The TikTok Book Awards are back for a second year, revealing a new cohort of BookTokkers vying for the title of BookTok creator of the year.
Videos on reading and creative writing have gained such momentum in recent years that the app has reintroduced its book awards in the UK and Ireland this year.
With over 167 billion views, the BookTok community actively encourages Gen Z around the world to read a book.
Behind the rise are content creators who convey their love of novels in different ways, whether by curating book lists or reviewing them.
To celebrate their contributions, TikTok has revealed the creators nominated for the BookTok Creator of the Year award.
The TikTok Book Awards are back for a second year, revealing a new category of creators competing for the BookTok Creator of the Year award, including Maisie Matilda (pictured).
Industry experts will review the longlist, including previous winner Eden Victoria alongside Jack Edwards, Publishers Association chief executive Dan Conway and The Bookseller editor Philip Jones.
The winner will be determined by the public in the UK and Ireland through an in-app vote in July.
Elsewhere, the awards ceremony will also recognize other impressive book-related feats on the platform, including International Book of the Year and Rising Star: BookTok Creator of the Year.
Here, FEMAIL explores the contenders for the BookTok Creator of the Year award.
Maisie Matilda @maisie_matilda
Maisie Matilda contributes to the BookTok community not by reading or writing, but by painting.
So how does it qualify to be nominated in BookTok’s Creator of the Year category? Because he paints on books.
Maisie paints intricate designs inspired by the books directly onto the pages, and her intricate designs have racked up millions of likes.
If he’s not painting Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in Twilight series books, he’s painting classics like Pretty Woman or Pride and Prejudice.
While the artist has received “thousands” of commission requests, she is currently turning down any offers from her fans to purchase her creations because she is “overwhelmed” by their popularity and can’t keep up, according to her Instagram.
Abby’s books @abbysbooks
Abby (pictured), 24, from the UK, has amassed 400,000 followers on the app by sharing her must-reads.
Abby, 24, from the UK, made her mark on BookTok by sharing her best reads with others.
Her shelves are filled with novels of different shapes and sizes, and Abby gives her followers her honest thoughts about each one.
She is a true bookworm and loves to share her knowledge with her 400 thousand followers.
Your fans benefit from weekly recaps and reviews of the content you’ve consumed that week.
And when she’s not offering her opinion on books, like Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar or Ella King’s Bad Fruit, she’s creating relatable memes for the BookTok community to laugh at.
Zai Rambles – @zairambles
BookTok content creator Zai Rambles celebrates Black representation in film and literature.
Moving around New York, Los Angeles and London, Zai shares his thoughts on a variety of genres.
From African mythology books to anime shows, Zai has it all covered and explains his thoughts on them along the way.
In addition to making his mark on the BookTok community, Zai also runs a film club, with a particular interest in shows and films that were once books in their original form, such as Candice Carty-William’s Queenie, which will become a television program.
Fantasy Annex – @anexwilson
While other BookTok creators keep their coverage broad, @anexwilson sticks to what he knows: fantasy novels.
Based in London, the content creator knows the ins and outs of most novels in the genre and his specialty is recommending the ones worth reading.
However, it’s clear that it has a personal favorite: The Lord of the Rings, and much of its content is about the epic fantasy adventure.
But Fantasy Anexe takes his love of JRR Tolkien’s novels to the next level, analyzing each scene and sharing his thoughts with his 290 thousand followers.
Shane Donohue – @irishfella.exe
Shane Donohue (pictured) has made a name for himself reading ‘bedtime stories’ to his followers.
Shane Donohue from Clare, Ireland, initially started his account as a joke, but has since amassed more than two million followers.
The TikTok star has gained a cult following by live-streaming in the evenings and reading ‘bedtime stories’ to those who tune in.
He told the irish mirror: “During lockdown I decided to start over and I saw someone reading on TikTok and I thought it would be fun, you know, someone with dyslexia and a lisp to read bedtime stories.”
After launching the account, Shane received a flood of messages from fans praising how reading it helped them relax and sleep better at night.
Now, he regularly livestreams his followers reading a variety of classics, such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Bill Wood – @billreads
Bill Woods (pictured) behind @billreads is not only a BookTok content creator but also an established author.
UK-based Bill Woods is more than just a BookTok content creator, but also the author of Let’s Split Up, a thriller set to release in September 2024 under Scholastic.
After graduating from Birmingham City University, where she gained a BA with Honors in Film and Screenwriting, she entered the world of BookTok.
You can expect candid reviews on her TikTok channel, focused on young adult mystery novels.
As well as writing books and reviewing them on TikTok, he also sells books at Waterstones, practically making him an expert at his craft.
Coco -@cultofbooks
Coco loves to read, whether fantasy, romance or thrillers, and that is why her biggest dream in life is to have a bookstore.
The UK-based content creator loves all aspects when it comes to books, whether it’s discussing them with others or setting up camp and diving into a new book.
He has amassed a loyal fan base of 80k followers on TikTok, and his fans are eager to hear his opinion on the newly released novels.
And when she’s not excited about her new novel, she actively helps the underprivileged through fundraising.
Stacey @literaryfling
London-based Stacey is well known in the BookTok community and regularly shares videos about her top reads and recommendations.
Followers can expect monthly recaps of the books you’ve read in the past few weeks.
Stacey not only talks about her must-reads, but also her writing and publishing interests.
Stacey is currently pursuing her passion of becoming an author and helps encourage others in the industry by sharing resources.
