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Nero Book Awards 2025 shortlist announced to celebrate outstanding literary talent

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

Acclaimed author Ian McEwan and BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet have been shortlisted for the prestigious Nero Book Awards 2025.
The awards feature a diverse selection of 16 titles across four categories: debut fiction, children’s fiction, fiction and non-fiction.
Other notable writers nominated include art historian James Fox, alongside bestselling authors Patrice Lawrence and Sarah Perry.
McEwan's latest novel, What We Can Know, is a science fiction work set in a future UK, while Doucet's,The Finest Hotel in Kabul, offers reportage on Afghanistan's recent history.
Established in 2023, the Nero Book Awards will announce category winners on 13 January, with the overall Book of the Year revealed at a ceremony in London on 4 March.

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