ShelfEvidentWaterstones Book of the Year
2025 Winner
2025 Shortlist & Longlist
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Complete History
2020s
2010s
- 2019The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse — Charlie Mackesy
- 2018Normal People — Sally Rooney
- 2017La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One — Philip Pullman
- 2016The Essex Serpent — Sarah Perry
- 2015The Fox and the Star — Coralie Bickford-Smith
- 2014The Miniaturist — Jessie Burton
- 2013Stoner — John Williams
- 2012Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts) — Russell Norman
About the Waterstones Book of the Year
The Waterstones Book of the Year is an annual award presented by Waterstones, the UK's largest bookshop chain, to the book judged by its booksellers to be the standout title of the year. Unlike prize committees of academics or literary critics, the Waterstones award is selected by Waterstones booksellers themselves, giving it a distinctive character as a genuine recommendation from people who sell books and talk to readers every day. The award was established in 2012 and has since become one of the most commercially influential book prizes in the UK, given that a Waterstones Book of the Year selection virtually guarantees prominent placement in stores nationwide. There is no cash prize; the award is purely an honor and marketing distinction. The shortlist, typically announced in October or November, reflects a deliberately broad range — literary fiction, nonfiction, illustrated books, children's books, and gift titles have all featured. Past winners include John Williams's Stoner (2013), Sally Rooney's Normal People (2018), Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet (2020), Katy Hessel's The Story of Art Without Men (2022), and Katherine Rundell's Impossible Creatures (2023). In addition to the main award, Waterstones also names a Children's Book of the Year and, in some years, other special categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The award is selected by Waterstones booksellers, making it unusual among major book prizes in that it reflects the judgment of working booksellers rather than an academic or critical panel.
- No. The Waterstones Book of the Year carries no cash prize. The honor brings significant commercial benefit through prominent in-store promotion.
- Any book sold by Waterstones is potentially eligible — fiction, nonfiction, children's books, illustrated books, gift books, and more. The shortlist typically features a wide range of genres.
- The winner is typically announced in November, ahead of the Christmas shopping season, following a shortlist announcement in October or November.
- No. There is no nationality restriction. The award is open to books published in the UK regardless of the author's origin.
- Yes. In addition to the main Book of the Year, Waterstones also names a Children's Book of the Year and, in recent years, a Gift Book of the Year.
- The award was first given in 2012, when Russell Norman's Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook won.