Local MP Jesse Norman won the Best Non-Fiction by a Parliamentarian Award for ’Adam Smith: What He Thought and Why it Matters’ at the 2018 Parliamentary Book Awards.

In the book Norman discusses the life of economist Adam Smith, and dispels the myths that have grown around his legacy and beliefs. 

Tessa Jowell and Frances D’Souza won Best Memoir and Jesse tweeted: “An honour, and doubly so to be alongside the late, lovely and brilliant Tessa Jowell. A wonderful person, and a great friend of all the work of @RoundhouseLDN over many years. Thank you Tessa.”

The late MP and former Lord Speaker won for The Power of Politicians (Haus Publishing (published with the Westminster Abbey Institute)), which explores Jowell’s career in Parliament to examine what makes a good politician. 

Former Labour cabinet minister Dame Tessa died, aged 70, in May this year after being diagnosed with brain cancer a year earlier. 

Launched by the Booksellers Association and the Publishers Association in 2016, the shortlist was voted for by UK bookshops, with parliamentarians then voting for the winner in each category.

The awards ceremony was held at the House of Commons hosted by Dame Margaret Hodge MP and presented by Pippa Crerar, Political Editor at The Daily Mirror.