| Whitbread Prize For Best Biography |
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Information AboutWhitbread Prize For Best Biography |
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The awards, launched in 1971 , are given both for high literary merit but also for works that are enjoyable reading and whose aim is to convey the enjoyment of reading to the widest possible audience. As such they are a more populist literary prize than the Booker Prize . One of the main events in the British literary calendar, they are sometimes announced as if they are the first of the year's literary prizes, whereas they are actually the last. In 1989, controversy erupted when the judges first awarded the Best Novel prize to Alexander Stuart 's The War Zone , then withdrew the prize prior to the ceremony amid acrimony among the judges, ultimately awarding it to Lindsay Clarke 's The Chymical Wedding . The 2005 awards are to be the last sponsored by Whitbread. It is unclear whether the competition will be taken over by a new organization. THE PROCESS Currently each year winners are chosen by five separate judging panels picking from different shortlists in five different categories The categories are:
Each category winner receives £5000. One of the category winners is selected as the "Book of the Year" and given a further £25 000. The overall Whitbread book of the year is chosen by a judging panel that comprises five judges from the previous category round and four new ones. The category winners do not have to be British but must be resident in the UK for at least six months of the year. BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
COMPLETE WINNERS AND NOMINEES 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972 - 1971 EXTERNAL LINKS
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