The 2020 Lakeland Book of the Year has been announced as The Lake District in 101 Maps and Infographics by David Felton, Evelyn Sinclair and Andrew Chapman.
Announced virtually for the first time in the awards’ 36 year history, the winner, described by head judge Hunter Davies as an “…incredible book” features graphs, images and more covering almost every aspect of the Lake District’s culture and history, from tourism to ghosts.
Winner David Felton said “I was so pleased that Hunter, Fiona and Eric were able to find a way to make these awards happen, which play such a key role in the life of Cumbrian publishing. It has been a really tough few months for those of us working in the local book trade, and this was a really welcome boost for a book that I loved working on alongside illustrator Evelyn Sinclair and designer Andrew Chapman.”
A special mention was also made to runner up Slightly Perfect by John Cunliffe, who sadly passed away earlier this year after entering his entertaining memoir of a life in hospitality including his time at the Gilpin Hotel.
Coronavirus restrictions meant that the usual awards charity luncheon was unable to take place, but judges Hunter Davies OBE, Cumbria Tourism President Eric Robson and broadcaster Fiona Armstrong were determined not to cancel the ceremony entirely and instead broadcasted the announcements online. The video is available to watch at www.lakelandbookoftheyear.co.uk and on the Cumbria Tourism YouTube channel.
The 2020 winners are:
The Striding Edge Prize for Guides and Places
Grasmere: A History in 55 ½ Buildings by Grasmere History Society
The Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape and Tradition
Hows and Knotts: A Guide to Lakeland Views by Guy Richardson
The Latitude Press Prize for Illustration and Presentation
The Lake District in 101 Maps & Infographics by David Felton, Evelyn Sinclair and Andrew Chapman
The Bookends Prize for Literature and Poetry
The Magpie’s Nest by Taffy Thomas
People & Business
Slightly Perfect by John Cunliffe
Fiction
Secrets of the Flock by J.B. Browne
Lakeland Book of the Year 2020
Winner – The Lake District in 101 Maps & Infographics by David Felton, Evelyn Sinclair and Andrew Chapman
Runner Up – Slightly Perfect by John Cunliffe
The 2020 awards, taking place during the 250th anniversary of William Wordsworth’s birth, also included for the very first time a children’s poetry competition. Judges Michael McGregor (Director, Wordsworth Trust) and Ian Walker (Deputy Head, John Ruskin School) received an amazing range of poems from across the county, eventually deciding on three fantastic pieces of writing which they felt best reflected the theme of “The loveliest spot – what Cumbria means to me”.
The winners are:
1st Place – The Rope Swing by George Hathorn
2nd Place – My Loveliest Spot is a Secret by Grace Hill
3rd Place – Dancing Grass by Eliza Hudson
All three winners will receive a selection of vouchers from local Cumbrian attractions, including Treetop Nets, Lakeland Motor Museum, Windermere Lake Cruises, Honister Slate Mine, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Rheged Cinema, Lake District Coast Aquarium, Tullie House, Derwent Water Marina and the Lingholm Kitchen.
The Lakeland Book of the Year Awards, one of the most prestigious of their kind outside London, are kindly supported by the Cumbria Community Foundation Hunter Davies Fund, Striding Edge, Bookends, the Bill Rollinson Award Association and Latitude Press Ltd.
