LBF International Excellence Awards 2023 Shortlist Revealed

LBF International Excellence Awards 2023 Shortlist Revealed

North America leads the pack of nominees while Kosovo makes its Awards debut

Debut shortlistees include Turkey, Germany and Canada

Bloomsbury Publishing recognised for both Sustainability and Inclusivity initiatives

USA dominates Audiobook category

London, Wednesday 15 March 2023. The London Book Fair has today announced the shortlists for the International Excellence Awards 2023, with six countries represented across three continents.

Entering their tenth anniversary year, the International Excellence Awards (IEAs) recognise publishing achievement across four categories, championing those organisations and individuals from around the world demonstrating passion, creativity, and ingenuity. The shortlist for each award category was selected by a judging panel comprised of experts within that sector. The London Book Fair runs the awards in partnership with the Publishers Association.

This year’s shortlist features seven different countries, with Kosovo shortlisted for the first time, and North America the stand-out with five nominations. Across the categories, Bloomsbury Publishing appears twice, given the nod for both Sustainability and Inclusivity categories, while Canada’s New Society Publishers and USA’s Pushkin Industries make their shortlist debut.

In what is further testament to the ongoing strength of the North American audiobook market, the USA-dominated Audiobook Publisher of the Year shortlist comprises Macmillan Audio, Princeton University Press and Pushkin Industries, while the ongoing resilience of bookstores across the world is reflected in the Award’s debut-filled shortlist for 2023, with Dukagjini Bookstore (Kosovo), MINOA (Turkey) and STRANDLÄUFER Verlagsbuchhandlung (Germany) all in the running for Bookstore of the Year.

The growing importance of sustainability measures within publishing is recognised in a new category for 2023, the Sustainability Initiative Award, with Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), New Society Publishers (Canada) and Penguin Random House UK in the running, while the importance of diversity and inclusion is once again highlighted by the UK-based Inclusivity in Publishing Award, whose shortlist features Bloomsbury Publishing, Bonnier Books and Springer Nature.

Gareth Rapley, Director, The London Book Fair, said: “Excellence in publishing lies at the heart of everything The London Book Fair champions, and 2023’s International Excellence Awards shortlist is a timely reminder of the many inspirational companies working hard to make publishing a more inclusive and accessible place. LBF is especially proud to welcome the new Sustainability category, in recognition of its growing importance within the industry. We congratulate our shortlistees, and look forward to uniting, and spotlighting, our global colleagues at The London Book Fair 2023.”

The full shortlist of The London Book Fair International Excellence Awards is:

  • The Audiobook Publisher of the Year
    • Macmillan Audio (USA)
    • Princeton University Press (USA)
    • Pushkin Industries (USA)
    • Readyland LLC (USA) – Special Commendation
  • The Bookstore of the Year Award
    • Dukagjini Bookstore (Kosovo)
    • MINOA (Turkey)
    • STRANDLÄUFER Verlagsbuchhandlung (Germany)
    • Rovingheights (Nigeria) – Special Commendation
  • The Sustainability Initiative Award
    • Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
    • New Society Publishers (Canada)
    • Penguin Random House UK

Eligible for entries from the UK only:

  • Inclusivity in Publishing Award
    • Bloomsbury Publishing
    • Bonnier Books
    • Springer Nature

The winners of the International Excellence Awards, alongside the recipient of the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award, will be celebrated at a public ceremony at Olympia London on Wednesday 19 April.

Visitor registration for LBF23 is now open.

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