The Business Book Awards – shortlisted titles PR professionals should read

Showcasing the top business reads in 2026, the Business Book Award winners will be announced on 16 September. Highlighting the quality and variety of business publishing, this annual celebration reflects the growing demand for knowledge in a landscape that sees half a million new business start-ups in the UK every year.

Head judge Jacq Burns, former editorial director at Harper Collins, and a judging panel of experts from business, publishing and related fields will whittle down the winners from a shortlist of 130 books by established authors and new ‘authorpreneurs’ - consultants, industry experts and founders. We look at who might scoop an award this year in some of the key categories…

Specialist business book 

Internal Communication in Times of Crisis by Alison Arnot (Kogan Page)
Arnot will be familiar to many Influence readers as an interviewee and CIPR trainer. Here she draws on 25 years’ eye-of-the-storm experience - including working on comms during the 2007 Glasgow Airport terrorist attack - to answer the questions every internal comms pro needs to know when events take an unexpected turn. Whether it’s the M&S 2025 cyberattack, Royal Mail’s ransomware problems or just about every company during the pandemic, it’s clear organisational crises are becoming an unavoidable part of modern business. Arnot’s book is a prescient, practical guide every internal communicator will need on their desks if they want to keep employees engaged, informed and reassured.

Sales and marketing

Human First Marketing by Phil Treagus-Evans (Hercules Street Publishing)
Marketing isn't working like it used to; content feels the same, ad fatigue has kicked in and brand trust is at a low. So, how do you ensure your marketing strategy works effectively in the era of AI and rising consumer expectations? The answer according to Phil Treagus-Evans is ‘human-first marketing’, as he reveals the theories and strategies his social media marketing agency uses to help brands become impossible to ignore, deeply trusted and built to last.

People, culture and management

The Emotional Life of Organisations by Michael Dayton (Routledge)
For Michael Dayton, organisations grow, compete and change based on the emotions that drive people's choices and goals. Yet, most business books ignore this fundamental driver and focus instead on the logical and ‘cognitive’ aspects of work. From the emotional impact of remote working to navigating uncertainty and addressing workplace envy, this practical guide helps leaders to work with the emotions that motivate employees and channel them for a roadmap to success. 

Change and sustainability

The Good Communicator by Virginia Cinquemani (Practical Inspiration Publishing)
Despite all the compelling evidence to suggest we should wake up to tackling climate change, sustainability and ESG leaders in business are still largely struggling to sell sustainability to board, clients and teams. Cinquemani argues that better communication is key to solving the climate crisis and shows how to accelerate transformation within organisations by crafting messages that inspire and influence people to collaborate and co-create new futures. 

Work and life

Another Door Opens by Eleanor Tweddell (Blink Publishing)
Change can feel disorientating and daunting, and it can be hard to know how to approach what happens next. Change consultant Eleanor Tweddell reframes endings as beginnings, helping you navigate transition, from redundancy to illness, using a five-step framework to embrace the space between life chapters. Her manifesto is one for change with bold clarity, turning fear into fuel, resistance into possibility and sparking ideas so you can move forward with purpose and energy.

Business self-development

Trend Leader by Joanna Feeley (Rethink Press)
Who is your future customer? The ability to understand trends, prompt conversations about the future and help organisations adapt to change will be among the most desirable leadership skills over the next decade. Feely steps in with a practical guide for those working in design, insight and marketing roles, to help to demystify trends, understand and use them, with six principles of trend leadership to follow to supercharge your career. 

International business book

The Belonging Paradox by Danny Gal (LID Publishing)
Life pivots around the paradox of belonging; connecting with others while staying true to our unique selves. Gal explores the importance of achieving balance in this perpetual tension at every level, from the personal to the organisational. Effectively managing this, he says, benefits both the personal and social expression of individuals, as well as being a key to sustainability and prosperity, a phenomenon he describes as ‘unique belonging’.

Anna Melville James is an award-winning freelance journalist who has written for the Sunday Times Travel Magazine, the Independent, the Mail on Sunday, National Geographic Traveller, the Guardian, Country Living and everywoman.