The winners of The London Book Fair (LBF) International Excellence Awards were announced at a prestigious ceremony on 12 March 2019 – the first day of the fair.
Recipients of the awards, held in association with the Publishers Association, came from countries across five continents.
India’s Tulika Publishers won The Literary Translation Initiative Award. Hailing the children’s book company, judges said, “Tulika is a unique and important initiative. Its ambitious, energetic and inclusive publishing program is driven by a real social imperative, to promote multilingualism and give children stories in the languages they speak at home. Resisting the absolute dominance of English is vital work, and Tulika does that work with charm and humor. Their books, and the messages from the children who read them, brought a smile to our faces.”
Director of The London Book Fair, Jacks Thomas said, “The International Excellence Awards remind us of the inspiring work being done by all those in the global publishing community. From translators in India and librarians in Finland to booksellers in China and literary agents in France, these awards show the breadth of talent working in the publishing industry around the world today. We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations here at The London Book Fair, in the creative capital of the world.”
Stephen Lotinga, chief executive, The UK Publishers Association said, “From Brazil to Kenya, this year’s winners epitomize the potential of publishing to build a better world, making us proud to be part of this global community. We are particularly delighted to see Jacaranda take home the Inclusivity in Publishing Award in recognition of their proven track record and vision in championing diverse talent. It is inspiring to see that the next generation of publishers are equally passionate about reaching every reader – the future is in good hands.”
Among the recipients, the Espoo City Library in Finland took home ‘The Library of the Year Award’, while The Bookstore of the Year Award, sponsored by Gardners, went to Fang Suo Commune in Guangzhou, China. The Literary Festival Award went to the Book Arsenal Literary Festival, which takes place in Kiev, Ukraine. The Audiobook Publisher of the Year prize was taken home by Booklava in the UAE. Porter Anderson, editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives (US), was awarded the inaugural International Book Trade Journalist prize. In the Market Focus Indonesia categories, PT. Bestari Buana Murni was awarded The Market Focus Indonesia Children’s, Young Adult and Education Award. Bentang Pustaka won the Adult Trade Award.
This year’s Inclusivity in Publishing Award, supported by the Publishers Association, was awarded to Jacaranda Books. The Nick Perren Publishing Foundation – established in memory of the “publisher’s publisher” and former Profile chairman Nick Perren presented its inaugural Post-Graduate Publishing Award, in support of African publishing careers, to students Tsholofelo Matlhadji and Kirsten Benecke.
The full list of this year’s International Excellence winners is below:
The Academic and Professional Publisher Award
De Gruyter (Germany)
The Audiobook Publisher of the Year
Booklava (UAE)
The Bookstore of the Year Award sponsored by Gardners
Fang Suo Commune (China)
The Educational Initiatives Award
Tata Trusts (India)
The Educational Learning Resources Award, supported by The China Publishing & Media Journal
Virtual Reading Gym (South Africa)
International Book Trade Journalist
Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Publishing Perspectives (USA)
The Library of the Year Award
Espoo City Library (Finland)
The Literary Translation Initiative Award
Tulika Publishers (India)
The Literary Agent Award
Pierre Astier, Founder and Director, Astier-Pecher Literary & Film Agency (France)
The Literary Festival Award
Book Arsenal Literary Festival (Ukraine)
The Rights Professional Award
Rose Janssens, Foreign Rights Key Account Manager, Clavis Publishing (Belgium)
Eligible for entries from Market Focus Indonesia only:
The Market Focus Indonesia Adult Trade Award
Bentang Pustaka
The Market Focus Indonesia Children’s, Young Adult and Education Award
Bestari Buana Murni
Eligible for entries from all countries, including the UK:
The London Book Fair Simon Master Chairman’s Award
Jessica Kingsley, Founder, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (UK)
Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award: Publisher
EDITORIAL 5 (Brazil)
Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award: Initiative
eKitabu (Kenya)
Eligible for entries from the UK only:
Inclusivity in Publishing Award, supported by the Publishers Association
Jacaranda Books
The Association for Publishing Education (APE) Dissertation and Project Prizes
Postgraduate Dissertation Prize: Emilie Hames (LCC UAL), ‘Environmental Sustainability Within the UK Book Publishing Industry’
Undergraduate Dissertation: Fanny Laetitia Allart (Oxford Brookes University), ‘#PublishingSoWhite: To What Extent is the Lack of Diversity Impacting the Anglo-French Publishing Industry?’
Major Project: Leanne Manfredi (LCC UAL), ‘Re-imagining the archive: activating creativity through publishing’
Overall Winner: Emilie Hames (LCC UAL), ‘Environmental Sustainability Within the UK Book Publishing Industry’.
