• French publisher Actes Sud wins Adult Trade Publisher
• Readings in Australia crowned Bookstore of the Year
• US and Chinese publishers lead the field with two awards each
• Sudan, Brazil, Poland and New Zealand also won awards
LONDON, 12 APRIL 2016 20:00: The winners of The London Book Fair International Excellence Awards, in association with The Publishers Association and sponsored by Hytex, have been announced at a prestigious awards ceremony held tonight, on the first day of LBF.
French publisher Actes Sud took home The Bookseller Adult Trade Publisher Award and was commended for its “depth and breadth of publishing, second-to-none design and production values, and a ground-breaking list”. The judges also praised its imprint Sindbad “which champions writing from the Arabic and Muslim worlds”.
In a new category for 2016, The Bookstore of the Year Award went to Melbourne-based Readings for “its community outreach, support of Australian authors and its help for non-profit organisations working on literacy initiatives”.
The US had another successful year at the awards, with two wins overall. Words Without Borders won The Publishers Weekly Literary Translation Initiative Award with judges reflecting that “literature in the translation sector is flourishing with momentum, passion and innovation”. In The Global Rights 365 Literary Agent Award category, New-York-based The Barbara J. Zitwer Agency, who had previously been nominated for The Outstanding Contribution Award 2014, took the crown and was praised for “for the grace and persistence of her dealings”.
China had a fantastic night and was awarded two highly coveted prizes. The Children’s and Young Adult Trade Publisher Award was presented to Jieli Publishing House Co. Ltd because of “its broad and inclusive approach” and its catalogue reflecting “the best of both home grown and international authors and books”. Meanwhile, China also won the Market Focus Achievement Award as accepted by government ownedCNPIEC (China National Publications Import & Export).
Jacks Thomas, Director, The London Book Fair, said: “The awards represent the very best the publishing industry has to offer across the globe, and we were delighted to see winners from countries as far afield as Sudan, France, Poland, New Zealand and Brazil. For me, meeting and celebrating these publishers’ hard work, dedication and talent is such a fundamental part of the Book Fair. It is these inspiring companies and people around the world who make publishing such a special industry, that I am privileged to work in.”
Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive, The UK Publishers Association, said: “The International Excellence Awards provide an incredible opportunity to recognise achievements within the publishing industry globally. It showcases the wealth of cultural diversity driving the production of enriching works enjoyed by people worldwide. From France to New Zealand, from Sudan to China, the commitment and dedication demonstrated by the publishers has been none other than inspirational and it has been an honour to hear their stories and celebrate as part of the London Book Fair.”
The full list of this year’s International Excellence Awards winners is below:
• The Bookstore of the Year Award – Readings (Australia)
• The Literary Festival Award – Flupp (Brazil)
• The Publishers Weekly Literary Translation Initiative Award – Words without Borders (US)
• The Knowledgespeak Academic and Professional Publisher Award – Auckland University Press (New Zealand)
• The BookBrunch Children’s and Young Adult Trade Publisher Award – Jieli Publishing House Co. Ltd (China)
• The Bookseller Adult Trade Publisher Award – Actes Sud (France)
• The China Publishing & Media Journal Educational Learning Resources Award – SuperMemo World sp. z o.o. (Poland)
• The Global Rights 365 Literary Agent Award – The Barbara J. Zitwer Agency (US)
• The Education Initiatives Award – United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) (Sudan)
• The Market Focus Achievement Award – Market Focus China (China)
• The Total Licensing IP Rights Across Media Award – The Night Zookeeper (UK)
Also hosted on the night was a selection of awards held in association with The London Book Fair:
• The London Book Fair Simon Master Chairman’s Award – Ernest Hecht
• The Quantum Publishing Innovation Award – To be decided at Monday’s Quantum Conference
• The IPA Prix Voltaire 2016 – Raif Badawi (Saudi Arabia)
• The London Book Fair Trailblazer Awards
o George Burgess, Entrepreneur and Marketing Lead at Gojimo
o Clio Cornish, Executive Publisher at HarperCollins
o Nick Coveney, Head of Digital at Kings Road Publishing
o Ella Kahn, Co-Founder of DKW Literary Agency & Bryony Woods, Co-Founder of DKW Literary Agency
• The Association for Publishing Education Dissertation and Project Prizes
o Best Dissertation for a Postgraduate: Veronica Morgan, University College London
o Best Dissertation for an Undergraduate: Fiona Parker, Loughborough University (BA Publishing with English)
o Best Overall Project: Amy Ellis, Oxford Brookes University
• Accessible Books Consortium Award for Accessible Publishing: Initiative (Joint winner)
o Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD) (Nepal)
o DK & the DK Braille Concept Development Team (UK)
• Accessible Books Consortium Award for Accessible Publishing: Publisher – Elsevier B.V
• The London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award – Gail, Baroness Rebuck, DBE, Chair of Penguin Random House, UK
The awards, which celebrate international excellence in the book industry, cover the whole scope of international publishing, including academic and scholarly publishing, children’s publishing, literary translation and digital innovation. In each award category the judging panel was made up of experts in that sector.
The awards were presented at The London Book Fair, London Olympia Conference Centre on Tuesday 12th April. The drinks reception was sponsored by UKTI.
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For further information about The London Book Fair International Excellence Awards 2016, please contact: Ashley Baugh at Midas Public Relations on 0207 361 7860 or ashley.baugh@midaspr.co.uk
2016 SHOW DATES
THE LONDON BOOK FAIR, OLYMPIA, LONDON
Tuesday 12 – Thursday 14 April 2016
Notes to editors:
THE LONDON BOOK FAIR
About The London Book Fair (LBF)
The London Book Fair (LBF) is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Taking place every spring in the world’s premier publishing and cultural capital, it is a unique opportunity to explore, understand and capitalise on the innovations shaping the publishing world of the future. LBF brings you direct access to customers, content and emerging markets. LBF 2016, the 45th Fair, will take place from Tuesday 12-Thursday 14 April 2016, Olympia London. LBF’s London Book and Screen Week will run for the third year, with the book fair as the pivotal three-day event within a seven-day programme. London Book and Screen Week will begin on Monday 11 April. In 2016, LBF’s charity of the year is First Story. For further information, please visit:www.londonbookfair.co.uk.
The Publishers Association
The Publishers Association is the leading trade organisation serving book, journal, audio and electronic publishers in the UK. Membership comprises over 100 companies from across the consumer, academic and education sectors. Its core service is representation and lobbying, around copyright, rights and other matters relevant to members, who represent roughly 80% of the industry by turnover. www.publishers.org.uk
Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 30 countries. In 2015 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 40 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries. www.reedexpo.com