The award is chosen by the Booksellers Association of Great Britain and Ireland, with funds provided by Whitbread Breweries. Authors must be resident of Great Britain or Ireland.
Best Novel Awards
2005
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie
The Ballad of Lee Cotton by Christopher Wilson
The Accidental by Ali Smith (winner)
2004
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières
Small Island by Andrea Levy (winner)
2003
The Lucky Ones by Rachel Cusk
Heligoland by Shena Mackay
Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (winner)
2002
White Lightning by Justin Cartwright
Rumours of a Hurricane by Tim Lott
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
Spies by Michael Frayn (winner)
2001
The Siege by Helen Dunmore
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Oxygen by Andrew Miller
Twelve Bar Blues by Patrick Neate (winner)
2000
Fred And Edie by Jill Dawson
What Are You Like? by Anne Enright
When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro
How the Dead Live by Will Self
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale (winner)
1999
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Headlong by Michael Frayn
Being Dead by Jim Crace
Music And Silence by Rose Tremain (winner)
1998
The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett
The Travelling Horn Player by Barbara Trapido
1997
The Untouchable by John Banville
Bleeding London by Geoff Nicholson
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
Grace Notes by Bernard MacLaverty
Quarantine by Jim Crace (winner)
1996
Mr Clive And Mr Page by Neil Bartlett
Last Orders by Graham Swift
Asylum by Patrick McGrath
Cocaine Nights by J G Ballard
Worst Fears by Fay Weldon
Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge (winner)
1995
In Every Face I Meet by Justin Cartwright
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Information by Martin Amis
The Ghost Road by Pat Barker
The Moor’s Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie (winner)
1994
Felicia’s Journey by William Trevor (winner)
1993
Theory of War by Joan Brady (winner)
1992
Poor Things by Alasdair Gray (winner)
1990
Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley (winner)
1987
The Child in Time by Ian McEwan (winner)
1986
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (winner)
1985
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd (winner)
1984
Kruger’s Alp by Christopher Hope (winner)
1983
Fools of Fortune by William Trevor (winner)
1982
Young Shoulders by John Wain (winner)
1981
Silver’s City by Maurice Leitch (winner)
1980
How Far Can You Go? by David Lodge (winner)
1979
The Old Jest by Jennifer Johnston (winner)
1978
Picture Palace by Paul Theroux (winner)
1977
Injury Time by Beryl Bainbridge (winner)
1976
The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor (winner)
1975
Docherty by William McIlvanney (winner)
1974
The Sacred And Profane Love Machine by Iris Murdoch (winner)
1973
The Chip Chip Gatherers by Shiva Naipaul (winner)
1972
The Bird of Night by Susan Hill (winner)
1971
The Destiny Waltz by Gerda Charles (winner)
