Book of the Year - Audiobook Fiction 2025
Book of the Year - Audiobook Fiction Winner and Shortlist
Classic literature and comic books are reinvigorated on the audio fiction shortlist that champions the audiobook as a vital part of a story’s longevity. Well-known voices such as Cynthia Erivo and Joanna Lumley dominate this year’s cast of narrators alongside voiceover artist Ciaran Saward.
Winner
Joint Winners
My Favourite Mistake
Marian Keyes (written and narrated)
Penguin Random House Audio
Bunny vs Monkey
Jamie Smart (narrated by Ciaran Saward)
Bolinda Audio
Marian Keyes triumphs in this category for her whip-smart, warm-hearted novel My Favourite Mistake, brought to life by the author herself. Our judges were blown away by both the “richness” of Keyes’ narration and her “impressive” live editing of the manuscript while in the recording studio.
Penguin Random House Audio ran their biggest audio campaign for Keyes to date and the judges took notice, praising its “impressive” decision to centre its strategy around the author. The publisher ran a Facebook live session directly from the recording studio, followed by an audience Q&A, and worked with ad agency Fifty to create a bespoke campaign.
PRH Audio stopped at nothing to propel Keyes to new heights, cementing her reputation as both a much-loved author and now an unmissable narrator.
Jamie Smart also takes the crown in this category for Bolinda's “breathtaking” audio adaptation of his anarchic comic book, Bunny vs Monkey. The iconic duo are brought to life by voiceover artist Ciaran Saward, who infuses his narration with all the energy and verve of Smart’s text.
Our judges were blown away by the “effort, skill and detail” to transform Smart’s comic into an audiobook, declaring it a "fantastic” triumph of ingenuity. Bolinda collaborated closely with Smart to distil the essence of his comic panels into key sounds and phrases that would capture both the action and the characters’ personalities in audio format.
The result is an immersive audio experience that successfully translates the joy and chaos of the print edition. Bolinda knew they had achieved something special and created an impressive social media campaign that promoted exclusive material recorded in the studio and excerpts of Saward’s narration.
The Shortlist
George Orwell's 1984
George Orwell (adapted by Joe White, narrated by Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, Tom Hardy et al)
Audible Original
Joe White’s adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 is the most listened-to Audible Original of all time. The immersive-audio experience was brought to life by the stellar cast, including Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo. Audible launched a meticulous publicity campaign that included talent interviews and advertisements placed in Times Square, London and Toronto. The sneak listen of the iconic Room 101 torture scene took social media by storm, becoming a trending sound on TikTok.
Bunny vs Monkey
Jamie Smart (narrated by Ciaran Saward)
Bolinda Audio
Bolinda recognised a chance to explore the opportunities for audio in comic books with Jamie Smart’s iconic Bunny vs Monkey. The savvy acquisition was combined with a thoughtful adaptation that married the voice of Ciaran Saward with layered sound effects, scenic elements and music to successfully translate the anarchic animal duo into audio. Since launch, Bunny vs Monkey has remained in the top 20 of BorrowBox’s children’s chart.
My Favourite Mistake
Marian Keyes (written and narrated)
Penguin Random House Audio
Penguin Random House Audio delivered Marian Keyes’ biggest audiobook campaign to date, yielding a sales increase on her previous audiobook title. A Facebook Live session of Keyes narrating, streamed directly from the recording studio, sparked a pre-order uplift. PRH Audio also worked closely with print publisher Penguin Michael Joseph to run multi-format advertising, a canny move that meant the audiobook sales represented a substantial part of the novel’s UK sales.
The Hotel Avocado
Bob Mortimer (narrated by Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse, Sally Phillips & Julie Maisey)
Gallery
Bob Mortimer lends his distinctive voice and delivery to his uproarious novel, The Hotel Avocado. Comedian Sally Phillips joins him along with Julie Maisey and Paul Whitehouse. Gallery put “Brand Bob” at the centre of the campaign, securing the most-ever publicity opportunities for Mortimer, including TV and radio segments and two events at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Extensive online and outdoor advertising helped push pre-orders up 50%, compared to Mortimer’s last outing.
The Life Impossible
Matt Haig (narrated by Joanna Lumley & Jordan Stephens)
Canongate
Joanna Lumley’s dulcet tones grace Matt Haig’s The Life Impossible alongside Jordan Stephens. Canongate’s campaign adopted a global approach, working with Haig’s international publishers to co-ordinate 20 release moments across 20 territories. It marked not only Canongate’s biggest campaign to date, but also Haig’s largest-ever publicity campaign. With prolific media attention, and a high-performing video of Lumley in-action, the audiobook edition accounted for 30% of the novel’s total sales.
You Are Here
David Nicholls (narrated by Lee Ingleby & Lydia Leonard)
WF Howes
David Nicholls’ midlife love story makes its second appearance on this year’s Nibbies shortlists. Lee Ingleby and Lydia Leonard’s narration fizzes with chemistry and WF Howes used studio shots and audio teasers as key touchstones for their social strategy. You Are Here debuted at number two in the Audible and Apple charts, was selected as the Guardian audiobook of the week and became WF Howes’ highest-grossing audiobook of the year.
