We are delighted to reveal that Iron Man (Salt Publishing), the debut memoir by novelist and short story writer Lynne Bryan, has been crowned Book of the Year at the East Anglian Book Awards 2022.

The announcement was made at a special event hosted by awards partners Jarrold, the Eastern Daily Press and the National Centre for Writing, at Dragon Hall on Thursday evening. Bryan will receive £1,000, generously funded by the PACCAR Foundation.

Lynne Bryan said:

‘If feels absolutely amazing to win. I’ve never won anything for my writing so this is a big thing for me. Iron Man was so very difficult to write and very difficult to place with a publisher. I’m grateful to Salt for being brave enough to take the book on. I’m just thrilled. This prize will give me the confidence to keep writing.’

Published by independent publishing house Salt, based in Cromer, Iron Man is a moving and candid memoir which addresses Bryan’s relationship with her disabled father and the writer’s block she had experienced for over a decade:

‘…the two, I have come to realise, are intertwined. The book began in 2015, at my father’s hospital bedside as he lay dying. I listened to what his visitors said about him, their memories of what happened when he first became paralysed after contracting polio while swimming in the local canal and I noted every detail. A boy of fifteen, able-bodied then suddenly not, confined to a life of dragging himself around using a leg-iron and crutches, a life that exposed him to humiliation and unfairness, that saw him get paid less than able-bodied men, that saw him fire up an extraordinary will to survive. My notes became a diary. 

‘Then I dug out another diary that I’d started at art school and began to make connections between my artworks and references to his leg-iron, which resulted in my making connections with another diary which I’d written when pregnant. On and on.’

The result is a book that talks movingly and candidly about disability, the vulnerability of the body and mind, and the frailty and strength of our corporeality.

The judging panel praised the book for its non-linear structure and shift in narrative voice which explores how Bryan’s father’s disability affected his life, his identity, and his relationship with his wife and daughters: ‘Through this, Bryan shines a light on an effect of ablism not often discussed.’

Caroline Jarrold, community affairs adviser at Jarrold & Sons, said: 

‘Iron Man is the book that Lynne Bryan had to write. It is a brave and honest account, beautifully written and a very worthy winner.

‘Being one of the judges for the East Anglian Book Awards is a pleasure each year. I await the delivery of the package of books with a great sense of anticipation and am always excited to see the category winners. It is a challenge to judge such different types of books against each other and we generally have a robust and interesting debate about preferences and distinctiveness. 

‘It is wonderful to see authors and publishers inspired by this area of the country – whether in the subject matter or as residents or both.’

The Exceptional Contribution Award 2022 for outstanding work within writing and publishing in the region was presented to longstanding publishing magazine The Rialto, which began life in Norwich 40 years ago and is celebrating its 100th issue in 2023. 

On accepting the award, editor Michael Mackmin said: 

‘I am surprised and delighted by the Award and so is everyone else associated with the production of the magazine and our other publications. The East Anglian Book Awards are a landmark event in the rich literary life of the region and their recognition of our years of work supporting and encouraging poetry is a deeply appreciated kindness.’

To qualify for the East Anglian Book Awards, works must be set largely in East Anglia or be written by an author living in the region – which is defined as Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and area of Fenland District Council.

Since the East Anglian Book Awards began in 2008, they have showcased the work of over 150 authors, 200 titles and more almost 100 publishers.

The awards are organised by the Eastern Daily Press, Jarrold and the National Centre for Writing, with support from UEA’s Faculty of Arts & Humanities.

Discover more about the East Anglian Book Awards here.