The Whitbread Book Awards are among the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary awards. Currently each year winners are chosen in five categories, novel, first novel, children's, poetry, and biography. Each category winner receives £5000. One of the category winners is selected as the "Book of the Year" and given a further £25 000. The awards are named after and funded by Whitbread PLC a leading British leisure and brewing company. The awards are given both for high literary merit but also for works that are enjoyable reading.

Book of the Year Award Winners

• 2004 - Andrea Levy, Small Island
• 2003 - Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
• 2002 - Claire Tomalin, Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self
• 2001 - Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass
• 2000 - Matthew Kneale, English Passengers
• 1999 - Seamus Heaney, Beowulf
• 1998 - Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters
• 1997 - Ted Hughes, Tales from Ovid
• 1996 - Seamus Heaney, The Spirit Level
• 1995 - Kate Atkinson, Behind the Scenes at the Museum
• 1994 - William Trevor, Felicia’s Journey
• 1993 - Joan Brady, Theory of War
• 1992 - Jeff Torrington, Swing Hammer Swing!
• 1991 - John Richardson, A Life of Picasso
• 1990 - Nicholas Mosley, Hopeful Monsters
• 1989 - Richard Holmes, Coleridge: Early Visions
• 1988 - Paul Sayer, The Comforts of Madness
• 1987 - Christopher Nolan, Under the eye of the clock
• 1986 - Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World
• 1985 - Douglas Dunn, Elegies
• 1984 - James Buchan, A Parish of Rich Women
• 1983 - John Fuller, Flying to Nowhere
• 1982 - Bruce Chatwin, On the Black Hill
• 1981 - William Boyd, A Good Man in Africa
• 1980 - David Lodge, How Far Can You Go?

Complete Winners and Nominees

2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972 - 1971

External link

• Whitbread Book Awards (http://www.whitbread-bookawards.co.uk/) official web site