THE runaway best-seller The Shepherd’s Life, by Cumbrian shepherd James Rebanks, has won this year’s Lakeland Book of the Year.

James has notched up an amazing 70,000 followers since he started tweeting about life as a shepherd from his Matterdale farm and a subsequent publishing deal resulted in The Shepherd’s Life which hasn’t been out of the best-seller Top Ten since it was published in April this year.

The book won The Zeffirellis Prize for People and Business category and was then named overall winner at the ceremony at Inn on the Lake, Ullswater.

James was unable to attend the book awards and later caused some amusement by tweeting that he was honoured to have won the “Hunter Davies Memorial prize”. It was quickly pointed out that Hunter is very much still alive!

Other category winners were:

l The Striding Edge Prize for Guides and Places Winner: The Parish of Satterthwaite by Suzanne Tiplady and Kevin Baverstock

l The Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape and Tradition Winner: Fish and Fishers of the Lake District by Keith Harwood

l The David Winkworth Prize for Illustration and Presentation Winner: Jessy’s Journal by Maurice Dybeck

l The Bookends Prize for Arts and Literature Winner: Arts and Crafts Houses in the Lake District by Matthew Hyde and Esme Whittaker, with photographs by Val Corbett.

The judges were author and columnist Hunter Davies, broadcaster and writer Eric Robson and BBC News broadcaster Fiona Armstrong.

Mr Robson, who lives in Wasdale, said: “This magical county with the Lake District and other stunning landscapes, continues to inspire and influence writers and poets to produce exceptional pieces of literature. The Lakeland Book of the Year contest continues to celebrate the talent Cumbria has to offer and the awards put the county on the UK’s cultural map and the range of factual and fictional writing they highlight never ceases to amaze me. Congratulations to all the winners”

And Hunter Davies, who founded the awards, added: “The 2015 awards included the best short list of entries in 31 years. There were four books in particular which filled me with awe, admiration and wonder... and envy, for I wish I had thought of them myself.

“I would like to congratulate the winners and also applaud the efforts of all who entered as they should all be congratulated for their sterling contribution to Cumbria’s rich literary landscape.”

The Parish of Satterthwaite is a detailed social history of this Cumbrian parish.

Fish and Fishers of the Lake District by Keith Harwood records the history of angling and anglers in the county. It tells of the techniques used over the ages as well as some of the rare fish to be found here.

Arts and Crafts Houses in the Lake District by Matthew Hyde and Esme Whittaker looks at the arts and crafts homes built in the 20th century by wealthy industrialists. It includes photographs by Val Corbett – more usually known for her landscape photography.

The awards were sponsored by Cumbrian paper manufacturer James Cropper and the event also raises money for charity; this year’s charity was Jigsaw, the Children’s Hospice for Cumbria. If you wish to enter the awards email chris@chriscollier.co.uk.

  • You can follow James Rebanks on Twitter at @herdyshepherd1.