The Paddy Power and Total Politics Political Book Awards seek to recognise the very best in political writing and publishing. Winners across nine categories were chosen by our panels of political celebrity judges with prizes kindly donated by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC.
See below for a full list of shortlisted books and winners.
The Political Book of the Year will be awarded to the book deemed to have been the most impressive political book published in the past year, or that which has had the most overall impact on politics, political thought and/or political debate. The book will have been widely read, discussed, and will have made a significant contribution to British political debate this year. It will be original and have broken new ground in the field of political writing. It will be superbly written, thoroughly researched, accessible, engaging and enthusiastic. There is a prize of £10,000 for the winner of this award, kindly donated by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC.
Conservative MP
Broadcaster
International businessman, philanthropist and politician
Political Journalist
Former Labour MP
Classicist
The Debut Political Book of the Year Award will be presented to author of the book judged to have been the most impressive debut by an author of any age. The book will be the first to have been published by the author, and will be well written, clear, show a natural flair for political writing and demonstrate personality and skill. The author will have brought a fresh perspective and expertise to the subject at hand, and illustrate the potential for further political writing in the future. There is a prize of £3,000 for the winner of this award, kindly donated by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC.
Former Home Secretary
Political Editor, Huffpost
Political commentator
The Young Writer of the Year Award will be given to a writer aged 30 or under, when their book was published, who has demonstrated the most impressive ability in the field of political writing, and shown real potential for a future in the arena. The writer will have demonstrated an ability to cover a range of topics and will have made a significant contribution to political debate. Their writing must be well informed and well argued, and demonstrate personality, a clear potential for development in the field of political writing and the potential to cover further political topics in the future. The winner of this Award will be chosen by the Total Politics Awards Committee. There is a prize of £3,000 for the winner of this award, kindly donated by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC.
The Political Biography of the Year Award will be awarded to the author of a biography or autobiography of a political figure which is superbly well written, accessible, appealing, thoroughly researched, and drawing on a number of resources, both primary and secondary. It will be analytical, reflective, contextual, informative, illustrative, balanced and show an enthusiasm for its subject. Ideally it will bring to light previously unknown information about its subject, doing so in a thought-provoking, inspiring manner. It should address the political context surrounding its subject, as well as the subject itself.
Former Shadow Home Secretary
Labour MP
Conservative MP
The Polemic of the Year Award will be presented to the author of a book deemed to have presented the most important case of debate. The book will be a thorough and complete argument of its case and will have sparked discussion, been covered widely, be persuasive, show personality and have the power to bring readers round to its way of thinking. Ideally it will have covered previously uncharted ground, or presented a familiar issue in a fresh light. The book should strike a balance between being informative and sustaining its line of argument.
Writer and commentator
Freedom of Information campaigner
Chief Political Commentator, Independent on Sunday
Former Labour MP
The Political History Book of the Year Award will be presented to the author of a book judged to have delivered the most impressive piece of political historical writing in the last year. The book can cover any period of history and will clearly demonstrate the political significance of the time in question. The account will be analytical, informative, thoroughly researched, well-written, accessible and appealing. Ideally it would bring to light fresh information on the period it covers, or display an original format. It will show expertise and above all enthusiasm.
Professor of Contemporary History
Editor, Journal of Liberal History
Historian, author and politician
Labour MP, historian and broadcaster
International businessman, philanthropist and politician
Conservative MP and military historian
The International Affairs Book of the Year Award will be awarded to the author of a book which has most comprehensively addressed the international issues of any region, whether these be the topics already dominating the agenda or those lesser known. The book will have addressed its subject in an accessible format, and brought to wider attention the issues under discussion. It should demonstrate expertise, fresh perspective, forward thinking and a comprehensive analysis of the matter at hand, and will be a valuable contribution to the current body of literature on international affairs.
Foreign Correspondent, Daily Mail
London Correspondent, TIME Magazine
Lib Dem MP and former party leader
Sky News
The Political Process Book of the Year Award will be given to author of a book which has analysed, explained and made accessible the structures and processes of politics, either current or past. It will be well written, clear, analytical, contextual, timely and thoroughly researched, drawing on a number of sources. It will have brought the finer details of the political process to wider attention and shown an enthusiasm for its subject, striking a balance between informing, analysing and sustaining a line of argument.
Political scientist
Former Home Secretary
Chief Political Columnist, The Independent
Journalist, author and broadcaster
The Political Humour/Satire Book of the Year Award will be presented to the author of most witty and/or intelligently satirical political book of the year. The book should be able to raise a smile whilst also conveying a serious and thought-provoking political message. It will be original, entertaining and above all it will make the judges and the reader laugh. It should cover a subject that the reader can identify with, and make the issue at hand more accessible through wit, without demeaning it.
