Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir, Spare, was nominated for two awards at The British Book Awards 2024 with a glitzy ceremony held in London.
Prince Harry has missed out on winning two major awards at the British Book Awards 2024. A glitzy ceremony in the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in central London revealed a list of winners – and the Duke’s memoir, Spare, did not make the cut.
Harry’s bombshell book released in January 2023, was in the running to win awards for both Book of the Year – Audiobook Non-Fiction and Book of the Year – Non-Fiction: Narrative.
Books in the Non-Fiction Narrative category, also included Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO, Britney Spears’s The Woman in Me – but the top prize was won by Rory Stewart’s Politics On the Edge.
Speaking in a pre-recorded message, the politician said: “Thank you very much this is a real, real honour.” The audiobook category was won by Scottish comedian, Fern Brady’s Strong Female Character and other contenders included David Mitchell’s book Unruly and Patrick Stewart’s book Making It So.
A number of well-known figures took part in this year’s judging process including broadcaster, Nihal Arthanayake, TV presenter, Lorraine Kelly, and presenter, Adrian Charles.
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Harry’s bombshell book, Spare, has been nominated for two awards (Image: Getty)
Harry waves to crowds during his visit to the UK in May (Image: Getty)
According to The Bookseller, Harry’s memoir sold more than 700,000 copies through the TCM in 2023. The book, which is available through hardback, e-book, and audiobook, was also the fastest-selling non-fiction hardback since records began and finished 2023 as the biggest-selling book of the year.
According to Penguin Random House, the chosen publisher for Spare, Harry is described as “a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist.”
Describing Spare, Penguin writes: “For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.”
Prince Harry first announced his memoir in July 2021, 18 months before it was released worldwide. Following its release on January 10, 2023, Spare sent shockwaves throughout The Firm as the former working royal launched unprecedented attacks on members of the Royal Family.
Harry sold 700,000 copies of his bombshell memoir, Spare (Image: Getty)
The royal’s headline-grabbing book saw him accuse his brother, Prince William, of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over his wife, Meghan Markle.
It also recalled the poignant moment his father, King Charles, told him of the tragic news of his mother’s death when he was just 12 years old.
Aspects of the book were heavily criticised by veterans for detailing his military service in which he claims he killed 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan during his time as an Apache helicopter pilot.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the Duke claims he had enough material to write another book, and even withheld some details which King Charles and Prince William would never forgive him for if they were released.
The Duke said at the time: “It was 800 pages, and now it’s down to 400 pages. It could have been two books, put it that way, and the hard bit was taking things out.
“There are some things that have happened, especially between me and my brother, and to some extent between me and my father, that I just don’t want the world to know. Because I don’t think they would ever forgive me.”
