Greta Thunberg and Michelle Obama have both made it onto the shortlist for the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards.
The pair are nominated in the non-fiction category, with climate change activist Thunberg getting the nod for No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference and former US First Lady Obama shortlisted for her memoir Becoming.
Thunberg is also in the running for the breakthrough author gong.
The book awards, now in their fourth year, are the only awards curated by bookshops, chosen by book lovers, with booksellers selecting the shortlists.
Some of my speaches have been released as a book by Penguin Random House. It’s out now. All of my earnings will go to charity. Just like the other books by me + my family. pic.twitter.com/i25sshc83z
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) June 2, 2019
Prizes are given out in several categories, including fiction, poetry and young adult.
This year’s shortlist reflects many topical issues including the environment, racial, gender, social and sexual identity and the refugee crisis. Seventy-seven per cent of shortlisted writers are women.
Emma Bradshaw, head of campaigns at the Booksellers Association, said: “The shortlist is always a fascinating insight into the books of the year, and this year is no exception.
“We’re looking forward to seeing which of the shortlisted titles will become this year’s Christmas best-sellers.”
The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards are sponsored by National Book Tokens and are part of Books Are My Bag – the annual campaign celebrating the importance of bookshops.
The public can vote for a winning title from each shortlist from October 3 until November 3, with the winners announced on November 12.
For details visit www.nationalbooktokens.com/vote.