BOOK OF THE YEAR DISCOVER
In the second year for this category, which aims to amplify books from traditionally underrepresented writers—with a particular focus on the work of indie presses and imprints—the shortlist features six unforgettable books from a wide range of genres, from memoir to essay to
AFTERMATH Preti Taneja’s Aftermath, described by the author as “a personal lyric essay about a horrific, complex yet avoidable tragedy” required sensitive handling by the publisher from the acquisition onwards. When potential high-profile media coverage threatened to sensa- tionalise the book, And Other Stories refused to compromise. It was awarded the Gordon Burns Prize 2022.
HOME IS NOT A PLACE Acquired in a five-way auction, Home is Not a Place is a free- form collection of photogra- phy, poems and essays reflect- ing upon Black Britishness. Foyles Charing Cross produced a stunning window display, and the authors signed copies i in-store during Black History Month. HarperCollins created standout billboards that caught the eye of passers-by.
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AS LONG AS THE LEMON TREES GROW The first YA novel to be published in the UK by an author with Syrian roots was the bestselling YA fiction début of 2022. Bloomsbury’s campaign promoted not only As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow but Zoulfa Katouh herself and her reasons for writing it. The impact on social media resulted in Bloomsbury’s most viral TikTok ever.
I’M A FAN Sheena Patel had previously published a pamphlet with Rough Trade Books, as a part of the poetry collective 4 Brown Girls Who Write, when she sent early fragments of I’m a Fan. Early endorsement came from the Observer, which selected Patel as one of its 10 best début novelists of 2022; it was later Foyles’ Fiction Book of the Year 2022 and was reprinted three times.
CARRIE KILLS A MAN Technology journalist and broadcaster Carrie Marshall came out as trans later in life and felt that now was the time to tell her story: Carrie Killed a Man is her memoir. It was a key non-fiction title for small Scottish independent publisher 404Ink, and the title’s profile was raised when it was selected as Book of the Week on the “Damian Barr’s Literary Salon” podcast.
THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLES IGNATIUS SANCHO Paterson Joseph’s début tells the fictionalised story of Sancho, who lived a unique life in Georgian London. A passion project for Joseph, who performed as Sancho in full costume at the Waterstones launch, the book smashed its sales target in eight weeks, becoming Dialogue Books’ bestselling hardback début.
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