Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards

The Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards are annual literary awards presented by the Booksellers Association in the UK and Ireland since 2016.[1] They are sponsored by National Book Tokens.

History and administration

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The awards were launched at the 2016 Booksellers Association conference with the aim of being the first literary awards voted for by the public. A shortlist of books are voted for by bookshops who are members of the Booksellers Association, and the winner of each category is chosen by an online public vote, with over 40,000 people voting in the 2017 awards.[2] The ceremony takes place in November in Foyles bookshop in London.

In 2016, the awards are presented in seven categories of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biography & Autobiography, Children's, Beautiful Book, Breakthrough Author and Readers' Choice.[3]

In 2017, there are three more categories presented which are Novel, Young Adult and Middle Grade.[4]

Shortlist and winners

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Year Category Shortlists Winner
2016[5] Fiction Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
The Green Road by Anne Enright
The Muse by Jessie Burton
This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
Non-Fiction It's All in Your Head by Suzanne O'Sullivan Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Biography & Autobiography Alive Alive Oh! by Diana Athill The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island
by Bill Bryson
At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewell
Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham
The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink
The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island
by Bill Bryson
Children's Beetle Boy by M. G. Leonard The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie
One by Sarah Crossan
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield
The Day the Crayons Came Home
by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Beautiful Book Cartes Postales from Greece by Victoria Hislop The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood
Herbarium by Caz Hildebrand
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Breakthrough Author Abi Elphinstone Joanna Cannon
Amy Liptrot
Andrew Michael Hurley
Han Kang
Joanna Cannon
Kit de Waal
Lisa McInerney
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Readers' Choice The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla
2017[6] Popular Fiction Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
Munich by Robert Harris
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Non-Fiction East West Street by Philippe Sands This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Scribbles in the Margins by Daniel Gray
The Adversary by Emmanuel Carrère
This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Travels with my Sketchbook by Chris Riddell
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race
by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Novel Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
Swing Time by Zadie Smith
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Young Adult Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Release by Patrick Ness
Ink by Alice Broadway
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird
Middle Grade Letters From the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll Letters From the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll
Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl
Radio Boy by Christian O'Connell
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stephens and Siobhan Dowd
Who Let the Gods Out by Maz Evans
Beautiful Book As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Alex Preston and Neil Gower The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Ravilious & Co by Andy Friend
Tangleweed and Brine by Deirdre Sullivan
The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
Breakthrough Author Abir Mukherjee Kae Tempest
Édouard Louis
Fiona Mozley
Harriet Cummings
Kae Tempest
Mary Paulson-Ellis
Readers' Choice This Is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
2018[7] Novel Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Tin Man by Sarah Winman
Non-Fiction Educated by Tara Westover The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken
by The Secret Barrister
How Not to Be a Boy by Robert Webb
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken
by The Secret Barrister
Poetry 100 Poems by Seamus Heaney The Last Hedgehog by Pam Ayres
England: Poems from a School edited by Kate Clanchy
Off the Shelf edited by Carol Ann Duffy
She Must Be Mad by Charly Cox
The Last Hedgehog by Pam Ayres
The Poetry Pharmacy by William Sieghart
Young Adult A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One
by Philip Pullman
A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood
Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One
by Philip Pullman
Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean
Middle Grade A Spoonful of Murder by Robin Stevens The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle
Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy
Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend
Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different
by Ben Brooks and Quinton Winter
The 1,000-year-old Boy by Ross Welford
The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle
Beautiful Book A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood Virago Modern Classics 40th anniversary series
designed by Hannah Wood, illustrated by Yehrin Tong
Bookworm by Lucy Mangan
Life in the Garden by Penelope Lively
The Librarian by Salley Vickers
The Wood: The Life & Times of Cockshutt Wood
by John Lewis-Stempel
Virago Modern Classics 40th anniversary series
designed by Hannah Wood, illustrated by Yehrin Tong
Breakthrough Author A J Pearce Sarah J. Harris
Joe Heap
Laura Carlin
Polly Clark
Preti Taneja
Sarah J. Harris
Sophie Mackintosh
Tommy Orange
Readers' Choice Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Outstanding Contribution to Bookselling Vivian Archer, Newham Bookshop
2019[8] Fiction Lanny by Max Porter Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe by Madeline Miller
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The Binding by Bridget Collins
Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Non-Fiction The Salt Path by Raynor Winn Becoming by Michelle Obama
Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm by Isabella Tree
No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings by Helen Jukes
Poetry The Flame by Leonard Cohen The Flame by Leonard Cohen
Poems to Fall in Love With by Chris Riddell
The Poetry Pharmacy Returns by William Sieghart
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
The Girl Aquarium by Jen Campbell
A Year of Nature Poems by Joseph Coelho and Kelly Louise Judd
