Caffe Nero has announced the launch of a major new set of book awards.
According to reports, the Nero Book Awards by the high street coffee chain will highlight outstanding books from across multiple genres and celebrate the best writing and books from across the UK and Ireland.
The inaugural awards will open for entries on June 19 across four categories: children’s fiction, debut fiction, fiction and nonfiction.
The awards prize fund totals £50,000, with the four category award winners receiving £5,000 each and the winner of the book of the year receiving an additional £30,000.
Gerry Ford, founder and chief executive of Caffe Nero, said the new awards were “a natural fit” for the company.
“Caffe Nero was founded in 1997 on the principle of being a warm and welcoming neighbourhood gathering spot, a place to bring people together,” he said. “Our venues were intended as and have come to be gathering spots where people come to talk, read and discuss issues of the day. Most of our stores are filled with books.”
Caffe Nero has also supported the arts in a variety of ways in past decades, including partnerships with Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the V&A and the Royal Academy of Arts.
Shortlisted books, category winners and an overall winner of the Nero Gold Prize will be selected by judges, from booksellers and authors to media commentators and influencers.
The inaugural shortlist of 16 books – four per category – will be announced in November 2023, followed by an announcement of the four category winners in January 2024.
