Specsavers Book Awards 2012

EL James's Fifty Shades of Grey has been named Popular Fiction Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards in London. The erotic novel is the first of a trilogy which has sold over 60 million copies worldwide.  Lee Child won the Crime Book of the Year award for his novel A Wanted Man, the 17^th Jack Reacher novel. Comedian Miranda Hart was awarded the non-fiction prize for Is It Just Me, in which she shares embarrassing stories from her life and provide a Miran-ual for life.  Sports broadcaster Claire Balding took home the Biography of the Year award for her book My Animals and Other Family, a sensitive and humourous memoir about growing up amid animals and an eccentric family. The newly trim Hairy Bikers, Si King and Dave Myers, won the Food and Drink Book of the Year award for The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight a book of  tasty recipes that are low in calories and big on flavour.  Little Britain star David Walliams won the Children's Book of the Year category for his book Ratburger, a hilarious, action-packed and touching novel about a little girl called Zoe. The New Writer of the Year award went to the Booker-nominated Rachel Joyce, for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. This year's Booker Prize winner, Hilary Mantel, was chosen as the UK author of the year for a second time.  US author Eowyn Ivey was named International Author of the Year for her book, The Snow Child, about an Alaskan couple who sculpt a child out of snow. The Outstanding Achievement award went to crime writer Ian Rankin for his contribution to literature.  The public are now invited to vote online for the Specsavers Book of the Year, the nominees of which comprise the winners of all ten categories.  Click on http://www.nationalbookawards.co.uk/book-of-the-year-vote/ to vote. The final result will be announced on 26th December. Previous winners have included One Day by David Nicholls and Caitlin Moran’s How To Be A Woman.