Book of the Year - Debut Fiction
Book of the Year - Debut Fiction Winner & Shortlist
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How to launch a brand new name in fiction in a crowded market was the challenge faced by the publishers of these debuts. With settings from 1970s Yorkshire to Syracuse in 412BC, and from a time-travelling love story to a criminally good meditation on the pleasures of eating via a viral romantasy hit, buoyed by creative campaigns, these debuts broke through in 2024.
The Winner
Butter
Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton
Fourth Estate
The success of Asako Yuzuki’s English-language debut, Butter, began with a line from the novel: “There are two things that I simply cannot tolerate, feminists and margarine.” From there, the rest is history.
Our judges were in awe of Fourth Estate’s “knockout” campaign that left no stone unturned. Not only did the team create a “stunning” package and a suite of playful marketing assets, but they teamed up with influencers and bookshops, from indies to Waterstones and Foyles, to make Butter the “it” book of spring 2024.
The success continued when Butter was crowned Waterstones Book of the Year and became the second bestselling title on TikTok shop. Butter “will change how books are published”, agreed our panel, who also loved Fourth Estate’s determination to champion the translator, Polly Barton. Our judges found the story “evocative” and “wonderfully” executed; this, combined with the “phenomenal” campaign, made Butter the undisputed winner.
The Shortlist
Butter
Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton
4th Estate
The UK debut of Japanese author Asako Yuzuki, translated by Polly Barton, was acquired by 4th Estate in a five-way auction. A blend of psychological crime, an exploration of women’s lives in contemporary Japan and a meditation on the pleasures of eating, the flapped trade paperback format benefited from an eye-catchingly playful and subversive cover design. There was strong retailer demand for the exceptional point of sale, including life-size cow standees. Butter won Waterstones’ Book of the Year and was Waterstones’ number one selling book in 2024 overall.
Glorious Exploits
Ferdia Lennon
Fig Tree
Set in Syracuse in 412BC, Ferdia Lennon’s daring, anarchic debut follows two locals who decide to stage an adaptation of Medea in a quarry, using captive Athenian soldiers as actors. A tricky pitch and initial retailer orders were modest but Waterstones booksellers took Glorious Exploits to their hearts, eventually voting it the winner of the Waterstones Debut Prize. Fig Tree’s publicity and marketing campaign evolved to capitalise on the book’s many prize shortlistings, amplifying and sustaining the buzz. Six months after publication, it entered the charts at number eight.
Green Dot
Madeleine Gray
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
After acquiring Green Dot in a lightning fast pre-empt, W&N set out to ensure that the publication of Madeleine Gray’s workplace comedy about a young woman and a doomed love affair had everyone ‘seeing green’. The bright green jacket was everywhere on social media, with high-profile champions recommending the debut to their followers. The Meta pre-order campaign targeted the book’s main readership, digital and social natives, and reached over 45,000 people.
The List of Suspicious Things
Jennie Godfrey
Hutchinson Heinemann
Set in West Yorkshire, this debut, inspired by the author’s own childhood, tells of the comfort of friendship and family in a community haunted by the Yorkshire Ripper murders. From the outset, Hutchinson Heinemann prioritised building connections with readers, bloggers and regional booksellers who would convince others to pick up the book through heartfelt recommendations in person or online. Indie bookshops made up 23% of the TCM volume but the book was also taken in all three supermarkets.
The Ministry of Time
Kaliane Bradley
Sceptre
Kaliane Bradley’s riotous, time-travelling, genre-bending tale was the bestselling debut novel of 2024 in hardback. Acquired by Sceptre in a 48-hour pre-empt, it has sold in 30 territories to date, with a 21-way auction for film and TV rights. Early buzz began with limited edition hardback proofs covered in holographic foil, designed to look like an object from the future, which were widely shared on social media. A two-week author tour of indie bookshops, Waterstones and literary festivals culminated in a sold-out event at the Hay Festival.
When the Moon Hatched
Sarah A Parker
HarperVoyager
HarperVoyager snapped up UK rights to this originally self-published romantasy debut, and viral TikTok sensation, during a nine-way auction. Four separate special editions were produced, with the FairyLoot edition selling out, and the Waterstones special edition selling out twice. The digital advertising campaign was the publisher’s biggest ever for a fantasy launch and resulted in 13,500 pre-orders in just eight weeks. When the Moon Hatched spent 11 weeks in the bestseller charts overall.
