Jesse Norman has expressed his delight at the news last week that his historical novel The Winding Stair has won the 2024 Fiction/Non-fiction Parliamentary Book Award at a ceremony in the Palace of Westminster.

The book was shortlisted by the Publishers Association judges alongside recent books by former MP Rory Stewart and Chris Bryant MP.

Commenting afterwards, Jesse said "It is a miracle! I never thought my book stood a chance against the others, so  am just thrilled that it has won.

“All the proceeds of the book go to support students at NMITE, our new university project in Herefordshire, so I hope this will boost sales as well!”

The Winding Stair is a historical novel set in the reign of Elizabeth I and James I which tells the story of the toxic 30-year rivalry of two titans of the era, the philosopher and essayist Francis Bacon and the lawyer and judge Edward Coke.

It has been acclaimed as “An Elizabethan House of Cards” by Michael Dobbs, and “An absolutely thrilling read” by Stephen Fry.