Cartoonist and novelist
Journalist and theatre critic
Actor, writer and impressionist
The Political Fiction Book of the Year Award will be given to the author of a book which is gripping, engaging and well written. The book will be original, or have provided a fresh twist to the existing political fiction market. It should be relatable to current political issues as well as thought-provoking and entertaining. It should convey a strong political message to the reader, and above all should draw the reader in and be a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Journalist and broadcaster
Founder of BritainThinks
Former Conservative MP
Journalist and broadcaster
Columnist and journalist
The Lifetime Achievement Award in Political Literature will be presented to an author with sustained influence and popularity in the field of political literature over a significant period of time. Their published works will have covered a range of topics and they will have made a significant contribution to global political debate. They should be a respected and well recognised figure in the field, and have broken new ground in political writing. They must have demonstrated a sustained commitment to and enthusiasm for political writing.
6 February 2013
The Day Parliament Burned Down by Caroline Shenton, published by OUP, won the Political Book of the Year tonight, at the inaugural Paddy Power and Total Politics Political Book Awards. The glittering ceremony, hosted by author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, and held at the BFI IMAX, was attended by a select audience of authors, publishers and politicians. A cheque for £10,000 was donated and presented to the winning author by Lord Ashcroft, KCMG PC. The book was up against fierce competition in a category which included Live from Downing Street by Nick Robinson (Bantam Press), The Burden of Power by Alastair Campbell (Hutchinson), Education, Education, Education by Andrew Adonis (Biteback Publishing), Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Profile Books), Britain’s Quest for a Role by David Hannay (I.B. Tauris), Ever the Diplomat by Sherard Cowper-Coles (HarperPress), Everybody Matters by Mary Robinson (Hodder & Stoughton) , A History of the World by Andrew Marr (Macmillan) and The Politics of Coalition by Robert Hazell and Ben Yong (Hart Publishing). However, in spite of all the impressive entrants on the shortlist, the judges for this category – Lord Ashcroft, Professor Mary Beard, Chris Mullin, Keith Simpson MP, Carolyn Quinn and Adam Boulton – reached a unanimous decision when they met to choose the winner. Mary Beard described the book as ‘microhistory at its absolute best’.
Lord Ashcroft also donated money for two other prizes; Patrick Kennedy, CEO of chief award sponsor Paddy Power, presented a cheque for £3,000 to Ian Cobain, author of Cruel Britannia: A Secret History of Torture (Portobello Books), which won the Debut Political Book of the Year.
Owen Jones, an author and columnist on The Independent, won the award for Young Writer of the Year and received his cheque from former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips.
There was strong competition for the Political Biography of the Year. The shortlist included The Burden of Power by Alastair Campbell (Hutchinson), Last Man Standing by Jack Straw (Macmillan), Nancy: The Story of Lady Astor by Adrian Fort (Jonathan Cape), Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Ray Monk (Jonathan Cape), A Kick against the Pricks: The Autobiography by David Norris (Transworld Ireland) and Events, Dear Boy, Events by Ruth Winstone (Profile Books). The award was won by Muckraker: The Scandalous Life and Times of W. T. Stead by W. Sydney Robinson (The Robson Press), who received his award from Ann Widdecombe, one of the category judges. This is his first book.
Ian McEwan’s novel, Sweet Tooth (Jonathan Cape), won Political Fiction Book of the Year, which was presented by Alastair Campbell, one of the judges for that award.
The Political Humour/Satire category was won by The Best of Matt 2012 (Orion). Telegraph cartoonist Matthew Pritchett received his award from Margaret Thatcher impersonator Steve Nallon, who entertained guests at the ceremony with his fantastic performance as the former Prime Minister.
Writer and campaigner Jemima Khan presented the award for International Affairs Book of the Year, which was won by Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Profile Books).
Polemic of the Year went to You Can’t Read This Book by Nick Cohen (Fourth Estate) and was presented by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, a commentator and journalist on The Independent.
Lady Antonia Fraser presented Christopher Duggan, author of Fascist Voices (Bodley Head), with the award for Political History Book of the Year.
Television presenter Peter Snow presented the award for Political Process Book of the Year. The award was won by Ever the Diplomat by Sherard Cowper-Coles (HarperPress).
The award for Lifetime Achievement in Political Literature went to former MP and Cabinet minister Tony Benn for his outstanding contribution to politics and political writing. It was presented by Chris Mullin and a short film documenting his life, courtesy of Praslin Pictures, was shown beforehand.
