Have you ever felt that the most deserving books are often overlooked? Well, the Nero Book Awards are here to change that! This year's winners have just been announced, shining a spotlight on some truly exceptional literary works.
Benjamin Wood, already recognized with a Booker longlisting, took home the Fiction prize for his captivating novel, Seascraper. Claire Lynch triumphed in the Debut Fiction category with A Family Matter, while Sarah Perry's profoundly moving Death of an Ordinary Man secured the Non-Fiction award. And for younger readers, Jamila Gavin's My Soul, A Shining Tree won the Children’s Fiction prize.
But here's where it gets interesting... These awards weren't always around. The Nero Book Awards, backed by Caffè Nero, emerged in 2023 after Costa Coffee unexpectedly discontinued its own prestigious book awards in June 2022 after a 50 year run. The Nero Awards are explicitly designed to guide readers – "of all ages and interests" – towards the most remarkable books published in the UK and Ireland throughout the year. It's all about ensuring that great stories get the recognition they deserve.
So, what’s at stake for these talented authors? Each of the four category winners receives £5,000. However, the real prize is the chance to win the Nero Gold Prize, the overall Book of the Year award, which comes with an additional £30,000. The overall winner will be revealed in March, so keep your eyes peeled!
Let's delve a little deeper into the winning books...
The judges described Benjamin Wood’s Seascraper as an "utterly immersive read, steeped in atmosphere, that explores what constitutes a well-lived life.” Imagine a fictional town on the Merseyside coast. The novel follows Thomas, a shrimp fisherman whose life with his mother is disrupted by a charismatic American stranger promising exciting new opportunities. Jude Cook, in his Guardian review, applauded Wood's "attentiveness to the prosaic details” of everyday life, highlighting how he transforms ordinary tasks into something poetic.
Sarah Perry’s Death of an Ordinary Man, winner of the Non-Fiction prize, is a deeply personal and honest account of her father-in-law’s death after being diagnosed with cancer. The judges praised the book's honesty, revealing nature, and generosity, calling it a memoir "rendered with precision and delicacy". Joe Moran, in his Guardian review, perfectly captured the essence of the book, noting how it conveys "the reality of death as this monumental, mythic thing that coexists surreally with the mundane world of council bin collections and neighbours hanging out their washing.” And this is the part most people miss: it's not just about death, but about life continuing amidst loss.
Claire Lynch's Debut Fiction winner, A Family Matter, is a dual-timeline novel exploring the lasting impact of prejudice and secrecy on a family torn apart by homophobia in the 1980s. The judges lauded it as "a delicately written yet powerful story of injustice," describing it as "raw, vivid and ultimately hopeful." Joanna Cannon, reviewing for the Guardian, stated that "Lynch forces us to stare bigotry in the eye.” The novel serves as a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals and families in the not-so-distant past.
And finally, Jamila Gavin's My Soul, A Shining Tree, winner of the Children’s Fiction prize, tells the true story of Indian First World War gunner Khudadad Khan from four perspectives, including that of a walnut tree. Imogen Russell Williams, in her Guardian review, called it "a superbly poignant and evocative historical novel from a much-loved author.” This is historical fiction with a twist, offering a unique and moving perspective on a significant historical event.
The panels that judged the category prizes included esteemed figures such as Sinéad Gleeson, Paterson Joseph, and Sharna Jackson. The competition was stiff! Other shortlisted books in the Fiction category included Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite, What We Can Know by Ian McEwan, and The Two Roberts by Damian Barr. In Non-Fiction, The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet, Craftland by James Fox, and We Came By Sea by Horatio Clare were also contenders.
Alongside Claire Lynch in the Debut Fiction category were The Expansion Project by Ben Pester, Lush by Rochelle Dowden-Lord, and Season by George Harrison. And joining Jamila Gavin on the Children’s Prize shortlist were People Like Stars by Patrice Lawrence, Dragonborn by Struan Murray, and Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson.
The final judging panel, led by Nick Hornby, along with broadcaster Reeta Chakrabarti and screenwriter and novelist Daisy Goodwin, will now have the challenging task of selecting the Nero Gold Prize winner. Will they agree with the category judges, or will they have a different perspective?
Last year’s Nero Gold Prize went to Sophie Elmhirst for Maurice and Maralyn, which also won the Non-Fiction category. Other category winners included Lost in the Garden by Adam S Leslie (Fiction), Wild Houses by Colin Barrett (Debut Fiction), and The Twelve by Liz Hyder (Children’s Fiction). And in 2024, Paul Murray won the inaugural Gold prize for The Bee Sting.
So, what do you think of this year's winners? Do you agree with the judges' choices? Which of these books are you most excited to read? Let us know in the comments!
