EL James wins at the National Book Awards

Universal Pictures has acquired the film rights to the Fifty Shades trilogy

EL James's best seller Fifty Shades of Grey has been named popular fiction book of the year at the Specsavers National Book Awards in London.

The erotic novelist beat competition from Kate Mosse, JoJo Moyes, Victoria Hislop, Bernard Cornwell and Dorothy Koomson to win the accolade.

This year's Booker Prize winner, Hilary Mantel, was chosen as the UK author of the year for a second time.

The outstanding achievement award went to crime writer Ian Rankin.

Comedian Miranda Hart landed the non-fiction prize for Is It Just Me, while broadcaster Claire Balding took home the biography of the year award, seeing off competition from Salman Rushdie and David Mitchell.

Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers beat celebrity chefs Mary Berry, Lorraine Pascale and Hugh Fearney-Whittingstall to take the food and drink book of the year for The Hairy Dieters.

David Walliams, who was beaten in the children's book of the year category in 2011, had success at last night's ceremony, hosted by Daybreak's Lorraine Kelly.

The comedian-turned-author took the top prize over Simon Mayo, Liz Pichon and Catheryn Constable, for his book Ratburger.

US author Eowyn Ivey was named international author of the year for her book, The Snow Child, about an Alaskan couple who sculpt a child out of snow.

While new writer of the year award went to the Booker-nominated Rachel Joyce, for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

Each of the winners will now go forward to compete for the best overall book of the year, voted for by the public, which will be announced on 26 December.