BOOK OF THE YEAR NON-FICTION: NARRATIVE
OVERVIEW Celebrity memoir sees a resurgence in this shortlist, with half of the six titles written by famous faces telling their own stories. on the shortlist are a genuinely popular important history
VAXXERS Hodder triumphed in a 10-way auction for Catherine Green and Sarah Gilbert’s Vaxxers, the inside story of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine. “The book will be read long after the pandemic is over” said the FT. A Radio 4 Book of the Week, the title has been a fine instance of a popular science book that has genu- inely reached a widespread audience.
EMPIRE OF PAIN Patrick Radden Keefe’s strong, impactful storytelling builds on exhaustive journalistic work and spotlights the Sackler family’s involvement in the US opioid crisis. Picador set up a publicity campaign that created awareness around the book, but also highlighted the Sacklers’ involvement in UK arts and cultural institutions. It won the Baillie Gifford Prize in 2021.
PUBLISHERS 1 HODDER & STOUGHTON 2 GALLERY BOOKS 3 PICADOR 4 JOHN MURRAY PRESS 5 TWO ROADS 6 VIKING
WINDSWEPT & INTERESTING The first full-length autobi- ography from Billy Connolly channelled the comedian’s wit and candour with the text arranged to mimic an intimate stand-up performance between writer and reader. Its publication was a collaborative effort between Connolly, his family and John Murray Press, to huge success, recording the highest sales on this shortlist.
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EMPIRELAND Sathnam Sanghera’s much- admired Empireland explores how imperialism has shaped modern Britain. A powerful interview on BBC Radio 5Live created lots of buzz on social media and an engaging campaign included a suite of digital assets, surfacing quotes from the book which the author shared daily to his 75,000 Twitter followers ahead of publication.
AND AWAY... Blending vulnerability with humour set Bob Mortimer’s autobiography apart. More than simply a celebrity memoir, the title covers everything from Mortimer’s shyness to his battle with mortality when he underwent an urgent heart operation in 2015. The Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year, it has spent 20 weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list.
THIS MUCH IS TRUE The bestselling female autobi- ography of 2021 entered the charts in second in the Sunday Times bestseller list. A joyful relationship between John Murray and Miriam Margolyes— who turned 80 last year, and who provided smoked salmon and ice-cream to everyone working on the book—helped make actress’ “invigoratingly outspoken” (the FT) memoir such a success.
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