Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated

From an instant cookery brand to what not to eat, an addictive murder mystery puzzle to life-enhancing poetry, this year’s Lifestyle and Illustrated shortlist may be broad in scope but these books are united by clever campaigns and impressive sales.

The Winner

Murdle

G T Karber

Souvenir Press

G T Karber's Murdle smashed all expectations last year as the book of the festive season, uniting puzzle fans and mystery readers alike in a winning combination best described as Cluedo crossed with Sudoku. 'Truly innovative", said one judge; "a phenomenon", added another; "incredibly charming", declared a third.

Souvenir Press created an iconic package with Murdle and our panel were impressed with the publisher's decisions at every stage, from "canny" acquisition to the production of a "revolutionary" book and a non-stop campaign. The team threw their relatively small but mighty weight behind Murdle, nurturing this new brand via influencer mail outs and securing Waterstones support before the festive word-of mouth flurry began. Our judges agreed that Murdle has "reinvigorated" the market and created a new area of publishing.

The Shortlist

Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book

Nathan Anthony

Ebury Press

Ebury discovered lockdown cooking account @Boredoflunch, run by Nathan Anthony, and turned it into a leading brand. With the cost-of-living crisis looming and people seeking energy-saving alternatives to ovens, Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book was published at the perfect time. Ebury tailored the campaign to all retailers, achieving great success with The Works, which had the second-largest market share. It is the fifth fastest-selling cookbook of all time.

Ghosts: The Button House Archives

Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond

Bloomsbury General

The official companion to the much-loved hit TV series, Ghosts: The Button House Archives needed to encapsulate the warmth, gentle humour and emotional depth of the show. Working with the six authors, who are also the show’s scriptwriters and actors, to a tight timeline, Bloomsbury produced a beautiful, high-spec treasure trove of historical artefacts belonging to the ghosts for readers young and old. It was Bloomsbury’s third-bestselling hardback of the year.

Let The Light Pour In

Lemn Sissay

Canongate

For 10 years, Lemn Sissay has written a poem as dawn is breaking. Let the Light Pour In is both a collection of his best work, and also a model of how a daily practice of art might improve mental health and well-being. A coveted spot on BBC Breakfast, focusing on morning practices, saw pre-orders spike. Canongate worked with Waterstones, World Poetry Day and the Natural Voice Network choir, who performed one of Lemn’s poems live at sunrise on publication day.

Marr's Guitars

Johnny Marr

Thames & Hudson

This lavish visual guide to the extensive collection of the influential former Smiths guitarist features Pat Graham’s macro photography of each individual guitar interspersed with anecdotes from Johnny Marr. The musician prepared AV material for each guitar, playing and discussing how they had inspired or enhanced a particular song, which was used online. The limited-edition print run of Marr’s Guitars, in a slipcase made of a material more usually found in amps, sold out in four hours, a T&H record.

Murdle

G. T. Karber

Souvenir Press

The standout Christmas gift bestseller, Murdle is best described as Cluedo crossed with Sudoku; a new type of logic puzzle that invites the reader to solve a murder mystery. The book’s distinctive, eye-catching design made it an irresistible till-side purchase for fans of smart puzzling. With bookshops encouraged to host their own ‘Murdle Nights’, word-of-mouth soon spread. With impressive sales from publication onwards, it took the coveted Christmas number one slot.

Ultra-Processed People

Chris van Tulleken

Cornerstone Press

The first book from NHS doctor and presenter Chris van Tulleken is an authoritative account of the damage that ultra-processed food (UPF) is doing to our bodies. Cornerstone Press began by establishing the author as the expert on UPF, while the campaign launched with a three-part serial in the Mail and key broadcast interviews from “BBC Breakfast” to “The One Show”. Ultra-Processed People went into the charts at number one, spending nine weeks there and a further 19 weeks in the top three.