“Fran Galovic” Koprivnica Public Library (Croatia) awarded Library of the Year
Rahva Ramat Viru Store (Estonia) named Bookstore of the Year
Saga Egmont (Denmark) is Audiobook Publisher of the Year award
Tulika Publishers (India) wins inaugural Children’s & Young Adult Publisher Award
London, 25 March 2022. The winners of The London Book Fair (LBF) International Excellence Awards have been announced today, with eight recipients named from across seven countries.
Croatia’s “Fran Galovic” Koprivnica Public Library receives the coveted The Library of the Year Award, with judges praising the work it has done to support its community during the pandemic. They said, “We felt that the Croatian submission reflected the work that has been done by librarians everywhere – not just to put information online but to build the digital literacy and skills that users, particularly children and young people, need to stay engaged and keep learning online.”
Rahva Raamat Viru Store (Estonia) is the winner of The Bookstore of the Year Award, being commended for “demonstrating the importance of sustainability throughout its refurbishment, combining ‘fusion environments’ that respect their roots, nourish nostalgia, and also provide modern technical services. These all combine to create a wonderful, cultural oasis for its community and customers, regardless of their language, interests or age, served by knowledgeable staff who are inspired to offer a level of service that matches the stimulating environment.”
Institut Ramon Llull (Spain), who are involved in this year’s Spotlight on Catalan at The London Book Fair, take home the Literary Translation Initiative Award. Judges praised the organisation, saying “The Institut Ramon Llull really punches above its weight. Working in partnership with the extensive networks it has developed among universities, cultural centres, publishers and translators, it has created a wide-ranging set of interconnected initiatives to promote translation – from providing translation grants, residencies and summer-school support for budding translators, to fellowships for publishers and literary agents. Through their work in exporting and championing Catalan literature and those translators working in the field, the Institut Ramon Llull helps to ensure that Catalan literature, across all genres, thrives well beyond its own borders.”
The Audiobook Publisher of the Year category sees Saga Egmont (Denmark) take home the prize, beating previous winner Penguin Random House. The judges recognised the Danish publisher’s “international reach, plus the breadth of their global audio publishing, and their commitment to translating into multiple languages and reaching new territories.” The panel also admired Saga Egmont’s “commitment to recording previously unavailable titles and bringing them to a new audience”. Macmillan Audio (USA) also received a special commendation from the judges for “impressive growth over and above organic market growth, showcasing bestsellers and for their creativity and promotion which garnered critical acclaim”.
Tulika Publishers (India) is the inaugural winner of the Children’s & Young Adult Publisher Award, introduced this year. Judges recognised the organisation’s “clear publishing philosophy and the commitment that they show in their publishing programme to create books for a wide group of young readers in different languages”. Editions Animées (France) meanwhile takes home the Educational Innovation Award, another new category for 2022, with the judging panel calling the publisher’s BlinkBook initiative “an engaging way to use technology and innovative in drawing young children into the world of reading, providing helpful support to the core learning process”.
Further to the Literary Translation win, Spain takes a second victory with Anna Soler-Pont from the Pontas Agency (Spain) being named as the recipient of the Rights Professional Award, sponsored by the Sharjah Book Authority. The judges praised Soler-Pont’s agency as “not only outstanding among Spanish agencies but exceptional in its history of having reached out to writers beyond Europe, notably in the Middle East and Asia, and to have found them publishers all over the world”.
This year’s Inclusivity in Publishing Award, has been awarded to Bloomsbury. The judges noted that they were “impressed by the breadth of the scope of Bloomsbury’s efforts surrounding diversity and inclusion, addressing a wide range of areas.” The publisher’s approach to Equal Opportunities staff data collection projects was also noted as a positive area of focus, as was their action plan for how the organisation will work to embed inclusion even further moving forwards.
Andy Ventris, Director of The London Book Fair, said “As publishers from around the world prepare to reconnect in person at this year’s London Book Fair in April, we are delighted to announce the winners of the International Excellence Awards 2022, representing the very best in the global book industry.
“Over the past few challenging years, publishing has shown time and again a dedication to readers and a passion for the written word, which cannot fail to impress and inspire. We look forward to meeting with some of the winners in person at the fair to discuss their work and learn how they intend to innovate further in future.”
The winners of the International Excellence Awards who are attending this year’s London Book Fair will receive their awards at the fair. Video interviews of all International Excellence Award winners will appear on both the London Book Fair website and social media.
The full list of this year’s International Excellence winners is below:
The Audiobook Publisher of the Year
- Saga Egmont (Denmark)
- Special Commendation – Macmillan Audio (USA)
The Bookstore of the Year Award
- Rahva Raamat Viru Store (Estonia)
The Library of the Year Award
- “Fran Galovic” Koprivnica Public Library (Croatia)
The Literary Translation Initiative Award
- Institut Ramon Llull (Spain)
Children’s & Young Adult Publisher Award
- Tulika Publishers (India)
The Educational Innovation Award
- Editions Animées (France)
The Rights Professional Award, sponsored by Sharjah Book Authority
- Anna Soler-Pont, Pontas Agency (Spain)
Eligible for entries from the UK only:
Inclusivity in Publishing Award
- Bloomsbury