John Peel's autobiography, of which he had completed 52,000 words before his death, and which was finished by the legendary DJ's wife Sheila, has been shortlisted for a WH Smith Book Of The Year Award. 'Margrave Of The Marshes' is up against JK Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', Piers Morgan's 'The Insider', Jamie Oliver's 'Jamie's Italy', Sharon Osbourne's 'Extreme: My Autobiography', and Jeremy Clarkson's 'The World According to Clarkson'
The awards, now in their seventh year also include categories for Biography Of The Year, Author Of The Year and The Popular Fiction Award, and they are the only book awards to be decided by a public vote. I'm hoping Jeremy Clarkson doesn't win, and so is Piers Morgan, who has an ongoing feud with his fellow nominee and says: "I am absolutely desperate to win, purely to see Jeremy Clarkson's face as I do a little celebratory conga on stage."