Award. Name changed to Popular Fiction Book of the Year in 2010.

  • 2014 – The Shock of the Fall – Nathan Filer
  • 2013 – An Officer and a Spy – Robert Harris
  • 2012 – Fifty Shades of Grey – E. L. James
  • 2011 – A Tiny Bit Marvellous – Dawn French
  • 2010 – One Day – David Nicholls
  • 2009 – Devil May Care – Sebastian Faulks (Penguin)
  • 2008 – The Memory Keeper's Daughter – Kim Edwards (Penguin)
  • 2006 – Anybody Out There – Marian Keyes (Michael Joseph)
  • 2006 – The Time Traveler's Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (Vintage)
  • 2014 – Love, Nina – Nina Stibbe
  • 2013 – I Am Malala – Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
  • 2012 – Is It Just Me – Miranda Hart
  • 2011 – How To Be a Woman – Caitlin Moran
  • 2010 – The Making of Modern Britain – Andrew Marr

    • Audiobook of the Year

  • 2014 – Awful Auntie – David Walliams
  • 2013 – The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman, read by the author (Headline)
  • 2012 – The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year – Sue Townsend, read by Caroline Quentin
  • 2011 – My Dear I Wanted to Tell You – Louisa Young
  • 2005–2010 – (no award)
  • 2004 – Forgotten Voices of the Great War – Max Arthur (Random House)
  • 2003 – Series of Unfortunate Events – written by Lemony Snicket, read by Tim Curry (Collins)
  • 2002 – The Laying on of Hands – written and read by Alan Bennett (BBC Radio Collection)

    • Thriller & Crime Novel of the Year

    Previously called the Crime Thriller of the Year. Name changed to Thriller & Crime Novel of the Year in 2011.

  • 2014 – I Am Pilgrim – Terry Hayes
  • 2013 – The Carrier – Sophie Hannah (Hodder)
  • 2012 – A Wanted Man – Lee Child
  • 2011 – Before I Go to Sleep – S. J. Watson
  • 2010 – (no award)
  • 2009 – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
  • 2008 – Book of the Dead – Patricia Cornwell (Little,Brown)
  • 2007 – The Naming of the Dead – Ian Rankin (Orion)
  • 2006 – The Take – Martina Cole (Headline)
  • 2005 – Fleshmarket Close – Ian Rankin (Orion)

    • Food & Drink Book of the Year

  • 2014 – Plenty More – Yotam Ottolenghi
  • 2013 – Eat – Nigel Slater (HarperCollins)
  • 2012 – The Hairy Dieters – Si King and Dave Myers
  • 2011 – The Good Cook – Simon Hopkinson
  • 2010 – Plenty – Yotam Ottolenghi

    • Paperback of the Year

  • 2011 – Room – Emma Donoghue

    • Retired awards

    The following awards are no longer active.

    Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year

  • 2009 – When Will There Be Good News? – Kate Atkinson (Doubleday)
  • 2008 – A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini (Bloomsbury)
  • 2007 – The Interpretation of Murder – Jed Rubenfeld (Headline Review)
  • 2006 – Labyrinth – Kate Mosse (Orion)
  • 2005 – Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell (Sceptre)
  • 2004 – The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold (Picador)

    • The Children's Author of the Year

  • 1995 – Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg
  • 1994 – Anne Fine
  • 1993 – Raymond Briggs
  • 1992 – Dick King-Smith
  • 1991 – Anne Fine
  • 1990 – Roald Dahl

    • Illustrated Children's Book of the Year

  • 1995 – The Most Amazing Pop-Up Science Book – Jay Young (Watts Books)
  • 1994 – Mummy Laid an Egg – Babette Cole (Jonathan Cape)
  • 1993 – Penguin Small – Mick Inkpen (Hodder)
  • 1992 – Farmer Duck – Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books)
  • 1991 – The Mousehole Cat – Nicola Bayley (Walker Books)

    • The TV and Film Book of the Year

  • 2007 – The Devil Wears Prada – Lauren Weisberger (HarperCollins)
  • 2006 – The Constant Gardener – John le Carré (Hodder & Stoughton)
  • 2005 – Himalaya – Michael Palin (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
  • 2004 – How Clean Is Your House? – Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie (Michael Joseph)
  • 2003 – What Not to Wear – Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

    • The Literary Fiction Award

  • 2005 – Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell (Sceptre)
  • 2004 – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon (Jonathan Cape)

    • The History Book of the Year

  • 2005 – William Pitt the Younger: A Biography – William Hague (HarperCollins)
  • 2004 – Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar – Simon Sebag Montefiore (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

    • The Sports Book of the Year

  • 2007 – Gerrard: My Autobiography – Steven Gerrard (Bantam)
  • 2006 – Being Freddie – Andrew Flintoff (Hodder & Stoughton)
  • 2005 – Gazza: My Story – Paul Gascoigne (Headline)
  • 2004 – Martin Johnson: The Autobiography – Martin Johnson (Headline)

    • The deciBel Writer of the Year

  • 2007 – Jackie Kay
  • 2006 – Diana Evans
  • 2005 – Hari Kunzru

    • The Fastest Selling Biography of All Time

  • 2004 – My Side – David Beckham (CollinsWillow)

    • The Travel Writer of the Year

  • 1993 – Michael Palin – Pole to Pole (BBC Books)
  • 1992 – Mark Shand – Travels on my Elephant (Jonathan Cape)
  • 1991 – V.S. Naipaul – India (Heinemann)
  • 1990 – Peter Mayle – A Year in Provence (Hamish Hamilton)

    • The Fantasy and Science Fiction Author of the Year

  • 1994 – Terry Pratchett

    • Bestseller of the Year

  • 1991 – Delia Smith's Christmas (BBC Books)

    • References

    Specsavers National Book Awards Wikipedia
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