Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones in the running for author of the year

Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones has been nominated for author of the year at this year's British Book Awards.

The Welsh actress, writer and comedian, 59, who is best known for co-creating the hit BBC sitcom, had two books published last year.

Following the show's final episode in 2024, Jones and co-creator James Corden wrote a memoir about the series titled When Gavin Met Stacey And Everything In Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship.

It explores the origins of the sitcom, its success and its record-breaking Christmas special.

The audiobook version has earned Jones a nomination in the audiobook non-fiction category, alongside her author of the year nomination.

The British Book Awards celebrate the best books published in 2025, with winners set to be announced at a ceremony in London on 11 May.

Jones, who grew up in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, had her first novel, Never Greener, published in 2018.

Since then she has written, Us Three (2020), Love Untold (2022), and released her most recent novel, By Your Side, last year.

By Your Side follows Linda Standish, a council worker in the unclaimed heirs unit who investigates the lives of people who have died alone and attempts to track down any surviving relatives. As she prepares to retire, her final case centres on a Welshman who had made his home on a remote Scottish island.

Jones will compete for the author of the year award against a number of high-profile writers including American author Freida McFadden, known for the bestselling novel The Housemaid, and Mick Herron, whose Slough House espionage thriller series has gained a wide readership.

Illustrator Charlie Mackesy, fantasy novelist AF Steadman and The Forty Rules Of Love author Elif Shafak are also nominated in the category.

Other awards at the ceremony include categories for best illustrator, fiction, debut fiction, science fiction and fantasy, discover, romantic fiction author and graphic novel.

This year will also see the BBC Radio 2 Book Club award presented for the first time. The winner will be chosen from last year's BBC Radio 2 Book Club selections by a judging panel that includes Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox.

Cox said she was "chuffed to bits" to be launching the award.