Whitbread Book Awards

The Whitread Book Awards are on of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary awards. Currently each year winners are chosen in five categories, novel, first novel, children's, poetry, and biography. Each category winner receives 5000 pounds. One of the category winenrs is selected as the "Book of the Year" winner and they are given a further 25 000 pounds. The awards are named after and funded by Whitbread PLC a leading British leisure and brewing company. The awards are given both for high literary merit but also for works that are enjoyable reading.

Book of the Year Award Winners

2002 - Claire Tomalin, Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self
2001 - Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass
2000 - Matthew Kneale, English Passengers
1999 - Seamus Heaney, Beowulf
1998 - Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters
1997 - Ted Hughes, Tales from Ovid
1996 - Seamus Heaney, The Spirit Level
1995 - Kate Atkinson, Behind the Scenes at the Museum
1994 - William Trevor, Felicia’s Journey
1993 - Joan Brady, Theory of War
1992 - Jeff Torrington, Swing Hammer Swing!
1991 - John Richardson, A Life of Picasso
1990 - Nicholas Mosley, Hopeful Monsters
1989 - Richard Holmes, Coleridge: Early Visions
1988 - Paul Sayer, The Comforts of Madness
1987 - Christopher Nolan, Under the eye of the clock
1986 - Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World
1985 - Douglas Dunn, Elegies
1984 - James Buchan, A Parish of Rich Women
1983 - John Fuller, Flying to Nowhere
1982 - Bruce Chatwin, On the Black Hill
1981 - William Boyd, A Good Man in Africa
1980 - David Lodge, How Far Can You Go?

Complete Winners and Nominees:

2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972 - 1971