Hessel's The Story of Art Without Men named Waterstones Book of the Year

Katy Hessel’s The Story of Art Without Men (Hutchinson Heinemann) has been named as Waterstones Book of the Year for 2022 while Bonnie Garmus, who wrote Lessons in Chemistry (Doubleday) was crowned Author of the Year and Skandar and the Unicorn Thief (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) by A F Steadman was awarded Children’s Book of the Year. 

Every year Waterstones booksellers vote for the books they have most enjoyed recommending to their customers, but this year the bookseller said “this year’s excellent publishing, and outstanding bookseller enthusiasm for all three titles has resulted in the selection of three exceptional winners”.

Kate Skipper, chief operating officer, said: “Our booksellers championed The Story of Art without Men from the start. It is a must-have for any book-lover’s shelf: as essential as it is enjoyable. Written with wit and ease, the resulting book, packed full of beautiful illustrations, can be devoured in one sitting or dipped into at a whim. This is a book which will be prized for years to come; a feast for the senses, as well as the mind.” 

Hessel is an art historian, presenter and curator dedicated to celebrating female artists. Seven years ago, after visiting an art fair, she realised that she struggled to name even 20 women artists off the top of her head, and as a result she founded @thegreatwomenartists and the podcast of the same name, which became the book. It has currently sold 12,919 copies for just under £350,000 via Nielsen BookScan. 

Author of the Year Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who has worked widely in the fields of technology, medicine and education. Her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was hailed by the retailer as “an uplifting and heart-breaking love letter to science which also paints a vivid portrait of 1950s America and what it meant to be a woman at that time”. 

Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of fiction, said: “We are delighted to name Bonnie Garmus Waterstones Author of the Year in recognition of the astronomical success of her wonderful debut novel Lessons in Chemistry.  Bonnie has written that rare novel which readers of all tastes will adore: funny yet furious, uplifting yet heart-breaking, it is a deft slice of social history, and a triumphant testament to the craft of fiction writing which underlines how powerful and joyful the genre can be. It has been our greatest pleasure to recommend Lessons in Chemistry to Waterstones customers this year, and we cannot wait to see what this exciting, boundary pushing author does next.” 

Children’s Book of the Year 2022, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, is the first book in a series for book-lovers aged 8+ by Steadman. Waterstones said it “invites readers into a perfectly crafted, truly immersive world, steeped in fantastical settings, elemental magic and a captivating mystery”. 

Florentyna Martin, Waterstones head of children’s, said: “Skandar and the Unicorn Thief has been enthusiastically embraced by our booksellers, who have championed A F Steadman’s lively and original debut from day one. Her fierce unicorn creations and impressive combinations of elemental magic, successfully play with readers’ expectations of the traditional fantasy adventure, shaking up the next wave of storytelling.”