2024 Nero Book Awards Shortlist: Celebrating Exceptional Talent

The 2024 Nero Book Awards have announced their shortlist, recognizing the best literary works from the UK and Ireland. With 16 books across four categories—Fiction, Debut Fiction, Nonfiction, and Children’s Fiction—the awards celebrate both established authors and new voices. Founded by Caffè Nero in 2023, the Nero Book Awards fill the gap left by the Costa Book Awards, which ended in 2022. The awards offer £5,000 for each category winner, with an additional £30,000 for the overall Nero Gold winner, to be announced in March 2025.

Fiction Category: Diverse Narratives

The Fiction shortlist includes Donal Ryan’s Heart, Be at Peace, a multi-voiced state-of-the-nation novel set in rural Ireland. Ryan’s narrative explores social issues and human emotion through the perspectives of 21 characters. Also on the list is Lost in the Garden by Adam S Leslie, a surreal journey through the English countryside, blending reality with fantasy.

Jo Hamya’s The Hypocrite and Suzannah Dunn’s Levitation for Beginners round out the Fiction shortlist, offering readers fresh perspectives on identity and societal expectations.

Debut Fiction: Fresh Voices

The Debut Fiction category features new authors with bold stories. Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon takes readers to 412BC Syracuse, where historical drama and complex characters unfold. Other shortlisted debut novels include No Small Thing by Orlaine McDonald, Monumenta by Lara Haworth, and Wild Houses by Colin Barrett, the latter of which was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Nonfiction: Thought-Provoking Accounts

In Nonfiction, debut authors are making waves with books that delve into timely issues. Pixel Flesh by Ellen Atlanta examines the impact of social media on beauty standards, while Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst tells the gripping true story of a couple stranded at sea for 117 days. Zeinab Badawi’s An African History of Africa offers a fresh perspective on the continent’s history, and All That Glitters by Orlando Whitfield explores art fraud.

Children’s Fiction: Adventure and Imagination

The Children’s Fiction shortlist includes Patrick Ness’s Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody, a whimsical tale about schoolboy monitor lizards and killer robots. Also shortlisted are Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton, How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlet Dunmore, and The Twelve by Liz Hyder, illustrated by Tom de Freston. These books offer exciting adventures, blending fantasy, the supernatural, and coming-of-age themes.

What to Expect

The winners will be announced on January 14, 2025, with the overall Nero Gold prize winner revealed in March. The judging panel, including writers Patrice Lawrence, Louise Doughty, Kevin Power, and Rhik Samadder, selected these 16 exceptional books from hundreds of submissions. The shortlist highlights the incredible literary talent in the UK and Ireland, showcasing a mix of genres and voices.

The Nero Book Awards celebrate the exceptional writing emerging from the UK and Ireland. The 2024 shortlist promises captivating reads for all types of readers, from fiction and nonfiction lovers to those seeking imaginative children’s books. As the judging panel prepares to select the winners, one thing is clear: the future of literature in the UK and Ireland is bright.