BOOK NEWS: Winners Announced for the Indie Book Awards 2021

Celebrating the best Australian writing

Australian independent booksellers are thrilled to announce The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (Affirm Press) as their favourite book from last year, and the winner of The Indie Book Awards 2021 Book of the Year.

Other winners are:

OVERALL WINNER: BOOK OF THE YEAR:

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (Affirm Press)

FICTION:

Honeybee by Craig Silvey (Allen & Unwin)

NON-FICTION:

Phosphorescence by Julia Baird (Fourth Estate Australia)

DEBUT FICTION:

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (Affirm Press)

ILLUSTRATED NON-FICTION:

Plantopedia by Lauren Camilleri & Sophia Kaplan (Smith Street Books) 

CHILDREN’S:

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor (Affirm Press)

YOUNG ADULT:

This One is Ours by Kate O’Donnell (University of Queensland Press)

We’re thrilled for all the winners and in particular Pip Williams. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a favourite with our readers.

Bookseller judge Katherine Downey (from The Leaf Bookshop) commented on William’s novel: “Exceptionally satisfying. Williams transports us to nineteenth century England with confidence and panache and to the workings of the scriptorium with an attention to detail that reveals the depth of her research. The fight for women’s rights informs this novel and the author’s ability to present an array of different female characters, of diverse backgrounds, ages and expectations leads to a rich and layered narrative that is superbly composed.”

Early this year* Affirm Press reported a bestselling milestone: The Dictionary of Lost Words had reached sales of over 100,000 copies across its two formats in the 41 weeks since publication in March 2020. The only Australian fiction title to reach this milestone in fewer than 41 weeks is The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Heather Morris, Echo) at 37 weeks, while Boy Swallows Universe (Trent Dalton, Fourth Estate) took 48 weeks.

*source, Books + Publishing, 18 January 2021

On winning the Award, Pip Williams said:

“I am overjoyed that The Dictionary of Lost Words is the winner of the Indie Book Awards 2021 Book of the Year, and I’d like to say why.

The Dictionary of Lost Words was published just days into Australia’s first pandemic lockdown. The timing was awful for a debut novel and I lowered all expectations that my book would find its tribe of readers. But then something wonderful happened – independent booksellers refused to shut up shop. While their doors might have been closed, they found myriad ways to get books into the hands of people who would enjoy them, perhaps even need them, during the long weeks of isolation. As a reader and a writer, I was enormously grateful.

Australian independent booksellers helped my novel thrive at a time when it seemed least likely. If I were in the business of giving out awards for outstanding achievement in 2020, independent booksellers would be at the top of the list. For this reason, it is a particularly special honour that The Dictionary of Lost Words has been chosen as the 2021 Indie Book of the Year.”

For more on the Indie awards, click here.