The second annual TikTok Book Awards UK & Ireland saw the social media platform’s users vote for their favorite authors, books, and bookshops over the past year. Lisa Jewell and Rebecca Yarros emerged as the big winners at the ceremony held at the Sea Containers Hotel on the South Bank.
56-year-old writer Jewell won Book of the Year (UK & Ireland) for her 21st novel ‘None of This is True.’ The bestselling crime novel follows a podcaster who becomes entangled in the dark and complex life of a woman she agrees to interview. Jewell, who has been publishing novels since her debut bestseller ‘Ralph’s Party’ in 1999, was effusive in her acceptance speech. “Nobody could have predicted that BookTok was what the publishing industry needed – it was a huge shot of adrenalin,” she said. “BookTok has given me readers that I would never have had access to otherwise. It’s got me a New York Times number one best seller. I love #BookTok and I want to thank everyone in the BookTok community who has voted for me. I am so proud and honored.”
Rebecca Yarros, the winner of Book of the Year (International) for her massively successful fantasy novel ‘Fourth Wing,’ shared her gratitude: “I’m so grateful that Fourth Wing has been chosen as Book of the Year (International). It has been a wild ride, and none of it would have happened without TikTok. Huge love to the BookTok community, and my UK publishing team!” ‘Fourth Wing,’ the first installment in Yarros’ Empyrean series, skyrocketed to the top of book charts largely due to its popularity on BookTok. Hashtags related to Yarros and the book have garnered over a billion views on the platform, and she has been credited with revitalizing the romantasy genre. A 600-page sequel, ‘Iron Flame,’ was released in November, just half a year after the original 500-page novel came out, and Amazon is already working on a TV adaptation.
The Awards are voted for by the community on the social media platform. Nominees are first selected by a panel of industry experts. This year’s panel included TikTok creators Jack Edwards and previous winner Eden Victoria, CEO of the Publishers Association Dan Conway, Editor of The Bookseller Philip Jones, Black British Book Festival CEO & Founder Selina Brown, and renowned authors Samantha Shannon and Sara Cox. Over 82,000 people cast their votes for the final winners, selecting Jewell and Yarros for the top two prizes.
In other categories, British novelist Talia Hibbert won BookTok Breakthrough Author. Hibbert began self-publishing her novels in 2017, releasing 10 books within her first year. She’s best known for ‘Get a Life, Chloe Brown,’ the first novel she released through a traditional publisher in 2019. Winner of Indie Bookshop of the Year was The Bookshop by the Sea in Aberystwyth, Wales. “This could not be further away from my tiny bookshop in rural Wales,” Freya Blyth, the shop’s owner said at the ceremony. “Bookshops are a way of keeping our communities alive, helping people to find each other and find book friends. Thank you to everyone on TikTok who’s voted.”
