authors shortlisted

Horatio Clare and Lyse Doucet, who both appeared at this year’s Festival, are on the Nero Book Awards 2025 Non Fiction shortlist.

They join two other authors shortlisted in this category  – James Fox and Sarah Perry – and the winner will be announced on 13 January 2026.

Clare, an award-winning author and journalist, uncovers the story of the small boats crisis in We Came by Sea. His is a true account of the volunteers who help thousands of refugees, of lifeboat crews mounting a great search and rescue operation, of an uncelebrated Britain.

It is a journey through a nation as great and good as the people in the dinghies believe Britain to be.

The Finest Hotel in Kabul, by Lyce Doucet, draws on 40 years spent staying at the Kabul Inter-Continental. Her debut is an intimate, character-driven narrative history of modern Afghanistan  told through the story of its sole luxury hotel.

The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse has covered everything from the Arab Spring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Established as a not-for-profit organisation, the Nero Book Awards are run by the independent, family-owned coffee house group, Caffè Nero in partnership with the Booksellers Association and Brunel University of London.

The Awards’ mission is to point readers of all ages and interests in the direction of outstanding books and writers.