Sara Cox has named the eight finalists for the new Radio 2 Book Club Award 2026. Discover which books made the shortlist before the winner is crowned at The British Book Awards this May
Sara Cox revealed the inaugural Radio 2 Book Club Award shortlist(Image: WireImage)
Broadcaster Sara Cox has officially revealed the shortlist for the inaugural Radio 2 Book Club Award, a brand-new literary prize launched in partnership with The British Book Awards.
The announcement marks the first time the station’s long-standing book club has teamed up with the industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony, often referred to as ‘The Nibbies’.
The eight-book shortlist represents the very best of the titles featured on the Radio 2 Book Club throughout 2025. Curated with the help of librarians from across the United Kingdom, the list spans a diverse range of genres, from gripping historical mysteries and high-concept thrillers to poignant contemporary fiction.
Roisin O’Donnell’s Nesting is one of the shortlisted titles(Image: Waterstones)
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Among the titles vying for the trophy is The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, alongside Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest work, Atmosphere. Also making the cut is the widely acclaimed Katabasis by RF Kuang and Asia Mackay’s A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage.
The selection is rounded out by Ross Montgomery’s The Murder at World’s End , Roisin O’Donnell’s Nesting, Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s The Art of a Lie, and Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis.
Speaking about the launch with The Bookseller, Cox shared her enthusiasm for the new initiative. Cox said: “I’m chuffed to bits to be launching the Radio 2 Book Club Award.
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“As an author myself, I know how important British Book Awards are to the whole industry – so to have our own award as part of the night feels very special. We feature so many brilliant books on the podcast, so I hope this recognition will help them find new readers.”
The final decision now rests with a specially convened judging panel. This group features four librarians, providing representation for each nation of the UK, alongside Radio 2 producers, a representative from the Reading Agency, and Cox herself in her capacity as the host of the Radio 2 Book Club podcast.
The winner is set to be crowned on 11th May at a star-studded ceremony held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London. Beyond the prestige of the British Book Award trophy, the winning author will also be invited to appear as a special guest on the Radio 2 Book Club Podcast to discuss their work in depth.
By bridging the gap between library-led curation and one of the biggest nights in the publishing calendar, the award aims to further elevate the profile of authors who have captured the imaginations of the Radio 2 audience over the past year.
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