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Davina McCall's Menopause Book Wins Top Honor at British Book Awards

The freedom to publish, according to the author, includes the right to read whatever you choose without having it dictated to you by someone else.
on May 16, 2023

TV host Davina McCall's book about menopause won the highest honor at the British Book Awards.

The year's best book, Menopausing, by McCall and Dr. Naomi Potter, won the award.

After a Channel 4 program on the topic, the so-called "Davina effect" resulted in a sharp rise in demand for hormone replacement treatment (HRT).

Sir Salman Rushdie, a novelist, received recognition as well, nine months after being assaulted on stage in New York.

A panel of judges that included DJ Vick Hope, presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4, and broadcaster Anita Rani gave McCall and Potter's Menopausing high marks.

TV host Davina McCall's book about menopause won the highest honor at the British Book Awards.

The year's best book, Menopausing, by McCall and Dr. Naomi Potter, won the award.

After a Channel 4 program on the topic, the so-called "Davina effect" resulted in a sharp rise in demand for hormone replacement treatment (HRT).

Sir Salman Rushdie, a novelist, received recognition as well, nine months after being assaulted on stage in New York.

A panel of judges that included DJ Vick Hope, presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4, and broadcaster Anita Rani gave McCall and Potter's Menopausing high marks.

Sir Salman Rushdie expressed his pride at receiving the Freedom to Publish award on behalf of "everyone fighting that fight," adding that he was honored to do it.

The distinguished author was assaulted on stage before giving a speech in New York in August 2022, losing vision in one eye and requiring six weeks in the hospital.

For his 1988 book The Satanic Verses, he received death threats for a long time.

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"We live in a moment, I think, at which freedom of expression and freedom to publish has not been under such threat in the countries of the West in my lifetime," he remarked in his acceptance speech.

The freedom to publish, according to the author, includes the right to read whatever you choose without having it dictated to you by someone else.

Rushdie expressed worry over the disappearance of school libraries and children's reading materials.

He called it an "extraordinary attack" and said, "It is quite alarming, and we need to be very aware of it and fight against it very hard."

Additionally, he cautioned publishers against changing the works of writers like Ian Fleming and Roald Dahl. He advised against it and urged them to allow literature "to come to us from their time and be of their time."

Publishers have contributed to the development of debates about "mental health, misogyny, sexuality, and gender, menopause, and more," according to Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and head of the judging panel.

Other honorees at the awards ceremony, which took place on Monday night in London, include:

The author of the year was Bonnie Garmus, who published her first book, Lessons in Chemistry, at the age of 64.
A Pocketful of Happiness, Richard E. Grant's autobiography, earned the audiobook non-fiction prize.
Illustrator of the Year was awarded to Alice Oseman, whose graphic books Heartstopper was the basis for the Netflix series.
RF Kuang was awarded the fiction book of the Year for her breakthrough achievement. Sheena Patel for "I'm a Fan," Babel SF Said for "Tyger," "Dr. Alex George for "A Better Day," and "Louise Kennedy for "Trespasses"