Abroad in Japan crowned winner in two categories at the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards

Japanese-inspired books were among readers’ favourites at this year’s Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, with Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad (Bantam) winning in the non-fiction category and also in the public- vote-driven Readers’ Choice category.

The winners of the awards, which are run by the Booksellers Association (BA) and sponsored by National Book Tokens, were announced at an awards ceremony held at Foyles, Charing Cross Road. They were selected by readers across the UK and Ireland, from a shortlist curated by booksellers.

Asako Yuzuki was crowned Breakthrough Author for Butter, translated by Polly Barton (Fourth Estate), while the Fiction prize went to David Nicholls for You Are Here (Hodder & Stoughton). "I’m entirely thrilled to win the fiction award, and to find You Are Here alongside these fine novels," Nicholls said. "The booksellers who select the shortlist have chosen some fantastic books this year, and I’m hugely grateful to all the readers who voted."

In the poetry category, Hollie McNish won for Lobster: and other things I’m learning to love (Little Brown), while Holly Jackson triumphed in the young adult fiction category with The Reappearance of Rachel Price (HarperCollins). The Children’s Fiction award was won by Ross Montgomery, author of I Am Rebel (Walker Books).

"From the bottom of my heart, a huge thanks to the booksellers who shortlisted the book, and to the readers who voted for it," Broad said. "I look forward to coming back to the UK very soon to celebrate the award with a pint of cider—cider’s quite rare in Japan!”