Joseph Knox up for Times Breakthrough Award

Debut thriller writer Joseph Knox, crime buyer for Waterstones, has been nominated for this year's The Times Breakthrough Award, in the Literature category for his debut Sirens (Transworld). 

The Times Breakthrough Award is part of the The South Bank Sky Arts Awards which celebrate the "very best of talent" in the British Arts.

Knox has been nominated alongside acts such as musician Sampha, actor Malachi Kirby and artist Rachel Kneebone. The full list of nominees is available here.

Previous nominees for The Times Breakthrough Award include novelists Rachel Joyce and Barney Norris (both also published by Transworld), Stormzy, Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, Billie Piper, Ben Whishaw and Everything Everything.  Ten nominees are chosen by The Times, each in a different area of the Arts and each representing the most exciting young talent in the British Arts. 

In previous years, The Times Breakthrough Award has been a public vote, however this year an internal panel at The Times will be deciding on the winner. The ceremony will take place on Sunday 9th July, at The Savoy Hotel in London.

Knox said: “I'm surprised and delighted to have received a nomination for the Times Breakthrough Award representing literature, particularly given what an incredible year it's already been for fiction. Great fun to appear on a shortlist alongside so many brilliant people, too.” 

Knox has been taking time away from his bookseller role to write his second novel The Smiling Man, also featuring key protagonist, disgraced police officer, Aidan Waits. He returns to Waterstones next week.