National Book Award Nominees: Clare Balding and David Walliams

Clare Balding  and David Walliams  have been hailed amongst the cream of the literary elite, as the Specsavers National Book Awards shortlist is announced.

The awards recognise the most popular writers in the UK, and others shortlisted include Salman Rushdie, Gok Wan and Zadie Smith. David Walliams has been nominated in two categories – for his biography and his children’s book – Ratburger.

Winners will be presented by popular TV host Lorraine Kelly at London's Mandarin Oriental and Lorraine’s ITV1 show will feature highlights from the event.

Dame Mary Perkins, Specsavers founder, said: 'We're thrilled to be a part of the National Book Awards for the first time this year. I'm a real bookworm and with such an exciting and diverse selection of writers shortlisted, I can't wait to get stuck into the titles myself.'

Previous winners have included One Day by David Nicholls and Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Woman.

Full list of nominees:

Autobiography/Biography of the Year:

• My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding
• Patrick Leigh Fermor by Artemis Cooper
• Back Story by David Mitchell
• Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie
• Who I Am by Pete Townshend
• Camp David by David Walliams
• Popular Fiction Book of the Year sponsored by Specsavers:
• 1356 by Bernard Cornwell
• The Thread by Victoria Hislop
• The Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson
• Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
• Citadel by Kate Mosse
• Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Crime Book of the Year available on iBookstore:

• A Wanted Man by Lee Child
• Kind of Cruel by Sophie Hannah
• A Question of Identity by Susan Hill
• The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
• Perfect People by Peter James
• Gods and Beasts by Denise Mina
• Food & Drink Book of the Year sponsored by WHSmith:
• Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook by Mary Berry
• The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers by Linda Collister
• Hugh's Three Good Things by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
• The Hairy Dieters by Si King & Dave Myers
• Lorraine Pascale's Fast, Fresh and Easy Food by Lorraine Pascale
• Gok Cooks Chinese by Gok Wan
• International Author of the Year sponsored by Google Play™:
• HHhH by Laurent Binet
• The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
• Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• The Dinner by Herman Koch

Non-fiction Book of the Year sponsored by Magic 105.4 FM:

• A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen
• Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre
• Is It Just Me by Miranda Hart
• Moranthology by Caitlin Moran
• Brazil by Michael Palin
• The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
• UK Author of the Year sponsored by Waterstones:
• Capital by John Lanchester
• Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
• Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
• The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
• NW by Zadie Smith (Hamish Hamilton)
• Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson
• Children's Book of the Year sponsored by National Book Tokens:
• The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable
• The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle
• Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort
• Itch by Simon Mayo
• Tom Gates: Genius Ideas (mostly) by Liz Pichon
• Ratburger by David Walliams

Audiobook of the year sponsored by Audible.co.uk:

• Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel, read by Simon Slater
• Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan, read by Juliet Stevenson
• Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, read by Dan Stevens
• Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart, read by Miranda Hart
• The Killing by David Hewson, read by Christian Rodska
• The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend, read by Caroline Quentin

New Writer of the Year:

• The Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne
• The Somnambulist by Essie Fox
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
• The Land of Decoration by Grace McLeen
• The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
• Care Of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles