London, 8 March 2021. The winners of the sixth annual Trailblazer Awards have been announced today, as The London Book Fair launches a new mentorship scheme connecting past and present winners of the prestigious awards.
Celebrating young talent under the age of 30 in the publishing industry, this year’s Trailblazers include an Events Manager breaking down barriers to publishing, a Bookseller who opened her own bookshop at 26 years old, a Literary Agent demystifying the industry for newcomers, an Editor championing marginalised voices, and a Programme Manager supporting Northern writers while running her own popular BookTuber channel.
The winners of the 2021 Trailblazer Awards are:
- Ain-Deheb Bensenouci, Partnerships and Events Manager, Penguin Contact
- Grace Keane, Programme Manager, New Writing North
- Hannah Chukwu, Assistant Editor at Hamish Hamilton
- Olivia Rosenthall, Owner, Maldon Books
- Silé Edwards, Literary Agent, Mushens Entertainment
Clockwise from top left: Hannah Chukwu; Olivia Rosenthall; Silé Edwards; Ain-Deheb Bensenouci; Grace Keane
The Trailblazer Awards are run by The London Book Fair, in partnership with the Publishers Association, supported by the Society of Young Publishers and BookBrunch.
As part of this year’s prize, the five winners will receive mentorship from previous Trailblazer Awards recipients, including Anna Russo (Hodder Education), Bryony Woods (DKW Literary Agency), Ella Kahn (DKW Literary Agency), Heather McDaid (404 Ink), and Phoebe Morgan (HarperCollins). The new mentorship programme will help winners to develop their publishing careers and network during the pandemic, with past Trailblazers sharing the expertise they have gained since they took home the award themselves.
Andy Ventris, Director of The London Book Fair, commented: “We are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Trailblazer Awards, featuring inspiring individuals from across the book world. It has been a challenging year for publishing, but these winners demonstrate the passion, dedication and creativity which make the industry so resilient. We look forward to seeing what all five of them do next.”
This year’s Trailblazers will be promoted across The London Book Fair’s social media channels, as well in BookBrunch, and will receive the coveted Trailblazer trophy. An event bringing together the five winners is planned for the fair, allowing them to discuss their careers, the issues that matter to them and thoughts on the future of the publishing industry. Details of the event will be released shortly.