How does it work?

The Whitbread has five categories – First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book.  For each category there are three judges – generally an author, a bookseller and a journalist.  They select a shortlist of four books, which includes the winner.  The criteria are to select well-written, enjoyable books that they would strongly recommend anyone to read.

A nine-member judging panel, which includes the author from each of the original category judging panel together with a Chairman and three other people in the public eye who love reading, selects one book from these five as overall Whitbread Book of the Year.