Waterstones has announced their shortlist of books that are up to win Book of the Year 2021.
It’s no surprise that after a surge in mythological retellings being published, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint and Greek Myths by Charlotte Higgins made the list.
It is, however, a delight to see They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera on there, as this book was published back in September 2017. It just shows how hugely popular this book still is and makes the shortlist in time for the publication of the exclusive collector’s edition.
Some big names are also battling it out for Book of the Year. Marcus Rashford MBE will be going up against Sir Paul McCartney and Kazuo Ishiguro. Ishiguro’s Klara and The Sun was longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, and so it will be exciting to see who will come out on top.
The Shortlist
- Around the World in 80 Plants by Jonathan Drori
- The Appeal by Janice Hallett
- Julia and the Shark by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
- Greek Myths by Charlotte Higgins
- Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain by Amy Jeffs
- The Lyrics by Paul McCartney
- Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
- You Are A Champion by Marcus Rashford
- Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
- They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- The Amur River by Colin Thubron
- British Museum: A History of the World in 25 Cities by Tracey Turner
The winner of Waterstones Book of the Year 2021 will be announced on 2 December, chosen by a Waterstones panel.