Publisher Frances Lincoln, in association with the National Trust, has today announced the shortlist for The Wainwright Prize 2016, an annual award to celebrate the best UK nature and travel writing. 

The Wainwright Prize is back to celebrate the best books on the outdoors, nature and UK travel with a refreshed timeline, returning judging panel and a new partnership with Countryfile Live.

Shortlists for the 25th Forward Prizes for Poetry have been announced today by chair of judges Malika Booker. Now in their 25th year, the three awards – Best Collection, Best First Collection and Best Single Poem – are Britain’s most coveted poetry prizes, celebrating the best new poetry published in the British Isles. 

The 29th edition of the Hay Festival in Wales closed Sunday 5 June after another landmark year, buoyed by appearances from the world’s leading writers, scientists, musicians, comedians and global leaders under near constant Welsh sunshine.

Poet, playwright, editor and translator Gillian Clarke was awarded the Hay Festival Medal for Poetry on day six of the landmark literary festival. Appearing in an event to discuss Shakespeare’s Lyr and her upcoming collection Zoology on Tuesday (31 May), Clarke was presented her Medal by Hay Festival Director Peter Florence in front of a packed Hay crowd.

Singer-songwriter Laura Marling was awarded the Hay Festival Medal for Song last night (Thursday 2 June, 2016) before her sold out acoustic set on the festival’s main stage.

Sarah Crossan is today, Thursday 2nd June, announced as the winner of The Bookseller’s YA Book Prize 2016 for One, published by Bloomsbury Books. 

The longlist for the Polari First Book Prize was announced last night (Wednesday 1st June, 2016) at the Polari Literary Salon in London’s Southbank Centre. Now in its sixth year, the Prize is awarded annually to a writer whose first book explores the LGBT experience, whether in poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction.

Janine di Giovanni, Middle East editor of Newsweek and author of The Morning They Came For Us: Dispatches From Syria and Madness Visible was awarded the Hay Festival 2016 Medal for Prose in front of a sell-out crowd on day four of the landmark literary festival on Sunday 29 May, 2016.

Over four thousand secondary pupils filled the Hay Festival 2016 site for a day of discussion and debate today, ahead of a packed weekend of programming at the UK’s leading literary festival.