Reservoir 13

McGregor’s dazzling novel about a missing girl, Reservoir 13, was his first with Fourth Estate, which acquired the book after his editor, Helen Garnons-Williams, joined the company from Bloomsbury. The publisher was determined that the novel would be an “event publication” rather than a “quiet literary success”, and started by reaching out to authors, bloggers and influencers. McGregor took centre stage at HarperCollins’ Independent Booksellers event and was interviewed by the Guardian and “Open Book”, his publisher also sold signed and customised hardbacks directly from its own website.

The coup de grâce was, however, when Radio 4 commissioned McGregor to write a series of 15 short stories based on the novel, to be broadcast in the autumn. The “Reservoir Tapes” ensured that the publicity—and sales—rolled on throughout the year. Garnons-Williams said: “We wanted to give Reservoir 13 the stellar publication it deserved, to enter it for every possible prize and really break Jon out to a wider market.”

The Fiction Book of the Year judges believed that Fourth Estate achieved its aims, saying: “They set out exactly what they wanted to do: bring his work to a wider readership, reverse his declining sales and win a major prize. McGregor was sliding towards the midlist and they have pushed him back up.”