Shortlist for 2019 Parliamentary Book Awards revealed
David Cameron, Jess Phillips, Melvyn Bragg and James O’Brien are among those on the shortlist for the 2019 Parliamentary Book Awards, the only political book awards voted for by parliamentarians.
Launched by the Booksellers Association and the Publishers Association in 2016, the annual awards champion the best of political writing and celebrate the link between politics and the book world.
The awards celebrate parliamentary writing across three categories: Best Memoir by a Parliamentarian; Best Non-Biographical Book by a Parliamentarian; and Best Political Book by a non-Parliamentarian.
Parliamentary Book Awards 2019 Shortlist:
Best Biography or Memoir by a Parliamentarian
- For the Record by David Cameron (William Collins)
- This is Our Story: How the Fans Kept Their Hearts Beating by Ian Murray (Luath Press)
- A British Subject: How to Make It As An Immigrant In the Best Country in the World by Dolar Popat (Biteback Publishing)
Best Non-Biographical Book by a Parliamentarian
- Love Without End: A Story of Heloise and Abelard by Melvyn Bragg (Sceptre)
- Truth to Power: 7 Wats to Call Time on B.S. by Jess Phillips (Monoray)
- Women of Westminster: The MPs who Changed Politics by Rachel Reeves (I.B. Tauris)
Best Political Book by a Non-Parliamentarian
- Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez (Chatto & Windus)
- How to be Right: In A World Gone Wrong by James O’Brien (WH Allen)
- My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay (Canongate Books)
The Parliamentary Book Awards were created to celebrate and reward excellence across all areas of political writing. This year’s shortlist of books provides us with important insights into the turbulent events of recent years and shines a light on ideas of the nature of power, identity and truth in politics. I look forward to celebrating all of these important books, their authors, publishers and booksellers at the House of Commons in February.
Stephen Lotinga, CEO of the Publishers Association
Publishers were invited to nominate books and authors for the awards, and the shortlist was drawn up by booksellers. Voting is now open for parliamentarians to decide the winner in each category. The awards will be presented at a parliamentary reception in the House of Commons on 26th February.
Meryl Halls, Managing Director of the Booksellers Association, said: “The Parliamentary Book Awards recognise the high quality of political writing today, and we look forward to celebrating this year’s fascinating shortlist. Selected by British booksellers, this shortlist really show the issues that are important to the public today; identity, truth, gender politics, and community. We are excited to see who our parliamentarians vote for in the coming weeks.”
Stephen Lotinga, the Chief Executive of the Publishers Association, said: “The Parliamentary Book Awards were created to celebrate and reward excellence across all areas of political writing. This year’s shortlist of books provides us with important insights into the turbulent events of recent years and shines a light on ideas of the nature of power, identity and truth in politics. I look forward to celebrating all of these important books, their authors, publishers and booksellers at the House of Commons in February.”
2018’s awards saw a focus on the role of politicians and politics, with winners including Tessa Jowell and Frances D’Souza’s The Power of Politicians, and Why We Get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman. Best Non-Fiction by a Parliamentarian was won by Jesse Norman for Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why it Matters, his study of economist Adam Smith’s life and legacy.