LONDON - Thursday 16th November, 2023 - Amazon Books today announced Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang as the first ever winner of their Best Book of the Year award in the UK. The novel, which came out to great acclaim in May this year, beat shortlisted novels including The List by Yomi Adegoke and The Fraud by Zadie Smith, as well as non-fiction juggernauts such as Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken and The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life by Steven Bartlett.
Yellowface is a dark satire on the publishing industry and the complexities of public discourse around Asian American representation. It became an instant bestseller for Kuang, who was previously known for her fantasy novels infused with Chinese history such as the bestselling Poppy War trilogy.
Rebecca F. Kuang commented, “It’s an honour to have Yellowface chosen as Amazon UK’s Best Book of the Year. I loved shaping these characters within a plot which takes so much inspiration from the book world and the author experience, of which entertaining readers is always the ultimate goal. I want to thank the readers who have been the greatest advocates for Yellowface.”
Darren Hardy, Head of Editorial, said about their selection, “We were completely won over by Yellowface – the acidly satirical voice, the compelling plotline – beneath the unmissable yellow cover lies an intense page-turner that sparked discussion and captured our imagination. With brilliantly original narration and a tautly realised plot, this book packs a pacy punch whilst leaving the reader questioning the topical underlying themes. Kuang explores the weighty concepts of literary originality, cultural appropriation, the dark side of social media and cancel culture with finesse.”
This is the first time Amazon Books has chosen their ‘Best Book of the Year’ in the UK, but it follows in the footsteps of the award in the US, which has been running since 2000, and has included notable winners such as Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. The Amazon Books Editorial team hand-selected the shortlist and the ultimate winner from books published in 2023, representing a diverse range of genres and authors, featuring fresh voices and hidden gems. Readers played a key role in informing the decision, with Amazon Charts data and customer review ratings being important criteria.
In addition to the overall winner, Amazon Books selected shortlists for best fiction, best nonfiction and best Young Adult or children’s book.
The shortlists highlight the breadth and quality of 2023’s publishing. Notable fiction mentions include Robert Galbraith’s best-selling Cormoran Strike series and the spellbinding ‘witchlit’ debut novel, Weyward by Emilia Hart, with an inclusion for the Oscar’s Book Prize-winning The Boy with Flowers in His Hair by Jarvis; plus featuring a range of standout nonfiction titles including a captivating biography of one of the world’s foremost entrepreneurs, Elon Musk by Walter Isaacsson, and the groundbreaking investigation into the damage processed food is doing to our health and our planet in Chris Van Tulleken’s Ultra-Processed People.
Amazon also recently awarded its annual Kindle Storyteller Award to Forsaken Commander by G. J Ogden, recognising it as the best self-published book of the year.
The Fiction shortlist
- Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang - HarperCollins
- The List by Yomi Adegoke - HarperCollins
- The Fraud by Zadie Smith - PRH
- Tom Lake by Ann Patchett - HarperCollins
- Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld - PRH
- Weyward by Emilia Hart - HarperCollins
- Shy by Max Porter - Faber
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Hachette
- The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith - Hachette
- My Husband by Maud Ventura - PRH
The Non-fiction Shortlist
- Ultra-Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken - Penguin Random House
- Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson - Simon & Schuster
- The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life by Steven Bartlett - Penguin Random House
- 5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver - Penguin Random House
- Strong Female Character by Fern Brady - Hachette
- 8 Rules of Love by Jay Shetty - HarperCollins
- RecipeTin Eats by Nagi Maehashi - PanMacmillan
- We Can Be Heroes by Paul Burston - Amazon Publishing
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin - Canongate
- Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby - Faber
The Young Adult and Children’s Shortlist
- I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold - Bonnier
- Rosie Frost by Geri Haliwell-Horner - Scholastic
- You're So Amazing! byJames & Lucy Catchpole - Faber
- The Boy with Flowers in His Hair Jarvis - Walker Books
- HappyHead by Josh Silver - Rock The Boat
- Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell - Bloomsbury
- The Boy with Wings 2 by Lenny Henry - Pan Macmillan
- The Girl who Loves Bugs by Lily Murray - Pan Macmillan
- This Book Kills by Ravena Guron - Usborne
- Boy Like Me by Simon James Green - Scholastic
Amazon is running a range of activity online around the Best Book of the Year announcement including a dedicated page on www.amazon.co.uk/bestbooksoftheyear, banner ads, newsletter outreach, and a story on the About Amazon blog.
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Notes to Editors
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About Amazon Editors’ Choice
Amazon Editors’ Choice is the inspiration destination for book lovers on Amazon.co.uk – bringing together Amazon’s editorial content in one place. Here, Amazon’s team of Books Editors recommend books they love through curated Editor’s Picks, book lists and themed collections, helping you to discover new books and authors – from bestsellers and new releases to fresh voices and hidden gems. Each of these picks is hand selected by Amazon’s Books Editors who compile themed recommendations relating to cultural moments or the latest trends in the book world.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.co.uk/about and follow @AmazonNewsUK.
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