5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver “This is not Jamie Oliver’s biggest book sales-wise, or perhaps even his most memorable, but it is the title that re-established the brand and launched a new trend in “simple” books for amateur cooks, a theme that was matched by its superlative design.”

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding “Began as a column in the Independent and was released by Picador, is widely credited with launching the “chick-lit” genre. It was funny, sharp and on the money: the tag may seem dated, but the book is not.”

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown “There is one book every few years that breaks out beyond the core book-buying audience, resulting in a sales trajectory like no other—to the delight of booksellers all over.”

The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler “The Gruffalo did not win a Nibbie, but its follow-up did, and deservedly so: with life sales through Nielsen of more than two million copies, it continues to sell strongly for Macmillan, with annual sales in 2019 of 80,000 copies.”

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling “J K Rowling’s book, published by Bloomsbury, launched a franchise that now extends into film, theatre, gaming, theme parks, and, um, other books...it's Nibbie win came in 1998.”

The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris “A modern classic? Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris’ book wasn’t the first beautifully illustrated oversized title to grace the trade, but it was the first to break out beyond the trade, with funds crowd-sourced to get the book into schools.”

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman “Lyra Belacqua’s first outing came in Philip Pullman’s densely packed opener for the His Dark Materials series...which now stretches into film, television and an “equel” series, The Book of Dust.”

White Teeth by Zadie Smith “White Teeth established Zadie Smith as a writer to watch, and she has not looked back. The Penguin-published book won multiple honours, including the Whitbread and Guardian First Book Award. The novel won Smith the Newcomer of the Year Nibbie in 2001.”

Wild Swans by Jung Chang “An absolute game-changer in terms of the modern memoir, Jung Chang’s Wild Swans told us much about China through its tale of three generations of women, but it also established the market for serious, outward-looking narrative non-fiction.”

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel “This title is the only Booker Prize-winner on the shortlist, which tells you as much about the Booker as it does about the Nibbies. Mantel is one of the best and most deserving writers published in the past 30 years. Mantel's Nibbie win was in 2010.”

THE WILDCARD

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay “This is a groundbreaking book that launched the seemingly unstoppable “memoirs that matter” trend. Adam Kay narrowly missed out on a Nibbie - and it must have hurt. So, we have invited him back for another try…”