Lewis Hancox rejoices after his memoir is shortlisted for an award!
By Louis Such
Credit: Lewis Hancox
Lewis Hancox has rose in popularity in recent years following the continued release of his social media videos, which contain both relatable and loved characters. The internet star is also a big advocate for the trans community, using his social media accounts to raise awareness of issues they face and provides information based on personal experiences.
In June 2022, Lewis released his debut book titled ‘WELCOME TO ST. Hell’ which is a memoir about his own story as a trans teen. Upon the books pre-order release it stormed the Amazon charts, reaching number 1 in a variety of LGBTQ+ and graphic novel categories. Following the books success, Lewis has taken to social media this week to share that it has been shortlisted to win Waterstone’s Book of the Year 2023 in the older readers category.
Waterstones have faced backlash from numerous social media users for including Lewis’ book in this years awards. In response to these comments the British book retailer released a statement stating how proud they were to include all those that were shortlisted. They also advised that people read ‘WELCOME TO ST. HELL’ fully instead of pages which are taken out of context. Read the full statement from Waterstones below:
Credit: Waterstones
The nominees are voted for by Waterstones’ book sellers and are picked based on being the best new release in children’s writing and illustration. There are 18 books in total which have been shortlisted for an award; they are then split into three categories (Illustrated books, younger readers and older readers).
An awards ceremony is set to be held on the 30th of March, with the winner of each category set to receive a £2,000 prize. Once these categories have been concluded, the overall winner of the evening will be announced and they then receive an extra £3,000 (in the event of a tie, the money will be split between the joint winners).
Check out the full list of nominees below:
We would like to wish Lewis and everyone else who has been shortlisted the best of luck!
What do you think of ‘WELCOME TO ST. HELL’? Which book do you think will win? Let us know on Twitter & Instagram @CelebNews_Plus