The 12 Shortlists of the 2022 British Book Awards are revealed today, and are their broadest yet, with new talent storming the categories and giving the stalwarts a run for their money.

The  British  Book  Awards  recognise  the  books  that  have  made  waves,  started conversations,  been  part  of book  clubs  and  bestseller  lists,  and the  hard work and creativity of the publishing and bookselling  teams that bring those books to readers across  the  country.

Alice  O’Keeffe,  Books  Editor  of  The  Bookseller  and  overall  Chair  of  the  Books  of  the Year commented:

“From fresh new voices  to big brand authors,  this year’s shortlists  celebrate  the very best  books  published  in  2021.  In  Non-Fiction:  Narrative  we  see  the  resurgence  of the  celebrity  memoir  reflected  in  the  shortlist  with  three  famous,  and  now bestselling,  faces  telling  their  own  stories.  This  year’s   Debut  shortlist  includes some  unforgettable  first  novels  that  will  surely  be read  far beyond  our  present  time. Some  very  difficult  decisions  lie  ahead  for  our  judges!”

The new Discover  Award  this year looks  to  amplify  traditionally  under-  represented  writers  and their  publishers,  with   these   books   offering  a  glimpse  of  the  riches  to  come  as  the book market continues to widen its reach.

Alongside  Discover,  also  new  for  2022  is a  split  of  the  Children’s  Awards  into  Non-Fiction  and  Illustrated,  in  addition  to  the  Fiction  award,  and  representing  the strong   growth  in  the  audiobook  market,   there  are  two  Audiobook  awards:  Fiction and Non-Fiction. LoveReading4Kids is delighted to be supporting the Illustrated Book Category this year.

For  Fiction  Book  of  the  Year,  Rooney’s much-anticipated  Beautiful World, Where Are You takes  on Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun,  his first book published  since  he  was  awarded  the  2017   Nobel  Prize  in  Literature,  and  Meg Mason’s instant Sunday Times Bestseller Sorrow and Bliss.

The  Discover  Book  of  the  Year  saw  a  huge  number  of  submissions  in  a  very competitive  field.  The  shortlist  includes  Detransition,  Baby by  Torrey Peters which  goes  up  against  the  viral  sensation  from  the early   00s,  Keisha  the  Sket  by  Jade  LB and  world-  renowned  actor David  Harewood  for  his  book  on  racism  and  mental  health  Maybe  I  Don’t  Belong Here.

In  Non-Fiction:  Lifestyle,  The  Lyrics  by  Paul McCartney sits alongside  baking  queen  Jane Dunn  for  Jane’s  Patisserie,  whilst  farming  is represented  by  Diddly   Squat:  A   Year   on  the  Farm  by  Jeremy Clarkson.

National  hero  Marcus Rashford and his  inspirational  book  for  children written  with journalist  Carl  Anka,  You  Are  a  Champion  joins  Dr Ranj Singh,  How to Grow  Up and  Feel  Amazing!  on  the  Children’s: Non-Fiction  shortlist,  whilst  Adam Kay is  shortlisted  for  the  third  year  in  a  row  for Kay’s  Marvellous  Medicine.

This  year,  Audiobook  of  the  Year  is  split  into  Fiction  and  Non-Fiction,  with  the former  celebrating brand authors such as Lisa Jewell for The Night She Disappeared and  fantasy  favourites  including  The  Lord  of  the Rings by  J R R Tolkien read  by  Andy  Serkis  and  The Sandman Act II by Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs, featuring an all-star cast including Brian Cox,  Rege  Jean-Page,  and  David  Tennant.  In  Non-Fiction,  Dave  Grohl  –  The Storyteller -  battles  Will Smith  for  Will and Billy Connolly for Windswept & Interesting.

Billy Connolly receives  his  second  nomination  for the  Non-Fiction:  Narrative  Award alongside  Sarah  Gilbert  and  Catherine Green’s Vaxxers and Miriam Margolyes’ long-awaited memoir This Much is  True.

The  Debut  Book  of  the  Year  bursts  with  talent,  as  Costa  First  Novel  Award  winner Open Water by  Caleb Azumah Nelson takes  on Luster by  Raven Leilani  and  Assembly by  Natasha Brown.

Shortlisted for the second year in a row, last year’s Author of the Year Richard Osman is  back   with  the  sequel  to  his  smash-hit  The  Thursday  Murder  Club,  The Man Who Died Twice for the Fiction: Crime and Thriller Award, sitting with other chart-toppers  A  Slow  Fire  Burning  by  Paula  Hawkins  and  Girl  A by Abigail Dean.

In  Children’s:  Fiction,  Carnegie-shortlisted  Phil Earle  is  recognised  with  his   20th book,  When  the  Sky  Falls,  as  well  as  the  ‘Queen  of  Teen  Crime’ Karen McManus for  You’ll  Be  the  Death of  Me  and  Ace  of  Spades by  Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, which is her debut.

Elsewhere  in  Children’s:   Illustrated,   beloved   author   Julia Donaldson and  Victoria Sandøy’s The  Christmas  Pine takes  on  illustrator  Dapo Adeola’s Hey You! and Heartstopper Volume  Four written and  illustrated  by  Alice Oseman.

The  shortlist  for the  Pageturner  Award,   which  was  new  in 2021,  reflects  the  word-of-mouth popular fiction across all formats and this year celebrates much-loved authors Sophie  Kinsella  The  Party  Crasher and  Jane Fallon  for Worst  Idea Ever,  as  well  as  titles  that  thrived  in  paperback  such  as  Small Pleasures  by  Clare Chambers.

The  twelve   Book  of  the  Year  winners  will  be  decided  by  separate panels,  with  judges including  TV  presenter  and  broadcaster  Gabby Logan  and  actress  and  Sex Education  star  Tanya  Reynolds,  to  former  rugby  union   player  and  2021  Strictly Come  Dancing   contestant  Ugo Monye and  skincare  expert  and  winner  of  the  2021 Book  of  the  Year:  Non-Fiction:  Lifestyle  Caroline Hirons.

Produced by The Bookseller, The British Book Awards, also known as the Nibbies, are a celebration  of  the  UK’s  best-loved   books  and  authors.  This year’s winners  will  be  unveiled  at a  ceremony  taking  place  at  Grosvenor  House  London on 23rd May 2022.

Take a look at our British Book Awards 2022 Page within our Awards section to read the full shortlists