Ian McEwan and BBC journalist named on Nero Book Awards 2025 shortlist

James Fox, Ben Pester, Rochelle Dowden-Lord and Claire Lynch are among the other nominees

Ian McEwan’s latest book is described as ‘science fiction without the science’ (PA)

Acclaimed author Ian McEwan and BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet are among the prominent figures whose works have been shortlisted for the prestigious Nero Book Awards 2025.

Their novels join a diverse selection of 16 titles across four categories, chosen from hundreds of submissions, celebrating outstanding literary talent.

Other notable writers nominated include art historian and broadcaster James Fox, alongside bestselling authors Patrice Lawrence and Sarah Perry. The awards recognise excellence across debut fiction, children’s fiction, fiction, and non-fiction.

The debut fiction award shortlist features The Expansion Project by Ben Pester, Lush by Rochelle Dowden-Lord, Season by George Harrison, and A Family Matter by Claire Lynch.

For children’s fiction, the nominated works are My Soul, A Shining Tree by Jamila Gavin, People Like Stars by Patrice Lawrence, Dragonborn by Struan Murray, and Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson.

In the main fiction category, the shortlist comprises The Two Roberts by Damian Barr, Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite, Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, and McEwan’s What We Can Know.

Ian McEwan’s latest novel ‘What We Can Know’ (Knopf)

The non-fiction shortlist includes We Came by Sea by Horatio Clare, Doucet’s The Finest Hotel in Kabul, Craftland: A Journey Through Britain’s Lost Arts and Vanishing Trades by James Fox, and Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry.

McEwan’s latest novel, What We Can Know, is described as "science fiction without the science," set over a century in the future within a much-changed and partly-submerged UK. Doucet’s The Finest Hotel in Kabul offers a work of reportage, tracing Afghanistan’s recent history through the lens of the Inter-Continental hotel, which she first visited in 1988.

The book is lauded for its "novelistic in approach and epic in scope." James Fox’s Craftland chronicles Britain’s vanishing skills and traditions, with the author visiting the country’s last remaining master craftspeople.

The Nero Book Awards, established in 2023 by Caffe Nero in partnership with The Booksellers Association and Brunel University of London, will announce the category winners on 13 January.

BBC’s Lyse Doucet is among this year’s nominees for her non-fiction book ‘The Finest Hotel in Kabul’ (BBC)

The overall winner of the Nero Gold Prize, Book of the Year, will then be revealed at a ceremony in London on 4 March. Last year’s accolade went to Sophie Elmhirst for Maurice and Maralyn.

Caffe Nero founder and chief executive, Gerry Ford, expressed his admiration for the selections, stating: "I’m hugely impressed by the quality of the books in this year’s shortlists.

It really showcases the talent and quality of writing across the country... This is the strongest list of books the Nero Book Awards has seen yet and is indicative of the Awards going from strength to strength."