David Parry/Shutterstock©Some of our favourite authors won big at this year’s British Book Awards. From chilling thrillers and murder mysteries to children’s fantasy trilogies it was an exciting mix of stories.
Renowned children’s author Katherine Rundell was named author of the year for 2024. Her novel ‘Impossible Creatures’ has crowned Rundell the first children’s author to win the prize since Phillip Pullman in 2018.
She joins notable names such as Richard Osman and Marian Keyes who have received the top award in recent years.
Katherine Rundell attending a book signing at Piccadilly Waterstones. Credit: Kathrine Rundell.
‘Impossible Creatures’ also won children’s fiction book of the year and it was previously named Waterstones book of the year for 2023.
This novel is the first book in her newest trilogy in which “two kids race to save the world’s last magical place.” This mystical spot is an Archipelago of hidden dragons, griffins, sphinxes, unicorns, krakens, and more.
Fiction author Lisa Jewell, whose body of work now spans over 20 years, also won two prizes at this year’s British Book Awards. She took home crime and thriller book of the year as well as audiobook fiction book of the year. Both prizes were for her best-selling novel ‘None of This is True’.
The plot follows fictional podcaster Alix Summer who whilst celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub meets a friendly woman named Josie Fair. It turns out Josie is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday, making the pair “birthday twins”. They quickly become friends, but what begins as a light-hearted connection soon turns dark. Secrets are revealed and Alix is no longer sure of Josie’s true intentions.
G.T. Karber receiving one of three prizes at The British Book Awards 2024. Credit: Shutterstock.
American author G.T. Karber was another notable winner. His murder mystery puzzle book ‘Murdle’ won book of the year, joining works by previous winners such as EL James and Sally Rooney.
‘Murdle’ was inspired by the popular habit-forming online game Wordle. This mind-bending puzzle book also won the non-fiction lifestyle award, plus illustrated book of the year.
Rebecca F Kuang won fiction book of the year for the second year in a row. Her critically acclaimed novel ‘Yellowface’ took home the prize for its cutting observation of cultural appropriation. She won the same category last year with ‘Babel’.
The one to watch is debut fiction winner Alice Winn whose first novel ‘In Memoriam’ secured her the prize. It’s a devastating love story between two young men who leave their sheltered idyll school life to the horrors of the Western Front during the First World War
British Book Awards 2024 winners in full:
- Author of the year – Katherine Rundell
- Book of the year – GT Karber, Murdle
- Audiobook fiction – Lisa Jewell, None of This is True
- Audiobook non-fiction – Fern Brady, Strong Female Character
- Children’s fiction – Katherine Rundell, Impossible Creatures
- Children’s Illustrated – Jamie Smart, Bunny vs Monkey: Multiverse Mix-up
- Children’s non-fiction – Atinuke, Brilliant Black British History
- Crime & thriller – Lisa Jewell, None of This is True
- Debut fiction – Alice Winn, In Memoriam
- Discover – Raksha Dave, Lessons from Our Ancestors
- Fiction – Rebecca F Kuang, Yellowface
- Non-fiction lifestyle & illustrated – GT Karber, Murdle
- Non-fiction narrative – Rory Stewart, Politics on the Edge
- Pageturner – Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing
Philip Jones, who chaired the judging panel, said: “Our winning authors, illustrators, and the teams behind their books showcase an industry at the height of its game and at the absolute centre of the creative sector.
“At a time when words and their meaning matter more than ever before, to see the world of books in such excellent health is surely something to celebrate.”
Read our review of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Hannah McLaren I've worked at DC Thomson for six years! I began as an intern at My Weekly and The Scots Magazine, which was extended by a few months to help out at The People's Friend. I then covered maternity as Celebrity Editor for My Weekly, before I became Multimedia Journalist at The Scots Magazine. Currently I'm writing digital content across each title.
