Judged by a panel of authors, booksellers and journalists, the three winners - in Adult, Children’s and Picture Book categories - will be announced on Friday 23rd June, the day before the start of this year’s IBW. To support the in-store promotion of the shortlist both during IBW and beyond, participating booksellers will receive high quality POS materials featuring all 32 shortlisted titles, with the award at the heart of IBW’s trade and consumer promotional activities.

The IBW Book Award 2017 shortlists in its three categories - Adult, Children’s and Picture Book - are:

Adult category

• The Noise of Time - Julian Barnes (Vintage)
• Days Without End - Sebastian Barry (Faber & Faber)
• Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow - Yuval Noah Harari (Vintage)       
• When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi (Vintage)       
• This Must Be The Place - Maggie O'Farrell (Tinder Press)       
• The Essex Serpent - Sarah Perry (Profile Books Ltd)        
• The Good Immigrant - edited by Nikesh Shukla (Unbound)       
• Golden Hill - Frances Spufford (Faber & Faber)       
• The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland - John Lewis-Stempel (Transworld Publishers Ltd)
• The Gustav Sonata - Rose Tremain (Vintage)

Children's category

• The One Memory of Flora Banks - Emily Barr (Penguin Random House Children's)
• Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth - Frank Cottrell Boyce (Macmillan Children's Books)
• Cogheart - Peter Bunzl (Usborne Children’s Books)
• Strange Star - Emma Carroll (Faber & Faber)       
• The Shadow Keeper - Abi Elphinstone (Simon & Schuster Children's UK)
• A Poem for Every Night of the Year - Allie Esiri (Macmillan Children's Books)
• The Bone Sparrow - Zana Fraillon (Hodder Children's Books)
• How Not to Disappear - Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster Children's UK)
• The 78-Storey Treehouse - Andy Griffiths; illustrated by Terry Denton (Macmillan Children's Books)
• The Wolf Wilder - Katherine Rundell (Bloomsbury Children's Books)       
• Saint Death - Marcus Sedgwick (Orion Children's Books)
• The Painted Dragon - Katherine Woodfine (Egmont)     

Children's Picture Book category

• Odd Dog Out - Rob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• The Storm Whale in Winter - Benji Davies (Simon & Schuster Ltd)
• The Detective Dog - Julia Donaldson & Sara Ogilvie (Macmillan Children's Books)
• The Covers of My Book Are Too Far Apart! - Vivian French; illustrated by Nigel Baines    (Barrington Stoke Ltd)
• Oi Dog! - Kes Gray and Claire Gray; illustrated by Jim Field (Hodder Children's Books)
• Tidy - Emily Gravett (Macmillan Children's Books)
• The Darkest Dark - Chris Hadfield; illustrated by The Fan Brothers (Macmillan Children's Books)
• Are You Sitting Comfortably? - Leigh Hodgkinson (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
• Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World - Kate Pankhurst (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
• There's a Tiger in the Garden - Lizzy Stewart (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)      
• Bee: Nature’s Tiny Miracle - Britta Teckentrup (Little Tiger Kids)
• A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting - Michelle Robinson; illustrated by David Roberts    (Bloomsbury Children's Books)

     
“It was my local independent bookshop that nurtured and grew my love of reading when I was young. With books waiting for me each week, hand-picked by the most knowledgeable of staff, I couldn't help but fall in love with stories. It is now my favourite pastime to lose myself in the many bookshops that dot our cities, each one different, each one promising - and delivering - my next wonderful read.  Independent bookshops allow readers to find the books written just for them.” - ​Shortlist nominee for the Children’s Category, Zana Fraillon

“I love independent bookshops, where you can always find hidden treasures. It’s very sad that so many have disappeared from our high streets. The success of the Oi series is due to word of mouth recommendation thanks to the knowledge of independent booksellers. I’m hugely grateful for all the support and whatever the result, it’s fantastic to be shortlisted.” - Shortlist nominee for the Picture Book Category, illustrator Jim Field
 
Both Children’s and Picture Book shortlisted titles will be listed in ‘The Best New Children’s Books’ supplement that will run in The Guardian on the first day of IBW, on Saturday 24th June.

The IBW 2017 judging panel will be chaired by BA President, Rosamund de la Hey.  The Adult Category judges are Anna James, blogger, author and reviewer; Tim O’Kelly, One Tree Books, Petersfield; Fleur Sinclair, Sevenoaks Bookshop and Robert Penn, author, photographer and broadcaster.  The Children’s and Picture Book Category judges are David Litchfield, author of The Bear & The Piano; Alex Strick, diversity in children’s books campaigner and head of Inclusive Minds; Sanchita Basu de Sarka, Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill and Victoria Rossiter, Rossiter’s Bookshop, Monmouth & Ross on Wye.

“As ever, we have wonderful shortlists across all three categories, and I am sure there will be lively debate amongst the judges in choosing this year’s winners! The award is unique in that the titles very much appeal to the independent sector, and are ones that independent booksellers will really support and can hand-sell, especially around the time of IBW.” - Chair of Judges, Rosamund de la Hey, BA President and The Mainstreet Trading Company,