Last Tuesday (7th October), the annual Isle of Wight Book Awards opened the Island’s Literary Festival with a well-attended prize-giving lunch at the Island Sailing Club in Cowes.
The 2025 Awards celebrated books published in 2024 that were either set on, or about the Isle of Wight. Authors from anywhere in the world could enter, as long as their work featured Isle of Wight content.
Eligibility and opening remarks
Entries came from both professionally published and self-published authors, reflecting the Awards’ long-standing inclusivity. Only printed books qualified, as e-books were not eligible.
Guests enjoyed a three-course meal before the announcement of the winners. The event began with opening remarks from organiser Paul Armfield, who reaffirmed that the Awards aim to raise the profile of Island writing. He also read a poem by the late poet Tony Harrison.
Katie Daysh
Awards founder Hunter Davies then gave a warm and humorous talk, which included a tribute to his close friend, the best-selling author Jilly Cooper, who had passed away the previous day.
Judging panel and categories
The Awards featured three categories – Children’s, Fiction and Non-Fiction – each with its own judge.
Nicholas Allan, the bestselling children’s author and illustrator, judged the Children’s category.
Mark Eccleston, former BBC journalist and winner of the first Isle of Wight Book Award, judged Fiction.
Lucinda Hawksley, award-winning author, art historian, broadcaster and great-great-great granddaughter of Charles Dickens, judged Non-Fiction.
Nicholas Allan, Mark Eccleston, Lucinda Hawksley, Julia Ross, Tracy Mikich, Jo Cooper, Katie Daysh, Magnus Weatley, Richard C. Long, Susanna Hoe
Winners announced
The winners were:
Children’s
There Will Be Blue Skies by Jo Cooper
The Search for Donkey Paradise by David Goodday
Fiction
The Devil to Pay by Katie Daysh
A Drowning Tide by Sarah Lawton
The Laughing Robot by Julia Ross
Non-Fiction
There Is No Second by Magnus Wheatley
The Isle of Wight: Women, History, Books and Places by Susanna Hoe
Upgrading the Isle of Wight’s Railway by Richard C. Long
Book of the Year
The Devil to Pay by Katie Daysh
Supporting Island charity
Continuing tradition, the event raised funds for a local charity. This year’s chosen organisation was Sporting Opportunities IW, an independent sports charity that provides training and competition for athletes with learning disabilities.
Now accredited with Special Olympics Great Britain, the charity offers access to local, regional and national events across the country. Funds were raised through a raffle and sales of the judges’ copies of the entered books.
Prizes and sponsors
Each category winner received £200, with an additional £500 awarded to the overall winner.
Sponsors of this year’s event included David and Patsy Franks, Isle of Wight Festival, Creative Island, Medina Publishing and Monkton Arts.