Patrick Kennedy, CEO of Paddy Power, said:
These awards celebrate the insight, wit and, in many cases, downright bravery of political authors who bring so much to the political debate. Our aim in this area has always been to spark debate and get people talking, as well as bringing a bit of fun to affairs of state, and we hope that the Paddy Power and Total Politics Political Book Awards will do just that on the UK political scene.
Iain Dale, the brains behind the awards, said, ’These awards celebrate the fantastic breadth of political writing in the UK today. We hope that they will encourage more people both to write and read political literature, and that they will become an annual event in the publishing awards calendar.
The Day Parliament Burned Down by Caroline Shenton (OUP) (winner)
A History of the World by Andrew Marr (Macmillan)
Education, Education, Education by Andrew Adonis (Biteback Publishing)
Ever the Diplomat by Sherard Cowper-Coles (HarperPress)
Everybody Matters by Mary Robinson (Hodder & Stoughton)
Live From Downing Street by Nick Robinson (Bantam Press)
The Burden of Power by Alastair Campbell (Hutchinson)
The Politics of Coalition by Robert Hazell and Ben Yong (Hart Publishing)
Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Profile Books)
Britain’s Quest for a Role by David Hannay (I. B. Tauris)
Cruel Britannia by Ian Cobain (Portobello Books)
Bloody Nasty People by Daniel Trilling (Verso Books)
Everybody Matters by Mary Robinson (Hodder & Stoughton)
Half A Wife by Gaby Hinsliff (Chatto & Windus)
Live From Downing Street by Nick Robinson (Bantam Press)
Revolution 2.0 by Wael Ghonim (Fourth Estate)
The Young Atheist’s Handbook by Alom Shaha (Biteback Publishing)
Muckraker: The Scandalous Life and Times of W. T. Stead by W. Sydney Robinson (The Robson Press)
Events, Dear Boy, Events by Ruth Winstone (Profile Books)
Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Ray Monk (Jonathan Cape)
Last Man Standing by Jack Straw (Macmillan)
Nancy: The Story of Lady Astor by Adrian Fort (Jonathan Cape)
The Burden of Power by Alastair Campbell (Hutchinson)
A Kick Against the Pricks by David Norris (Transworld Ireland)
You Can’t Read This Book by Nick Cohen (Fourth Estate)
A Doomed Marriage: Britain and Europe by Daniel Hannan (Notting Hill Editions)
Arguing for Independence by Stephen Maxwell (Luath Press)
Britain for Sale by Alex Brummer (Cornerstone)
Defending Politics by Matthew Flinders (OUP)
Drugs – Without the Hot Air by David Nutt (UIT Cambridge)
Education, Education, Education by Andrew Adonis (Biteback Publishing)
The End of Politics by Douglas Carswell (Biteback Publishing)
The Geek Manifesto by Mark Henderson (Bantam Press)
The New Few by Ferdinand Mount (Simon & Schuster)
Fascist Voices by Christopher Duggan (Bodley Head)
The Day Parliament Burned Down by Caroline Shenton (OUP)
Real Britannia by Colin Brown (Oneworld Publications)
The Liberal Unionist Party: A History by Ian Cawood (I.B. Tauris)
The Road Not Taken by Frank McLynn (Bodley Head)
The Unlikely Warriors by Richard Baxell (Aurum Press)
A History of the World by Andrew Marr (Macmillan)
Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Profile Books)
Gang of One by Gary Mulgrew (Hodder & Stoughton)
Is China Buying the World? by Peter Nolan (Polity Press)
Mullahs Without Mercy by Geoffrey Robertson (Biteback Publishing)
No Worse Enemy by Ben Anderson (Oneworld Publications)
Nuclear Iran by David Patrikarakos (I.B. Tauris)
On the Front Line by Marie Colvin (HarperPress)
The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the Struggle for Russia by Angus Roxburgh (I.B. Tauris)
Tiger Head, Snake Tails by Jonathan Fenby (Simon & Schuster)
Britain’s Quest for a Role by David Hannay (I. B. Tauris)
Ever the Diplomat by Sherard Cowper-Coles (HarperPress)
Britain Unchained by Kwasi Kwarteng, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, Chris Skidmore, Elizabeth Truss (Palgrave Macmillan)
Lessons from the Top by Gavin Esler (Profile Books)
Philip Gould: An Unfinished Life by Dennis Kavanagh (Palgrave Macmillan)
Stumbling Over Truth by Kevin Marsh (Biteback Publishing)
The Politics of Coalition by Robert Hazell and Ben Yong (Hart Publishing)
The Best of Matt 2012 by Matthew Pritchett (Orion)
Ban This Filth! by Ben Thompson (Faber & Faber)
Eminent Elizabethans by Piers Brendon (Jonathan Cape)
House of Fun by Simon Hoggart (Guardian Books)
