The honour is one of John Grisham's first in the UK

Other winners at the ceremony included Peter Kay for best biography, while Ricky Gervais's Flanimals of the Deep was named children's book of the year.

The Dangerous Book for Boys was named book of the year, and the author of the year prize went to Richard Dawkins, writer of The God Delusion.

The show, hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, airs on Friday on C4.

'Immensely gratifying'

While legal thriller writer Grisham - who has sold more that 250 million books in his 20-year career - picked up a lifetime achievement award, Ian Rankin's The Naming of the Dead won best crime thriller.

Ian Rankin won the crime thriller of the year prize

Grisham expressed his delight at winning the plaudit, saying "as a writer of popular fiction I do not pick up many awards".

Author of the year Dawkins said he was ""much honoured and truly delighted" to win his award.

He added: "It is immensely gratifying to me that The God Delusion seems to have struck a chord with so many people across the country who cast their vote in its favour."

Jed Rubenfield won the best read of the year honour for his book The Interpretation of Murder, currently number one in the paperback fiction charts.

The popular fiction award was given to Marian Keyes for Anybody Out There, while Victoria Hislop's saga of a Greek community living close to a leper colony, The Island, was judged to be the best debut.

The TV and film book of the year award was also won by first-timer Lauren Weisberger for The Devil Wears Prada, which was adapted into a Hollywood film starring Meryl Streep.