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York-based author Matt Haig has been shortlisted for his book “The Radleys” in the 2011 Galaxy National Book Awards.

The book is in the “Popular Fiction Book of the Year” category against the likes of Terry Pratchett, Dawn French and Joanna Trollope.

The Galaxy National Book Award is exclusive to British authors; with one category set aside for best international author.

Over the years, the award has propelled many authors to prolificacy within the industry; and are perceived as the “Oscars of the book industry”.

Last year saw author David Nichols pick up the award  for ‘One Day’ which has recently been made into a Hollywood film.

The winners of this year’s prize will be revealed on the 4th November at a ceremony in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in west London, which will be hosted by comedian Dara O’Briain.

Matt Haig is over the moon about being shortlisted and has said exclusively to One&Other “‘It’s a real honour to be up for a Galaxy award, especially in this category as it’s a real reflection of what people like to read. When I was writing a tale about middle class York vampires I thought I was going to be lucky to get published, let alone be up for awards and stuff.”

The event will be screened between 13th November and 17th December on More4.

Good luck Matt!

The shortlists in full:

Waterstone’s UK Author of the Year 
A Sense Of An Ending Julian Barnes (Jonathan Cape)
Jamrach’s Menagerie Carol Birch (Canongate Books)
The Bees Carol Ann Duffy (Picador)
The House of Silk Anthony Horowitz (Orion)
The Long Song Andrea Levy (Headline Review)
The Stranger’s Child Alan Hollinghurst (Picador)

Popular Fiction Book of the Year  
A Tiny Bit Marvellous Dawn French (Michael Joseph)
Daughters-in-Law Joanna Trollope (Doubleday)
Gillespie and I Jane Harris (Faber and Faber)
My Last Duchess Daisy Goodwin (Headline Review)
Snuff Terry Pratchett (Doubleday)
The Radleys Matt Haig (Canongate Books)

WHSmith Paperback of the Year  
Room Emma Donoghue (Picador)
The Brightest Star in the Sky Marian Keyes (Penguin)
The Postmistress Sarah Blake (Penguin)
The Red Queen Philippa Gregory (Simon & Schuster)
When God was a Rabbit Sarah Winman (Headline Review)
You’re Next Gregg Hurwitz (Sphere)

Thriller & Crime Novel of the Year in association with iBookstore  
Before I Go To Sleep S.J. Watson (Doubleday)
The Fear Index  Robert Harris (Hutchinson)
Heartstone C J Sansom  (Pan)
The Family Martina Cole (Headline)
The Impossible Dead Ian Rankin (Orion)
Trick Of The Dark Val McDermid (Sphere)

Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year  
A History of the World in 100 Objects Neil Macgregor (Allen Lane)
How To Be a Woman Caitlin Moran (Ebury Press)
Madeleine Kate McCann (Bantam Press)
Map of a Nation Rachel Hewitt (Granta Books)
The Good The Bad and The Multiplex Mark Kermode (Random House Books)
Wonders of the Universe Brian Cox (Collins)

New Writer of the Year  
Before I Go To Sleep S J Watson (Doubleday)
Grace Williams Says it Loud Emma Henderson (Sceptre)
Pigeon English Stephen Kelman (Bloomsbury)
Rivers of London Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz)
Snowdrops A D Miller (Atlantic Books)
When God was a Rabbit Sarah Winman (Headline Review)

Food & Drink Book of the Year  
Home Cooking Made Easy Lorraine Pascale (HarperCollins)
Jamie’s Great Britain Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph)
Made in Sicily Giorgio Locatelli (Fourth Estate)
Rick Stein’s Spain Rick Stein (BBC Books)
The Good Cook Simon Hopkinson (BBC Books)
The Vintage Tea Party Angel Adoree (Mitchell Beazley)

Biography/Autobiography of the Year
Charles Dickens Claire Tomalin (Viking)
Genius in My Basement Alexander Masters (Fourth Estate)
Hitch 22 Christopher Hitchens (Atlantic Books)
Life Keith Richards (Phoenix)
Mud Sweat and Tears Bear Grylls (Bantam Press)
Red Dust Road Jackie Kay  (Picador)

International Author of the Year
A Visit From the Goon Squad Jennifer Egan (Corsair)
IQ84 Haruki Murakami (Harvill Secker)
Night Circus Erin Morgenstern (Harvill Secker)
On Canaan’s Side Sebastian Barry (Faber and Faber)
The Leopard Jo Nesbo  (Vintage)
The Tiger’s Wife Tea Obreht (Phoenix)

Children’s Book of the Year 
A Monster Calls Patrick Ness (Walker Books)
Dead Man’s Cove Lauren St John (Orion)
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece Annabel Pitcher (Indigo)
One Dog and His Boy  Eva Ibbotson  (Marion Lloyd Books)
Stuck Oliver Jeffers (Harper Collins Children’s Books)
The Highway Rat Julia Donaldson illus. Axel Scheffler (Alison Green Books)

audible.co.uk Audiobook of the Year  
Any Human Heart William Boyd, narrator Mike Grady (Whole Story Audiobooks)
Before I Go To Sleep S J Watson, narrator Susannah Harker (Random House AudioGo)
My Dear I Wanted to Tell You Louisa Young, narrator Dan Stevens (HarperAudio)
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece Annabel Pitcher, narrator David Tennant (Orion Audio)
Snowdrops A.D. Miller, narrator Kevin Howarth (Whole Story Audiobooks)
The Player Of Games Iain M Banks, narrator Peter Kenny (Hachette Digital)