Babalola bags double nomination as shortlists for inaugural TikTok Book Awards unveiled

Bolu Babalola, Douglas Stuart and Holly Jackson are among those shortlisted for the inaugural TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland.

First announced in May, TikTok says the awards are “all about celebrating and recognising the books, the independent bookshops, the authors and the creators that have made the #BookTok community such a unique place".

Readers are invited to vote for their winners using the Voting Hub on the TikTok App. The categories are: BookTok Book of the Year; BookTok Author of the Year; BookTok Creator of the Year; Indie Bookshop of the Year; Best Book to End a Reading Slump; Best BookTok Revival; and Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time.

Up for BookTok Book of The Year are Babalola for Honey & Spice (Headline Review), Sarah Underwood for Lies We Sing to the Sea (Electric Monkey), Stuart for Young Mungo (Picador), and Jessica George for Maame (Hodder & Stoughton). 

In contention for BookTok Author of The Year are Dr Suzie Edge, Lex Croucher, Jackson and Babalola, while @abbysbooks, @edenvictorria, @compulsivebookbuyers, @sivanreads are vying for BookTok Creator of the Year. Shortlisted for Indie Bookshop of The Year are Portobello Bookshop, Chapters, The Feminist Bookshop and Mr B’s Emporium.

In the Best BookTok Revival category are One Day by David Nicholls (Hodder & Stoughton), Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Faber & Faber), Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and 1984 by George Orwell.

Lisa Jewell is in the running for Best Book to End a Reading Slump with The Family Remains (Century) alongside Oyinkan Braithwaite for My Sister The Serial Killer (Atlantic Books), Dolly Alderton with Everything I know About Love (Fig Tree) and Alex Michaelides for The Silent Patient (Orion). 

Shortlisted in the Best Book I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time are Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (Penguin), Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman (Hodder Children’s Books), Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber) and Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking).

James Stafford, general manager, operations and marketing, TikTok UK and Nordics, said: "We would like to congratulate all of the authors, books, independent bookshops and creators who have made the shortlist for the inaugural TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland. This list is a true celebration of the variety of literature that resonates with the TikTok community and we look forward to seeing who they vote for as their winners.

"We see the power of #BookTok every day on TikTok, but this impact can also be felt in bookshops across the country. Which is why we are thrilled to be working with Bookshop.org; connecting the TikTok community with bookshops on their local high streets as well as in app."

Mark Thornton, bookshop partnership manager at Bookshop.org UK, said: “Independent booksellers are natural influencers, creating buzz around titles and building a community of book-lovers that help foster a lifetime love of reading. We are proud to partner with TikTok for the inaugural TikTok Book Awards, which similarly recognise and celebrate the community of book-lovers on the TikTok platform.

“Giving indies the opportunity to harness the power of TikTok to reach broader audiences, while experimenting, learning and innovating, is in line with our mission to support independent bookshops to be competitive in the world of e-commerce. We are delighted to be acting as a connector between TikTok and indie booksellers, and to give them the chance to take part in this exciting moment for the book world. Huge congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and creators!”