Posthumous memoir by Jeffrey Epstein exposer shortlisted for award | Books | Entertainment

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’s most prestigious publishing awards. Nobody’s 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.

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.

Sarah Wynn-Williams’s whistleblowing account of her time at Facebook, Careless People, joins the two alongside three other titles – including Ozzy Osbourne’s final memoir, Last Rites. It topped bestseller charts, despite Wynn-Williams being legally restricted from discussing the book.

Lownie told the Express: “I’m honoured that Entitled has been short-listed alongside such important authors. It confirms that books still have an influential role in public life.”

Described as the ‘Baftas’ 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.

The bestselling author of domestic thriller The Housemaid, which was adapted into one of last year’s 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’. The other two writers making up the shortlist are Sally Smith and Liz Moore.

Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges: “Reflecting readers’ 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.”

Other shortlisted titles that give voice to otherwise surpressed narratives, include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s bestselling Dream Count nominated for fiction book of the year, Marcia Hutchinson’s portrait of a girl growing up in the 1960s Bradford Windrush generation The Mercy Step, nominated for book of the year – discover, and Roisín O’Donnell’s Nesting, shortlisted in debut fiction book of the year.

Alice O’Keeffe, head of books for The Bookseller and overall chair of the Books of the Year, said: “From fresh new voices to big brand authors, this year’s 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.”

Winners will be announced on May 11.