From a list of 90 entrants, a shortlist of three books in six categories has been announced for the East Anglian Book Awards 2019. Who are the contenders for East Anglian Book of the Year 2019?

The shortlist for the coveted East Anglian Book Awards 2019 has been revealed, celebrating the very best of publishing, writing and reading in the region.

Now in their 12th year, the awards celebrate writing talent within the East of England. The East Anglian Book Awards are a partnership between Jarrold, EDP, and the National Centre for Writing, supported by UEA Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the PACCAR Foundation.

This year over 90 eligible books were submitted by more than 60 publishers. Since the awards launched in 2008, they have highlighted the works of approximately 150 authors, 200 titles, and more than 100 publishers.

Chris Gribble, chief executive of the National Centre for Writing, said: "This is the 12th year of the East Anglian Book Awards, and what a promising year it has been so far. We've received over 90 books from more than 60 publishers, showing once again that the creativity and talent of our region is truly flourishing. We're incredibly excited by the shortlist that the judges have selected this year - these are stories that give life and voice to East Anglia's past, present and future."

The shortlisted titles will now be considered for the Book by the Cover Award, judged by members of the East Anglian Writers. The winning book from each category will be considered by a final judging panel of representatives from Jarrold, the EDP, National Centre for Writing and University of East Anglia. One of these six finalists will go on to win the Book of the Year Award with prize money of £1,000, courtesy of the PACCAR Foundation.

Archant's Liz Nice, who is one of the judges said: "We're very excited to be involved in the book awards again this year. The standard is very high and it's such a wonderful celebration of the best of East Anglian writing. We especially love the books that evoke our home so well or those that are inspired by living here. I can't wait to read the finalists and will look forward to the judging process which will finally bring us this year's East Anglian book of the year!"

The category winners, Book by the Cover Award, Exceptional Contribution Award and the Book of the Year Award will be announced at the ceremony on Friday, November 15.

The shortlisted titles are:

Biography & Memoir

Judged by Chris Rushby, former Book Buyer at Jarrold

Eye on the Hill: Horse Travels in Britain by Richard Barnes (Frontier)

The Easternmost House by Juliet Blaxland (Sandstone)

The Photographer at Sixteen by George Szirtes (Maclehose)

Fiction

Judged by Dr Kate Mattocks, UEA

I Thought I Knew You by Penny Hancock (Mantle)

The Rumour by Lesley Kara (Corgi)

How It Ends by Saskia Sarginson (Piatkus)

General Non-Fiction

Judged by Christine Webber, author

A Claxton Diary: Further Field Notes from a Small Planet by Mark Cocker (Jonathan Cape)

Landscape of Towers by Clive Dunn (Lasse Press)

Wings Over Water by Alan Marshall (Mascot Media)

History & Tradition

Judged by Prof. Katy Cubitt, UEA

From Bears to Bishops: Norfolk's Medieval Church Carvings by Paul Harley (Mascot Media)

A Very Dangerous Locality by Robert Liddiard and David Sims (University of Hertfordshire Press)

Crossing the Bar by Robert Smith with Zoe Dunford (Harbour Master)

The Mal Peet Children's Award

Judged by Rowan Mantell, Archant

Between Worlds: Folktales of Britain and Ireland by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Walker)

Grumpy Duck by Joyce Dunbar and Petr Horacek (Walker)

How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear by Jess French and Angela Keoghan (Nosy Crow)

Poetry

Judged by Matt Howard, author and winner of the EABA Poetry Award 2018

Girl by Rebecca Goss (Carcanet)

The Built Moment by Lavinia Greenlaw (Faber)

The Anatomical Venus by Helen Ivory (Bloodaxe)

To qualify, works must be set largely in East Anglia or be written by an author living in the region - which is defined as Norfolk and Suffolk, Essex and area of Fenland District Council.

Books must have been physically published for the first time between July 28, 2018 and July 26, 2019 - and must have been commercially available in physical bookshops.

Discover who the winners of this year's Awards are - as well as the winner of the East Anglian Book of the Year Award - at the East Anglian Book Awards 2018 and Jarrold Literary Lunch on Friday, November 15, at Norwich City Football Club. For tickets, visit https://www.jarrold.co.uk/events-diary/events-list/eaba-awards-19