Hyde, Hancock and Nandy make Parliamentary Book Awards shortlists

Books by former health secretary Matt Hancock, shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities Lisa Nandy and journalist Marina Hyde have made the 2022 Parliamentary Book Awards shortlists.

The awards were launched by the Booksellers Association (BA) and the Publishers Association (PA) in 2016 to champion the best of political writing. Books are awarded across three categories and voted for by parliamentarians.  

This year’s shortlists include books on the Covid-19 pandemic, the war against Ukraine, the fall of Boris Johnson, the ups and downs of politics and how we build a country that works.

In the Best Biography, Memoir or Autobiography by a Parliamentarian category, Hancock’s Pandemic Diaries:The inside story of Britain’s battle against Covid (Biteback Publishing) written with Isabel Oakeshott is up against What Are You Doing Here? by Floella Benjamin (Macmillan) and Snakes and Ladders: Navigating the ups and downs of politics by Andrea Leadsom (Biteback Publishing).

For Best Non-Fiction by a Parliamentarian Nandy’s All In: How we build a country that works (HarperNorth) is in the running against In The Shadows: The extraordinary men and women of the Intelligence Corps by Michael Ashcroft (Biteback Publishing) and Leadership: Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy by Simon McDonald (Haus Publishing).

Finally, the Best Political Book by a Non-Parliamentarian shortlist features What Just Happened?! by Marina Hyde (Guardian Faber Publishing), Ghost Signs by Stu Hennigan (Bluemoose Books), Overreach: The inside story of Putin’s war against Ukraine by Owen Matthews (Mudlark) and The Fall of Boris Johnson by Sebastian Payne (Macmillan).

Meryl Halls, managing director of the BA, said: “The Parliamentary Book Awards have become an important fixture in both the parliamentary and book industry calendars. As ever, the booksellers of the country have created strong and diverse shortlists for parliamentarians to vote on to decide the winners. I look forward to the opportunity for booksellers and publishers to mix with parliamentarians that the awards ceremony affords.”

Publishers were invited to nominate titles and authors with booksellers selecting the shortlists. Voting is now open for parliamentarians to decide the winner in each category. The winners will be announced on 22nd February.

Dan Conway, chief executive of the PA, said: “The Parliamentary Book Awards were created to spotlight the best political writing in the UK today and to celebrate the longstanding relationship between politics and publishing. This year’s shortlist provides a diverse look at the political landscape and includes everything from life in post-pandemic Britain and the ongoing war in Ukraine all the way through to visions of shaping the country for the future. I look forward to welcoming parliamentarians, authors, publishers and booksellers to the House of Commons in February to celebrate these important books.”