The UK’s most influential prize for young writers, The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, is joining forces with the Charlotte Aitken Trust, a recently established charity set up by the former literary agent Gillon Aitken in his will, in honour of his daughter.

Douglas Stuart’s astonishing debut novel, about a boy growing up amid poverty and addiction in 1980s Glasgow, has beaten fierce competition from Maggie O’Farrell and David Olusoga to be awarded the prestigious overall Book of the Year accolade at the British Book Awards.

Leicester children’s publisher Sweet Cherry have been announced as winner of the third annual Small Press of the Year Award during the 2021 British Book Awards digital ceremony, broadcast tonight. The award is sponsored by CPI Books.