Finalists have been named for the Waterstones Book of the Year award, which "provides us with the opportunity to showcase the titles we absolutely adore. It is an accolade voted purely by booksellers and we are fiercely independent in our selection." The winning title, which will be announced December 1, receives "committed backing from our talented booksellers and shops across the entire country." The final decision will be made by a Waterstones panel headed by managing director James Daunt. This year's shortlisted titles are:
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts I & II by J.K. Rowling
The Optician of Lampedusa by Emma Jane Kirby
The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots by Beatrix Potter story, illustrated by Quentin Blake
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by Christopher De Hamel
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry