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8th March 2024

The British Book Awards

17:00 - 01:00
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London and Online

The British Book Awards is a celebration of books and all who make them.

It affirms, connects and energises the world of reading by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers.

It is a demonstration of the creativity, strength, passion and power that are possible when an entire industry unites to connect readers to stories.

Above all it celebrates the intimate connection between the books, their makers and their audience. 

Discover the Book of the Year Shortlists.

Discover the Book Trade Shortlists.

Key dates for your diary

  • Entries open: 13th December
  • Judges announced: 31st January
  • Entries deadline: 1st February
  • Regional and Country Finalists Announced: 21st/22nd February
  • Regional and Country Winners Announced: 11th/12th March
  • Shortlists Announced: 8th March (Book of the Year); 15th March (Trade Awards)
  • Ceremony: 13th May

Awards Step

Katherine Rundell © Ben Turner
Katherine Rundell © Ben Turner

Winning a Nibbie was a huge joy – a chance to celebrate with people who write, produce and propel books out into the world

Katherine Rundell - Winner of Book of the Year: Non-Fiction Narrative 2023
for Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne

 

Featured Judges View All


The British Book Awards Sponsors and Partners View All


Featured Judges


Nihal Arthanayake

Nihal Arthanayake

Broadcaster, presenter & author
Judging Book of the Year
Adrian Chiles

Adrian Chiles

Writer and broadcaster
Judging Book of the Year
Toby Jones

Toby Jones

Actor
Judging Book of the Year
Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine Kelly

Author & TV presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Yinka Bokinni

Yinka Bokinni

Radio & TV presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Alexander Armstrong

Alexander Armstrong

Actor, writer and comedian
Judging Book of the Year
Johny Pitts

Johny Pitts

Broadcaster & writer
Judging Book of the Year
Diana Evans

Diana Evans

Novelist
Judging Book of the Year
Mike Gayle

Mike Gayle

Author
Judging Book of the Year
Gaby Wood

Gaby Wood

Director, The Booker Prize Foundation
Judging Book Trade
Sarah Gwonyoma

Sarah Gwonyoma

Book critic
Judging Book of the Year
Coco Hagi

Coco Hagi

Content creator
Judging Book of the Year
Claire Shanahan

Claire Shanahan

Executive director, Women's Prize Trust
Judging Book Trade
Selina Brown

Selina Brown

Founder & c.e.o., Black British Book Festival
Judging Book Trade
Bea Carvalho

Bea Carvalho

Head of books, Waterstones
Judging Book of the Year
Sharon Nightingale

Sharon Nightingale

Fiction Buyer, WHSmith Travel
Judging Book of the Year

Our Judges


Nels Abbey

Nels Abbey

Writer, co-founder of Black Writers Guild and founder of Uppity
Judging Book Trade
Jamilah Ahmed

Jamilah Ahmed

Associate agent (BLLA) & freelance publishing professional
Judging Book Trade
Carl Anka

Carl Anka

Author and Journalist
Judging Book of the Year
Alexander Armstrong

Alexander Armstrong

Actor, writer and comedian
Judging Book of the Year
Nihal Arthanayake

Nihal Arthanayake

Broadcaster, presenter & author
Judging Book of the Year
Will Atkinson

Will Atkinson

Publisher. Experienced CEO and NED.
Judging Book Trade
Ravina Bajwa

Ravina Bajwa

Audio creative cirector, Timbre Audio
Judging Book of the Year
Nick Barley

Nick Barley

Writer and events organiser
Judging Book Trade
Anna Bassi

Anna Bassi

Editorial director, The Week Junior
Judging Book of the Year
Matt Bates

Matt Bates

Editor
Judging Book Trade
Yinka Bokinni

Yinka Bokinni

Radio & TV presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Candice Brathwaite

Candice Brathwaite

Author, Podcaster, Journalist and Public Speaker
Judging Book of the Year
Selina Brown

Selina Brown

Founder & c.e.o., Black British Book Festival
Judging Book Trade
Ben Cajee

Ben Cajee

Presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Caroline Carpenter

Caroline Carpenter

Children's editor & deputy features editor, The Bookseller
Judging Book of the Year
Bea Carvalho

Bea Carvalho

Head of books, Waterstones
Judging Book of the Year
Adrian Chiles

Adrian Chiles

Writer and broadcaster
Judging Book of the Year
Jane Cholmeley

Jane Cholmeley

Co-founder, Silver Moon Women's Bookshop
Judging Book Trade
Sue Cleaver

Sue Cleaver

Actor
Judging Book of the Year
Jon Coates

Jon Coates

Deputy News Editor of the Sunday Express
Judging Book of the Year
Tina Daheley

Tina Daheley

Broadcaster & presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Hannah Davies

Hannah Davies

Director of prize management & special projects, The Booker Prize Foundation
Judging Book Trade
Sanjee de Silva

Sanjee de Silva

Publisher, Sweet Cherry Publishing
Sweet Cherry
Janet Ellis

Janet Ellis

Broadcaster & Writer
Judging Book of the Year
Charlotte Eyre

Charlotte Eyre

Children's previewer
Judging Book of the Year
Diana Evans

Diana Evans

Novelist
Judging Book of the Year
Madeleine Feeny

Madeleine Feeny

Book critic and fiction previewer at The Bookseller
Judging Book of the Year
Julie Finch

Julie Finch

c.e.o., Hay Festival Foundation
Judging Book Trade
Molly Flatt

Molly Flatt

Comment Editor, The Bookseller
Chair of judges for Audiobook: Non-fiction
Alison Flood

