The judging panels for the 2004 Whitbread Book Awards were announced today and include writer, broadcaster and former Cabinet Minister Roy Hattersley; authors Jenny Colgan, Amanda Craig, Kevin Crossley-Holland and Joanne Harris; poet and author Lavinia Greenlaw and ITV news presenter Katie Derham.
The full panels are listed below:
Whitbread First Novel Award
· Caroline Gascoigne: Literary Editor, Sunday Times
· Joanne Harris: Author
· Robert Palmer: Formerly Product Manager, Foyles
Whitbread Novel Award
· Toby Bourne: Buyer, Books – ASDA
· Jenny Colgan: Writer
· Amanda Craig: Author
Whitbread Biography Award
· Claire Armitstead: Literary Editor, The Guardian
· Roy Hattersley: Writer and Broadcaster
· Mary James: Aldeburgh Bookshop
Whitbread Poetry Award
· Philip Bell: Blackwell’s Oxford
· Lavinia Greenlaw: Poet and Author
· Luke Leitch: Arts Correspondent, Evening Standard
Whitbread Children’s Book Award
· Kevin Crossley-Holland: Author
· Katie Derham: ITV News Presenter
· Lizo Mzimba: CBBC Newsround Presenter
· Sharon Sperling: Vice-Chair, CILIP Youth Libraries Group
· Two young judges selected through a Presspackers’ competition run on CBBC’s Newsround
The judges’ task is now to read through the total of 450 books entered for this year’s Whitbread Book Awards - the second highest number of entries ever. They will then select shortlists and winners in their respective categories (First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book) and the five award winners will form the shortlist for the 2004 Whitbread Book of the Year, which will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Brewery, central London on January 25, 2005.
Now in its 34th year, the Whitbread is one of the UK’s most prestigious book prizes with a total prize fund of £50,000. Last year’s Whitbread Book of the Year was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, which has since become a major bestseller, selling over a million copies worldwide since its publication in paperback.
For more information on the Whitbread Book Awards please visit www.whitbreadbookawards.co.uk
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Notes for Editors:
1. The Whitbread Book Awards, which were established in 1971, aim to encourage, promote and celebrate the best contemporary British writing.
2. To be eligible for the 2004 Awards, books must have been first published in the UK or Ireland between 1 November 2003 and 31 October 2004.
3. Since the introduction of the Whitbread Book of the Year award in 1985, it has been won six times by a Novel, three times by a First Novel, four times by a Biography, five times by a collection of Poetry and once by a children’s book.
About Whitbread PLC:
Whitbread PLC is the UK's leading leisure business, managing some of the UK's strongest brands in hotels, restaurants and racquets, health and fitness clubs. Our 67,000 employees serve millions of customers each month at around 2,000 locations across the UK.
Our brands include Premier Travel Inn, Marriott (UK), Brewers Fayre, Brewsters, Beefeater, Pizza Hut (UK), Costa, T.G.I. Friday's and David Lloyd Leisure.
The company creates value for shareholders by focusing on growth in expanding sectors of the leisure market. In the financial year to March 4, 2004, Whitbread generated pre-tax, pre-exceptional profit of £240.8m on sales of more than £1.8bn.
Founded in 1742, the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (as WTB.L) and is a member of the FTSE 100 and FTSE4Good indices.
Further information is available from www.whitbread.co.uk .
