By Amy Joan Sayner and Georgia Appleyard
An array of famous panellists have been secured for the 2024 British Book Awards, including actor Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), BBC broadcasters Nihal Arthanayake and Yinka Bokinni, and TV presenters Lorraine Kelly and Adriance Chiles. The ceremony will return to Grosvenor House, London, where the winners will be revealed in person and online.
The British Book Awards – affectionately known as the Nibbies – is the celebration of the UK and Ireland’s best-loved literary works. The books recognised have made waves, started conversations, and been part of book clubs and bestseller lists. The awards began in 1990 as a way to showcase the intimate connection between books, their makers, and their audience. Regarded as “the BAFTAs of the book trade,” it recognises leading authors and illustrators, as well as the industry behind the scenes that bring their work to readers.
The event is produced by The Bookseller magazine which, on top of being one of the UK’s longest-standing magazines, has been the business magazine of the book industry since 1858. The magazine’s website, thebookseller.com, is the book trade’s most visited UK site and, with the largest trade-focussed editorial team, it is an ideal place to find the latest news and in-depth features.
Further confirmed judges include authors, illustrators and trade professionals such as Candice Brathwaite, Salena Godden, Janice Hallett, Susan Sandon, Nick Barley, Claire Shanahan, Louise Kennedy, Sarah Gwonyoma, Selina Brown (Black British Book Festival), Joe Haddow (BBC Radio 2, Book Off podcast), Fiona Sturges (Guardian, Financial Times), Patricia Nicol (Sunday Times), Lisa Smosarski (Stylist), and Anna Bassi (The Week Junior), as well as celebrities like comedian Shaparak Khorsandi, TV presenters Maddie Moate and Ben Cajee, broadcaster Laura Jackson, and actress and writer Janet Ellis.
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges at The British Book Awards says, “Our 2024 judges are united by a passion for reading and sharing stories, which is, of course, exactly what we celebrate each year at The British Book Awards. Hailing from across the creative disciplines - from broadcast journalism, television to radio to social media, and, of course, books - they bring an extraordinary breadth of knowledge, skill, and experience to the Nibbies table. We look forward to working with them.”