Digital Spy's publisher Hearst UK has revealed the shortlist for its Big Book Awards 2019, highlighting the finest new or emerging fiction and non-fiction titles in UK publishing.
Big Book is an awards scheme and endorsement campaign in its second year, with winning authors in 2018 including Adam Kay, Juno Dawson and Jasmine Hemsley. Digital Spy is this year joined by sister titles Best, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, Prima, Red and Women's Health in bringing you their best new reads.
For the 2019 awards, each of the magazines and websites taking part has its own shortlist of books – ranging from beautifully illustrated children's literature to in-depth, immersive long reads – one of which will be named that brand's Book of the Year.
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The Big Book Awards winners, as chosen by a combination of magazine editors, industry experts and Hearst's readers, will be announced later this summer. But for now, without further ado, the shortlists are…
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Pure by Rose Cartwright
Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech
(Orenda Books)
A radio host takes a call from a man who claims to have vital evidence in an unsolved murder case.
The Madonna of Bolton by Matt Cain
(Unbound)
Charlie's love of Madonna and her music gets him through tough times in this moving coming-of-age story.
How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne
(Hodder & Stoughton)
Best-selling writer Tori confronts her fear of missing out in this exploration of love and friendship.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
Orchid & the Wasp by Caoilinn Hughes
(Oneworld Publications)
When her family falls apart after her father walks out, Gael sets off for London and New York determined to build a life-raft for her loved ones – and game the system.
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
(Corvus)
Ayesha, a teacher who dreams of being a performance poet, finds herself attracted to straightforward Khalid in this Pride and Prejudice-inspired romance.
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
(Zaffre)
A pregnant 17-year-old and her midwife's lives become intertwined during the 17th century Pendle witch trials.
When All is Said by Anne Griffin
(Sceptre)
Maurice is 84 years old and ready to tell his story, as he remembers the five people who still mean the most to him.
The Garden of Lost and Found by Harriet Evans
(Headline Review)
Juliet is given the key to her family's ancestral home – and a century-old family secret.
Manchester Happened by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
(Oneworld)
This short story collection from the award-winning author of Kintu explores the journeys of Ugandans who choose to make England their home.
Testament by Kim Sherwood
(Quercus Publishing)
A novel in which Eva uncovers the deepest secrets of her late grandfather, who endured the horrors of the Holocaust before coming to England as a refugee.
The Last Landlady by Laura Thompson
(Unbound)
A memoir about Laura's grandmother Violet, the first woman in England to be given a publican's licence in her own name.
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames
(Hodder & Stoughton)
Stella Fortuna has somehow managed to escape death time and again – but how? The answer may lie in some deep-buried, dark family secrets...
Love Will Tear Us Apart by Holly Seddon
(Atlantic Books)
Childhood friends Kate and Paul made a pact to marry at 30 if they were still single. Ten years of marriage later, they discover that love is more complex and precarious than they ever imagined.
Her Last Promise by Kathryn Hughes
(Headline Publishing Group)
Years after losing her mother, Tara discovers someone has left her a key to a safe deposit box – and its contents will change everything she thought she knew.
A History of the World in 21 Women by Jenni Murray
(Oneworld Publications)
History as told through the lives of pioneering women, from Joan of Arc to Frida Kahlo.
In Search of Silence by Poorna Bell
(Simon & Schuster UK)
Following the death of her husband, Poorna asks questions about expectation, happiness, sadness and self-worth in this personal and raw memoir.
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
(Bloomsbury Publishing)
This dystopian debut novel has been compared to The Handmaid's Tale and takes a sharp look at class, race, gender and capitalism.
Alphabet Street by Jonathan Emmett (illustrated by Ingela Peterson Arrhenius)
(Nosy Crow)
An interactive fold-out, lift-the-flap book with lots for young children to discover.
I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree by Fiona Waters (illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon)
(Nosy Crow)
A collection of poems celebrating the natural world – one for each day of the year.
My Pet Star by Corrinne Averiss (illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw)
(Orchard Books)
A little girl looks out for a lost star in this heartfelt tale about caring for others.
Swimming Against the Storm by Jess Butterworth
(Orion)
Two sisters go in search of a dangerous, legendary creature as they fight to save their Louisiana home from rising sea levels.
You Got This by Bryony Gordon
(Wren & Rook)
In this guide to being true to yourself, Bryony shares the life lessons she wishes she'd learned growing up.
The Dog Runner by Bren Macdibble
(Old Barn Books)
Climate change has wreaked havoc on Ella and Emery's home in this timely novel set in a dystopian, future version of Australia.
Vagina: A Re-Education by Lynn Enright
(Atlantic Books)
Lynn shares her personal stories to provide her audience with the information they need about their own bodies, as well as tackling social taboos about sexuality and reproduction.
Gene Eating: The Science of Obesity and the Truth About Diets by Dr Giles Yeo
(Orion Publishing Co)
Dr Yeo explores the human appetite and our relationship with food to empower readers to establish healthy eating practices in this 'anti-diet' diet book.
How to Come Alive Again by Beth McColl
(Unbound)
In this practical guide for anyone who has experienced difficulties with their mental health, Beth shares what has – and hasn't – worked for her, and what she wishes she'd known from the start.
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Kate (they/she) is a freelance writer, editor, digital editorial trainer and data technician who first joined Digital Spy as an overnight freelance sub-editor in January 2011, after studying a postgraduate diploma in journalism at Salford University while working part-time as a social researcher.
In July 2013, Kate joined the DS staff team as chief sub-editor and following six years as the site's managing editor, their role expanded to incorporate Hearst UK's entertainment portfolio (including Digital Spy and its sibling titles Best and Inside Soap) between late 2024 and early 2026.
Kate has worked as a writer and editor since 2006, with bylines syndicated across the Hearst network and at organisations including Metro. They started their career as a TV production runner for the BBC and contributed to various music websites, blogs and zines while based in Manchester.
During her time at DS, Kate has previously been a freelance sub-editor and chief sub-editor.
Kate's team at Digital Spy were proudly nominated in the Best Subbing/Production Team category at the BSME Talent Awards 2022. Over the years, she has contributed to coverage of many, many Prime Days and Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and was part of the team that launched the DS weekly TV newsletter in November 2019 – followed by the Top of the Shops e-commerce newsletter in May 2024.
Kate's screen passions include Taskmaster (their biggest career regret remains turning down the opportunity to visit the house), nature documentaries, and live sport (up there with the greatest of all soap operas although if asked to choose, it's Corrie… every time).
Her highlights while working at DS have included interviewing Stevie Nicks on the red carpet for her documentary In Your Dreams, sitting at a press roundtable with Formula 1 commentary icon Murray Walker, watching a life-sized LEGO car being driven around Silverstone, writing an album-by-album retrospective of Lady Gaga's genre-defying career for Living Legends, and raising awareness of receiving and understanding a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis through the lens of Bianca and Freddie's EastEnders storyline.
Upon remembering to log off the internet, Kate enjoys live theatre, dance and comedy, appreciating nature, baking (badly), tending a recently-rented allotment (equally badly) and pampering one very spoiled rescue cat named Jolene.
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