Young Adult On the Come Up by Angie Thomas Toffee by Sarah Crossan
"I Will Not Be Erased": Our stories about growing up as people of colour by gal-dem
Proud by various authors with foreword by Juno Dawson
Toffee by Sarah Crossan
Becoming Dinah by Kit de Waal
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
Children's Fiction Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love No Ballet Shoes In Syria by Catherine Bruton
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
No Ballet Shoes In Syria by Catherine Bruton
Rumblestar by Abi Elphinstone
The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
Beautiful Book Circe by Madeline Miller The Binding by Bridget Collins
The Binding by Bridget Collins
The Lost Words: Spell Songs by various including Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
How To Eat a Peach by Diana Henry
Migrations: Open Hearts, Open Borders with foreword by Shaun Tan
All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys
Breakthrough Author Candice Carty-Williams Greta Thunberg
Raynor Winn
Ocean Vuong
Onjali Q. Raúf
Greta Thunberg
Kerry Hudson
Readers' Choice Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Outstanding Contribution to Bookselling Trevor Goul-Wheeker, former chairman at Blackwell's
2020[9] Fiction Boy Parts by Eliza Clark The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Weather by Jenny Offill
Non-Fiction The Dance Cure by Dr Peter Lovatt Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent
by Priyamvada Gopal
Poetry Homie by Danez Smith Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: An Animal Poem
for Every Day of the Year
by Britta Teckentrup and Fiona Waters
Seagull Seagull by James K. Baxter
Sylvanian Family by Summer Young
Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: An Animal Poem
for Every Day of the Year
by Britta Teckentrup and Fiona Waters
Young Adult Fiction Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
The Crossover: Graphic Novel by Kwame Alexander
Heartstopper Vol 3 by Alice Oseman
Children's Fiction A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll The Highland Falcon Thief by M. G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman
Blended by Sharon Draper
Gargantis by Thomas Taylor
The Highland Falcon Thief by M. G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman
Breakthrough Author Brit Bennett Jean Menzies
Jean Menzies
Kiley Reid
Douglas Stuart
Readers' Choice Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
2021[10] Fiction Still Life by Sarah Winman Still Life by Sarah Winman
Assembly by Natasha Brown
Panenka by Rónán Hession
The Appeal by Janice Hallett
Non-Fiction The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall I Belong Here by Anita Sethi
Ancestors by Alice Roberts
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
I Belong Here by Anita Sethi
Poetry The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
Slug by Hollie McNish
Empty Nest by Carol Ann Duffy
The Heeding by Rob Cowen & Nick Hayes
Young Adult Fiction The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue
Children's Fiction Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle
Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison
When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle
Breakthrough Author Dara McAnulty Marcus Rashford
Elle McNicoll
Monique Roffey
Marcus Rashford
Readers' Choice The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
2022[11] Fiction Heaven by Mieko Kawakami Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Non-Fiction Ghost Signs by Stu Hennigan The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye
Otherlands: A World in the Making by Thomas Halliday
The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye
Without Warnings and Only Sometimes by Kit de Waal
Poetry Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in her Head by Warsan Shire The Fire People: A Collection of British Black and Asian Poetry by Lemn Sissay
The Fire People: A Collection of British Black and Asian Poetry by Lemn Sissay
Limbic by Peter Scalpello
100 Queer Poems edited by Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan
Young Adult Fiction All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
The King Is Dead by Benjamin Dean
When Our Worlds Collided by Danielle Jawando
Children's Fiction Grimwood: Let the Fur Fly! by Nadia Shireen Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell
Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman
Breakthrough Author Mieko Kawakami Alice Oseman
Alice Oseman
Jamie Smart
Gabrielle Zevin
Readers' Choice Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
2023[12] Fiction Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Non-Fiction Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
Why Women Grow by Alice Vincent
Pageboy by Elliot Page
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
Poetry Divisible By Itself and One by Kae Tempest The Cat Prince & Other Poems by Michael Pedersen
More Fiya by Kayo Chingonyi
Bad Diaspora Poems by Momtaza Mehri
The Cat Prince & Other Poems by Michael Pedersen
Young Adult Fiction Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald
Children's Fiction Jamie by L. D. Lapinski Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
The Skull by Jon Klassen
Greenwild by Pari Thomson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Breakthrough Author Rebecca F. Kuang Bonnie Garmus
Bonnie Garmus
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Sheena Patel
Readers' Choice Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

References

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  1. ^ "BAMB Readers Awards to launch this year | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Doctor's diary This is Going to Hurt wins public vote for book of the year". The Guardian. 21 November 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  3. ^ "8 Penguin Random House nods for the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards". www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  4. ^ "The most beautiful books of 2017". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  5. ^ "BAMB Readers Awards Presented". Booksellers Association. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Books Are My Bag Readers Awards: Shortlist Revealed". Booksellers Association. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  7. ^ "BAMBRA 2018 shortlists announced". Booksellers Association. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Obama, Porter and Thunberg shortlisted for BAMB reader awards". The Bookseller. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Books Are My Bag Readers Awards shortlist announced". Booksellers Association. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2021 shortlist announced". Booksellers Association. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  11. ^ "BAMB Readers Awards 2022". National Book Tokens. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2023". National Book Tokens. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.