Pullman and Walliams vie for children’s book award

DAVID Walliams and Philip Pullman are to face off for children’s book of the year at the British Book Awards.

The TV comic-turned author is nominated for Bad Dad and Pullman for La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One — a return to the world of his hit trilogy His Dark Materials.

Also in the running are Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, Oi Cat! by Kes Gray, The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Astronaut Tim Peake’s space guide and Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race have nominations for non-fiction narrative book of the year.

Jamie Oliver, Russell Brand, Fearne Cotton, Nigel Slater and Joe Wicks are all nominated for lifestyle book of the year.

TV comic Robert Webb and pop DJ Greg James are shortlisted for audiobook of the year and fiction nominations include Winter by Ali Smith, How To Stop Time by Matt Haig and City Of Friends by Joanna Trollope.

Judges’ chairman Philip Jones said: ‘The true range, breadth and brilliance of writing and publishing is demonstrated in these shortlists.’ Winners will be announced on May 14.