Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Nat’s What I Reckon wins 2020 Booktopia FAB Award

Un-cook Yourself: A ratbag’s rules for life by YouTube cooking star Nat’s What I Reckon (Ebury) has won the $5000 Booktopia Favourite Australian Book (FAB) Award for 2020.

The author said he will donate the prize to mental health support causes. ‘I can’t actually believe I bloody won this award, I barely ever even win the meat tray at the pub,’ he said. ‘I feel totally humbled and honoured that so many people would support me and give my book a red hot go. Thanks, ya bloody champions.’

‘2020 was a difficult year for a great many people, and Nat’s What I Reckon helped people to make it through,’ said Booktopia brand and content manager Mark Harding. ‘He was a joy to watch, and his book is a wonderful expression of something good that came out of a tough time for many Australians. We also commend Nat’s dedication to supporting mental health, and applaud his decision to put the prize money to valuable use through his generous donation.’

The 2020 FAB Award attracted 157,000 votes, with Un-cook Yourself, topping a longlist of 126 books that were voted on by Booktopia readers across Australia. Booktopia also revealed its top 10 books of 2020, along with the winner.

Booktopia’s top 10 books of 2020 are:

  1. Uncook Yourself: A ratbag’s rules for life (Nat’s What I Reckon, Ebury)
  2. The Loudness of Unsaid Things (Hilde Hinton, Hachette)
  3. The Two Lost Mountains (Matthew Reilly, Macmillan)
  4. Bluey: Grannies (Puffin)
  5. The Dictionary of Lost Words (Pip Williams, Affirm)
  6. The Happiest Man on Earth (Eddie Jaku, Macmillan)
  7. Our Home, Our Heartbeat (Adam Briggs, illus by Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
  8. The Survivors (Jane Harper, Pan)
  9. Help Self (Tanya Hennessy, A&U)
  10. All Our Shimmering Skies (Trent Dalton, HarperCollins).

This is the second year Booktopia has held the FAB Award, which was won last year by comedian Kitty Flanagan for her nonfiction book 488 Rules for Life (A&U).

 

Category: Awards Local news