Virginia Roberts Giuffre, holding a picture of herself as a teen, exposed Jeffrey Epstein (Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n A devastating memoir by Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accuser is shortlisted for Book of the Year alongside two other explosive titles that shocked readers and helped change public perceptions at the UK\u2019s most prestigious publishing awards. Nobody\u2019s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, by Virginia Roberts Giuffre is among the nominations revealed today for the British Book Awards 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Its US author took her own life aged 41 in April last year. Her memoir, detailing how she was sex trafficked by the billionaire paedophile, became a bestseller after it was published posthumously in October and praised for its courage. Fittingly, also shortlisted in the non-fiction narrative category at the Nibbies is British historian and biographer Andrew Lownie for Entitled:The Rise and Fall of the House Of York, his damning biography of the former prince which helped reveal the depths of his friendship with Epstein.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sarah Wynn-Williams\u2019s whistleblowing account of her time at Facebook, Careless People, joins the two alongside three other titles \u2013 including Ozzy Osbourne\u2019s final memoir, Last Rites. It topped bestseller charts, despite Wynn-Williams being legally restricted from discussing the book.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Read more:<\/strong> From zero to Nero… first-time novelist celebrates prestigious book award <\/a><\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong> Princess Beatrice and Eugenie branded ‘toxic’ in explosive interview <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Nibbies have been the British book trade’s most prestigious awards since 1990 (Image: British Book Awards)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n Lownie told the Express: \u201cI\u2019m honoured that Entitled has been short-listed alongside such important authors. It confirms that books still have an influential role in public life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Described as the \u2018Baftas\u2019 of the British publishing industry, the British Book Awards, supported by the Daily Express, have been the leading awards for the book trade since 1990. Other authors shortlisted for awards this year include Slow Horses creator Mick Herron for author of the year, alongside artist and illustrator Charlie Mackey and Gavin & Stacey star turned novelist Ruth Jones. Philip Pullman is nominated in the fiction and audiobook categories. Kathy Burke and young adult author AF Steadman are also both nominated twice, while comedian Bob Mortimer gains one nomination for the audiobook of his hit novel, The Long Shoe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The bestselling author of domestic thriller The Housemaid, which was adapted into one of last year\u2019s hit films starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, joins five other authors vying for the Crime and Thrillers gong, supported by the Daily Express. US writer Frieda McFadden is up against Richard Osman, Dan Brown and Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall for the British Book Awards\u2019. The other two writers making up the shortlist are Sally Smith and Liz Moore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke (Gallery UK, Simon & Schuster UK)<\/p>\n Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Macmillan, Pan Macmillan)<\/p>\n Entitled by Andrew Lownie (William Collins, HarperCollins)<\/p>\n Last Rites by Ozzy Ozbourne (Sphere, Little, Brown)<\/p>\n Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House UK)<\/p>\n Nobody\u2019s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, co-written by Amy Wallace (Doubleday, Transworld)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Nobody’s Girl was a bestseller (Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n Andrew Lownie launches Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House Of York (Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges: “Reflecting readers\u2019 choices, publishing expertise, bookselling passion and creative excellence, these shortlists demonstrate the power of books to change lives, shape history and inform the future. It was a particularly strong year for debut fiction, narrative non-fiction, graphic novels and fantasy. And, following the loss of beloved authors Jilly Cooper, Sophie Kinsella and Joanna Trollope, I am especially delighted by the range and vitality of the titles on our first-ever Romantic Fiction shortlist.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Other shortlisted titles that give voice to otherwise surpressed narratives, include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie\u2019s bestselling Dream Count nominated for fiction book of the year, Marcia Hutchinson\u2019s portrait of a girl growing up in the 1960s Bradford Windrush generation The Mercy Step, nominated for book of the year \u2013 discover, and Rois\u00edn O’Donnell’s Nesting, shortlisted in debut fiction book of the year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory (HarperFiction)<\/p>\n Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (4th Estate, HarperCollins)<\/p>\n Heart the Lover by Lily King (Canongate)<\/p>\n My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Simon & Schuster UK)<\/p>\n Strange Pictures by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion (Pushkin Vertigo, Pushkin Press)<\/p>\n The Rose Field: The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman (Penguin and David Fickling Books)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Frieda McFadden is shortlisted in the crime and thriller category (Image: Courtesy Poisoned Pen Press)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith (Raven Books, Bloomsbury)<\/p>\n Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall (Penguin Michael Joseph)<\/p>\n The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (The Borough Press, HarperCollins UK)<\/p>\n The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (Viking, Penguin General)<\/p>\n The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Bantam, Transworld)<\/p>\n The Tenant by Freida McFadden (Poisoned Pen Press, Sourcebooks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mick Herron is among nominees for author of the year at the Nibbies (Image: Mike Whorley \/ Harrogate International Festivals)<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n A.F. Steadman (Simon & Schuster Children\u2019s Books)<\/p>\n Charlie Mackesy (Ebury Press, Penguin Random House)<\/p>\n Elif Shafak (Viking, Penguin Random House)<\/p>\n Freida McFadden (Sourcebooks, DK)<\/p>\n Mick Herron (John Murray, Hachette)<\/p>\n Ruth Jones (Bantam, Transworld)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Alice O\u2019Keeffe, head of books for The Bookseller and overall chair of the Books of the Year, said: \u201cFrom fresh new voices to big brand authors, this year\u2019s shortlists celebrate the best books published in 2025. For the very first time, our judges are looking forward to discussing three new categories: Romantic Fiction, Graphic Novels and Science Fiction & Fantasy. In an exceptional year for Non-Fiction Narrative submissions, half the shortlist is made up of books that broke out of the books pages to lead the news agenda, a reminder that these books really matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Winners will be announced on May 11. For full list, visit The Bookseller<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Virginia](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/virginia-holds-a-photo-of-her-younger-self-6784033.jpg?r=1772796094698\" "\\"Virginia")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n![\"Gold](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/Gold-Nibbies-Logo-2026-6784041.jpg?r=1772796094721\" "\\"Gold"){kind=logo}
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\nBook of the Year \u2013 Non-Fiction: Narrative<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n
![\"Nobody's](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/cardiff-wales-the-book-nobodys-girl-by-virginia-roberts-giuffre-on-sale-in-a-bookshop-on-6784076.jpg?r=1772796094736\" "\\"Nobody's")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/london-england-andrew-lownie-attends-the-book-launch-for-entitled-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-6784116.jpg?r=1772796094747\" "\\"Andrew")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\nBook of the Year \u2013 Fiction, supported by Good Housekeeping<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n
![\"Frieda](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/1200x712\/secondary\/Freida-6784117.jpg?r=1772796094762\" "\\"Frieda")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\nBook of the Year \u2013 Crime & Thriller, supported by The Daily Express<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n
![\"Mick](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/39\/590x\/secondary\/Mick-6784132.jpg?r=1772796094775\" "\\"Mick")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/p>\nAuthor of the Year<\/h3>\n<\/header>\n