Is That Mic Off? by Phil Mason and Matthew Parris (The Robson Press)
The Spanish Ambassador’s Suitcase by Matthew Parris and Andrew Bryson (Viking)
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape)
Pawn’s Gambit by Harry Armstrong (Arena Books)
Skagboys by Irvine Welsh (Jonathan Cape)
The Geneva Trap by Stella Rimington (Bloomsbury)
A Sentimental Traitor by Michael Dobbs (Simon & Schuster)
30 January 2013
David Thompson of the Daily Politics spoke to Political Book Award judges, Adam Boulton, Tristram Hunt and Heather Brooke, about what makes a good and bad political book, and why those who get to the top of politics don’t necessarily write the best political books…
29 January 2013
7pm – Doors open; drinks reception where canapés will be served
8pm – Ceremony (inside auditorium, first 3 rows reserved for shortlisted authors)
9.15pm – Post-awards party; drinks and bowl food to be served
Please be aware that tickets are not being dispatched for the event. There will be a guest list on the door.
9 January 2013
Political heavyweights Alastair Campbell, Jack Straw, Andrew Adonis, Mary Robinson and Daniel Hannan join BBC journalists Nick Robinson, Andrew Marr and Gavin Esler on the shortlists for the inaugural Paddy Power and Total Politics Political Book Awards, which have been set up to celebrate and reward excellence across all areas of political publishing.
Live from Downing Street by Nick Robinson (Bantam Press) and A History of the World by Andrew Marr (Macmillan) are competing for Political Book of the Year against The Burden of Power by Alastair Campbell (Hutchinson), Education, Education, Education by Andrew Adonis (Biteback), The Day Parliament Burned Down by Caroline Shelton (OUP), Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Profile Books), Britain’s Quest for a Role by David Hannay (I.B. Tauris), Ever the Diplomat by Sherard Cowper-Coles (HarperPress), Everybody Matters by Mary Robinson (Hodder & Stoughton) and The Politics of Coalition by Robert Hazell and Ben Yong (Hart Publishing). The winner of the Political Book of the Year will receive £10,000.
There is a cheque for £3,000 for the winner of the Debut Political Book of the Year, and both Mary Robinson and Nick Robinson are also shortlisted in this category. Other contenders include Half A Wife by Gaby Hinsliff (Chatto & Windus), Revolution 2.0 by Wael Ghonim (Fourth Estate), Cruel Britannia by Ian Cobain (Portobello Books), Bloody Nasty People by Daniel Trilling (Verso Books) and The Young Atheist’s Handbook by Alom Shaha (Biteback).
£3,000 will also be awarded to the Young Political Writer of the Year, an author under the age of 30 at the time their book was published.
The awards cover a wide range of subjects within the political sphere, with prize money generously donated by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC and sponsor Paddy Power. Other categories include Political Biography of the Year, Polemic of the Year, Political History Book of the Year, International Affairs Book of the Year, Political Process Book of the Year, Political Humour/Satire Book of the Year, Political Fiction Book of the Year, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Political Literature. A total of 68 books have been shortlisted across the nine categories.
A spokesperson for Paddy Power said: ‘All too often, brilliant and insightful political writing goes uncelebrated – until now, we hope. We couldn’t have asked for a more stellar line-up: Campbell, Straw, Adonis, Robinson, Carswell, Marr, Esler – it’s got more flair and zing than a Barcelona midfield.’
Publisher of Total Politics Iain Dale said: ‘I’m delighted that we’ve had so many submissions to the Political Book Awards. The calibre of judges and shortlisted authors in this inaugural year has been truly remarkable, and we’re looking forward to continuing the trend for many years to come.’
The judging panels are made up of leading political figures including Adam Boulton, Alastair Campbell, Ann Widdecombe, Charles Clarke, Tristram Hunt, Rory Stewart, Carolyn Quinn, Chris Mullin, Dame Ann Leslie, Mary Beard and Jacqui Smith. The awards will be presented at a star-studded ceremony at the BFI IMAX cinema on Wednesday 6 February 2013.
www.politicalbookawards.com
@PolBookAwards
#PBAwards
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or katy.scholes@totalpolitics.com
Tel: 020 7091 1260
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