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Events : Winners of the Specsavers National Book Awards revealed

The literary talent of comedy greats Miranda Hart and David Walliams, along with sports presenter Clare Balding, was celebrated at the 2012 Specsavers National Book Awards on Tuesday night (4th December).

In a year that has seen E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey out sell J. K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter series, the awards acknowledge popular authors old and new in ten categories judged by members of the NBA Academy.

The winners are:

Specsavers Popular Fiction Book of the Year:

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James (Arrow)

Autobiography of the Year:

My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding (Viking Adult)

Magic 105.4 FM Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year:

Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart (Hodder and Stoughton)

National Book Tokens Children’s Book of the Year:

Ratburger by David Walliams (HarperCollins Children’s)

WHSmith Food & Drink Book of the Year:

The Hairy Dieters by Si King and Dave Myers (Weidenfeld & Nicholson)

Audible.co.uk Audiobook of the Year:

The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend, read by Caroline Quentin (Whole Story Audiobooks)

Waterstones UK Author of the Year:

Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel (4th Estate)

Crime Book of the Year available on iBookstore:

A Wanted Man by Lee Child (Bantam Press)

Google Play™ International Author of the Year:

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Headline Review)

New Writer of the Year:

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (Doubleday)

A host of stars attended the glamorous awards ceremony hosted by Lorraine Kelly and Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins at London’s Mandarin Oriental, including shortlisted authors David Walliams, Clare Balding, Gok Wan, Mary Berry, Miranda Hart, Caitlin Moran, Hairy Biker Dave Myers and Caroline Quentin who was there to collect Sue Townsend’s award for Audiobook of the Year.

Highlights were shown on Lorraine (ITV1) on Wednesday 5 December.

Readers can now vote for their favourite of the 2012 award winners to crown one title the Specsavers National Book of the Year.  Votes can be registered at www.nationalbookawards.co.uk and the winner will be announced on Wednesday 26 December.

Dame Mary Perkins, Specsavers founder, said: ‘These awards rightly celebrate the books people are actually buying, reading and loving and can only be described as the Oscars of the literary world. The shortlist serves as the perfect Christmas gift guide.’

‘I’d like to congratulate all the winning authors and wish them the best of luck in scooping the Specsavers National Book of the Year title.’

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