Curated by bookshops, chosen by booklovers
We are delighted to announce the winners of The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, presented last night (24^th November) at a ceremony at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London.  The BAMB Readers Awards are a unique new set of awards; they are the only book awards with shortlists curated by bookshops. And the only major awards voted for by booklovers.Five shortlists were chosen by booksellers across the UK & Ireland: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biography & Autobiography, Children’s and Breakthrough Author.
 A special Readers Choice Award; voted for entirely by booklovers; and a Beautiful Book Ward; voted for entirely by booksellers, complete the set.
 Booklovers have been voting on the shortlists below with the public vote closing on 14th November. The Book Are My Bag Readers Awards are sponsored by National Book Tokens.
Fiction Award
Winner

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
Shortlist
The Green Road by Anne Enright 
The Loney by Andrew Hurley 
The Muse by Jessie Burton 
This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell
Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

Non-Fiction Award
Winner


Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Shortlist
SPQR by Mary Beard 
Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
It's All in Your Head by Suzanne O'Sullivan
 
 Children's Award
Winner


The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie

Shortlist
One by Sarah Crossan
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield
The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie
 
Biography & Autobiography Award
Winner


The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Shortlist
Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham
The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink 
The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewell
The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
Alive Alive Oh! by Diana Athill
Breakthrough Author Award
Winner

   
Joanna Cannon (The Trouble with Goats and Sheep)

Shortlist
Abi Elphinstone (The Shadow Keeper)
Amy Liptrot (The Outrun)
Andrew Michael Hurley (The Loney)
Han Kang (The Vegetarian)
Joanna Cannon (The Trouble with Goats and Sheep)
Kit de Waal (My Name is Leon) 
Lisa McInerney (The Glorious Heresies) 
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan (Harmless Like You)

Readers Choice Award
Winner


The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla

Every year readers discover brilliant new books on the shelves of their local bookshop. We couldn't possibly shortlist them all, so the Readers Choice Award was a chance for book lovers to vote for the one they loved the most!

 
Beautiful Book Award
Winner


The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, cover design by Peter Dyer

Shortlisted and voted for by bookshops 

Shortlist
Cartes Postales from Greece by Victoria Hislop
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood
Herbarium by Caz Hildebrand