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17th July 202617th July 2026

Book of the Year - Audiobook Non-Fiction

Audiobook Non-Fiction Shortlist 2026

Many authors narrate their own books on this eclectic shortlist, which speaks to some of the most pertinent themes of the year. From an exposé of Meta, a biography of two former royals and the secrets to unlocking your potential to two defining memoirs, this list represents a wealth of audiobook non-fiction.

Winner

Audiobook Non-Fiction Book of the Year: Careless People

Careless People

Sarah Wynn-Williams (written and narrated)

Macmillan

Sarah Wynn-Williams’ “astonishing”, “important” and “terrific” memoir resonated with the panel of judges, who called the audio edition “supremely entertaining”. Voiced by the author herself, Wynn-Williams’ account of her time working in the upper echelons of Facebook, now Meta, is a momentous whistleblowing chronicle.

Macmillan Audio expertly navigated treacherous obstacles on the lead-up to publication. When Meta secured a legal order to stop Wynn-Williams promoting Careless People, Macmillan Audio, in a savvy and “incredible” move, pivoted to centre its campaign around one powerful line: “Meta wants to silence her voice. You can hear her words.” Already winner of Best Audiobook: Non-Fiction Memoir at The British Audio Awards, Careless People truly demonstrates the combined power of the spoken and written word. The panel’s sentiment was summed up in the words of one judge: “Every moment of the book is outstanding.”

Careless Peopleplay_arrow01:02

The Shortlist

A Mind of My Own audio jacket

A Mind of My Own

Written and narrated by Kathy Burke

Gallery UK

Comedian and actor Kathy Burke narrates her memoir, A Mind of My Own. Gallery delivered an interactive, engaging campaign and supported Burke in the recording booth. The team created a listening tour of Islington, installing plinths at key locations from the book. Each plinth played an audio extract, which was then collated into a YouTube playlist. A Mind of My Own was an instant Audible bestseller.

A Mind of My Ownplay_arrow02:57
Careless People audio cover

Careless People

Written and narrated by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Macmillan

“Meta wants to silence her. You can her hear words.” This was the message of Macmillan’s marketing strategy for Sarah Wynn-Williams' memoir Careless People after Meta secured a legal block to stop the author talking about her book. Macmillan handled publication with extreme care, recording Wynn-Williams in complete privacy with strict NDAs in place. They crafted an impactful digital campaign that made Careless People their bestselling audio non-fiction release of 2025.

Careless Peopleplay_arrow01:02
Entitled cover

Entitled

Written and narrated by Andrew Lownie

William Collins

Andrew Lownie lends his voice to Entitled, his explosive portrait of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. Both Lownie and William Collins worked swiftly to publish the audio and print editions quickly; to make sure text edits were taken into the audiobook, the team implemented a unique script-marking system. Audiobook sales nearly matched the hardback edition, and Apple categorised Entitled as one of its biggest audiobooks of 2025.

Entitledplay_arrow06:05
Moral Ambition cover

Moral Ambition

Rutger Bregman, narrated by Boris Hiestand & Rutger Bregman

Bloomsbury

Rutger Bregman is joined by voice actor Boris Hiestand to narrate Moral Ambition, a clarion call to make life more meaningful. Bloomsbury actioned a comprehensive campaign that capitalised on Rutger’s selection as Radio 4’s Reith lecturer for 2025. The team also created impactful online ads, which featured Bregman alongside eye-catching animations that highlighted talking points from the book. Moral Ambition was also selected one of Audible’s best audiobooks of 2025.

Moral Ambitionplay_arrow03:47
the deep magic of daily consistency cover

The Deep Magic of Daily Consistency

Written and narrated by Robin Sharma

Bolinda Originals

The Deep Magic of Daily Consistency, a Bolinda Originals audio-first project with author and narrator Robin Sharma, offers a motivating listening experience focused on personal development. Sharma’s narration is entirely unscripted; instead, he worked from a framework of key themes prepared in advance. Bolinda Originals secured impressive press coverage and podcast appearances, including Begin Again with Davina McCall, and the book was selected as Apple’s Audiobook of the Month on publication.

When Gavin Met Stacey cover

When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between

Written and narrated by Ruth Jones & James Corden

Penguin Random House Audio

Ruth Jones and James Corden narration fizzes with chemistry in their account of how they made the iconic television show, When Gavin Met Stacey and Everything in Between. PRH Audio worked around the duo’s tight schedule, completing the entire recording in one day while simultaneously filming 10 hours of online content. The team championed the audio format, hosting an audio screening party in Leicester Square and posting tantalising clips of the duo on social media.

The British Book Awards

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