Books are my Bag awards shortlist authors revealed
Bookshops across the UK and Ireland have revealed their favourite books and authors of 2020 on shortlist for Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, sponsored by National Book Tokens.
Nine debut writers are among the 25-strong shortlists across six categories.
More than half of this year’s nominated titles – spanning Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult Fiction, Children’s Fiction and Breakthrough Author – come from independent publishers, including Influx Press, Granta Books, Little Toller, Verso Books, Bad Betty Press, Nosy Crow and Knights Of.
In addition, this year almost 40% of the shortlisted titles are from first-time writers.
The winners will be announced on November 10 at a virtual awards ceremony hosted by restaurant critic and author Grace Dent.
The ceremony will be streamed at 5.30pm across the @booksaremybag YouTube, Twitter and Facebook channels.
2020 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards Shortlist (as chosen by bookshops)
Fiction Boy Parts by Eliza Clark (Influx Press)
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton (Bloomsbury)
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (Simon & Schuster)
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (Dialogue Books)
Weather by Jenny Offill (Granta Books)
Non-Fiction
The Dance Cure by Dr Peter Lovatt (Short Books Ltd)
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty (Little Toller Books)
Humankind by Rutger Bregman (Bloomsbury)
Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent by Priyamvada Gopal (Verso Books)
Poetry
Homie by Danez Smith (Vintage)
Seagull Seagull by James K Baxter (Gecko Press)
Sylvanian Family by Summer Young (Bad Betty Press)
Tiger, Tiger Burning
Bright: An Animal Poem for Every Day of the Year by Britta Teckentrup and Fiona Waters (Nosy Crow) Young Adult Fiction Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi (Pan Macmillan)
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury)
The Crossover: Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander (author), Dawud Anyabwile (illustrator) (Andersen Press)
Heartstopper Vol 3 by Alice Oseman (Hachette Children’s Group)
Children’s Fiction A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of )
Blended by Sharon M Draper (Simon & Schuster)
Gargantis by Thomas Taylor (Walker)
The Highland Falcon Thief by MG Leonard & Sam Sedgman (Pan Macmillan) Breakthrough Author Brit Bennett author of The Vanishing Half (Dialogue
Books)
Jean Menzies author of Greek Myths (Dorling Kindersley)
Kiley Reid author of Such a Fun Age (Bloomsbury)
Douglas Stuart author of Shuggie Bain (Pan Macmillan)
Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the Booksellers Association, said: “Curated by booksellers, the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards are special awards.
“The shortlist always gives a fascinating insight into the reading trends of the year, and this year’s shortlist is particularly poignant given the impact COVID-19 has had on both our reading and shopping habits.
“Consumers appreciated anew the knowledge, dedication and expertise of booksellers during lockdown a time when for many books brought hope and comfort,” added Emma.