Beating off stiff competition from bestselling titles such as Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman and Paula Hawkins' hit train-set thriller, the work spells something of a backlash against e-reader domination - colourful, substantial and something to keep forever. Waterstones' Managing Director James Daunt describes The Fox and the Star as a book of “great physical beauty and timeless quality.”

In her thoughtful approach to a universal theme, Coralie also challenges the idea of neatly-defined categories separating “children” and “adults”.

An award-winning designer of Penguin's cloth-bound books, Coralie took a six-month sabbatical to work on her debut. She cites William Blake's poem Eternity as her inspiration for the story, while her “design hero” William Morris' iconic botanical motifs inspired the backdrop to her moving prose.

“I am incredibly touched and honoured that The Fox and the Star has been voted Waterstones Book of the Year 2015,” says Coralie. “I am especially thrilled that the Waterstones booksellers have chosen a book that hopefully speaks to children and adults alike. The Fox and the Star was the result of a very personal journey so for it to be recognised in this way means a lot to me.”

The 2015 Waterstones Book of the Year shortlist

The Fox and the Star by Coralie Bickford-Smith
SPQR by Mary Beard
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

An e-reader backlash? Beautiful and magical illustrated fable named Book of the Year by Waterstones