Alison Flood

Comment & culture editor, New Scientist
Judging Book of the Year
Katie Fraser

Katie Fraser

Staff writer
The Bookseller
Jonny Gallant

Jonny Gallant

Publisher relations director, Bookspeed
Judging Book of the Year
Mike Gayle

Mike Gayle

Author
Judging Book of the Year
Salena Godden

Salena Godden

Author
Judging Book of the Year
Dan Green

Dan Green

Editor, The Week Junior Science+Nature
Judging Book of the Year
Hannah Griffiths

Hannah Griffiths

Head of Adaptations, Banijay Group
Judging Book Trade
Sarah Gwonyoma

Sarah Gwonyoma

Book critic
Judging Book of the Year
Joe Haddow

Joe Haddow

Author & podcast host
Judging Book of the Year
Coco Hagi

Coco Hagi

Content creator
Judging Book of the Year
Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett

Author
Judging Book of the Year
Scott Hoffman

Scott Hoffman

President & CEO, International Literary Properties
International Literary Properties
Emma House

Emma House

Founder & director, Oreham Group
Judging Book Trade
Laurence Howell

Laurence Howell

Audio consultant
Judging Book of the Year
Eric Huang

Eric Huang

Author and lecturer in publishing, City, University of London
Judging Book Trade
Laura Jackson

Laura Jackson

Broadcaster, Columnist, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Glassette
Judging Book of the Year
Debbie James

Debbie James

Owner & manager, Kibworth Books
Judging Book of the Year
Philip Jones

Philip Jones

Editor, The Bookseller
Chair of Overall Judging
Toby Jones

Toby Jones

Actor
Judging Book of the Year
Ali Karim

Ali Karim

Literary editor
Judging Book of the Year
Ellie Keel

Ellie Keel

Author and Theatre Producer
Judging Book of the Year
Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine Kelly

Author & TV presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Louise Kennedy

Louise Kennedy

Author
Judging Book of the Year
Rachel Khoo

Rachel Khoo

Bestselling food writer, cook and television presenter
Judging Book of the Year
Shaparak Khorsandi

Shaparak Khorsandi

Comedian & author
Judging Book of the Year
Simon Littlewood

Simon Littlewood

International Publishing Consultant
Judging Book Trade
Tamara Macfarlane

Tamara Macfarlane

Children's author & bookshop owner, Tales on Moon Lane
Judging Book of the Year
Hannah MacInnes

Hannah MacInnes

Broadcaster & podcast host
Judging Book of the Year
James McConnachie

James McConnachie

Author and editor
Judging Trade Awards
Cat Mitchell

Cat Mitchell

Senior lecturer in writing and publishing, University of Derby
Judging Trade categories
Maddie Moate

Maddie Moate

TV presenter, author & educational YouTuber
Judging Book of the Year
Lydia Monks

Lydia Monks

Author & Illustrator
Judging Book Trade
Patricia Nicol

Patricia Nicol

Audio columnist, The Sunday Times Culture
Judging Book of the Year
Sharon Nightingale

Sharon Nightingale

Fiction Buyer, WHSmith Travel
Judging Book of the Year
Fiona Noble

Fiona Noble

Children’s books journalist & secondary school librarian
Judging Book of the Year
Janet Noble

Janet Noble

Primary school librarian, Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service
Judging Book of the Year
Jonathan Nowell

Jonathan Nowell

Senior advisor, Trillium Partners
Judging Book Trade
Alice O'Keeffe

Alice O'Keeffe

Books editor, The Bookseller
Chair of Book of the Year categories
Natasha Onwuemezi

Natasha Onwuemezi

Associate editor, The Bookseller
Judging Book of the Year
Benedicte Page

Benedicte Page

Deputy editor, The Bookseller
Judging Trade
Lynsey Passmore

Lynsey Passmore

Director, Bazowie & Marketing and audiences director, Women's Prize Trust
Judging Book Trade
Sheena Patel

Sheena Patel

Author
Judging Book of the Year
Donna Payne

Donna Payne

Creative director, Apple
Judging Book Trade
Johny Pitts

Johny Pitts

Broadcaster & writer
Judging Book of the Year
David Prescott

David Prescott

Chief executive, Three Counties Agricultural Society
Judging Book Trade
Miriam Robinson

Miriam Robinson

Publishing consultant & podcast host
Judging Book Trade
Caroline Sanderson

Caroline Sanderson

Associate editor and non-fiction previewer, The Bookseller
Judging Book of the Year
Susan Sandon

Susan Sandon

The Appledore Book Festival
Judging Trade Awards
Claire Shanahan

Claire Shanahan

Executive director, Women's Prize Trust
Judging Book Trade
Nadia Shireen

Nadia Shireen

Author & illustrator
Judging Book of the Year
Anita Singh

Anita Singh

Arts & entertainment editor
Judging Book of the Year
Kate Skipper

Kate Skipper

C.o.o., Waterstones
Judging Book of the Year
Kathleen Smith

Kathleen Smith

Bookseller & Manager, Topping & Company Bath
Judging Book of the Year
Lisa Smosarski

Lisa Smosarski

Editorial Director, Stylist
Judging Book of the Year
Jemimah Steinfeld

Jemimah Steinfeld

Editor in chief, Index on Censorship
Judging Book of the Year
Mike Stotter

Mike Stotter

Editor & publisher
Judging Book of the Year
Fiona Sturges

Fiona Sturges

Arts writer & interviewer
Judging Book of the Year
Tom Tivnan

Tom Tivnan

Managing Editor, The Bookseller
Chair of Trade Judging
Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas

Chair of the Publishers’ Publicity Circle
Judging Book Trade
Mark Thornton

Mark Thornton

Senior partnership manager, Bookshop.org
Judging Book Trade
Lynne Tooms

Lynne Tooms

Commercial Director, The Works
Judging Book of the Year
Julie Vuong

Julie Vuong

Books Journalist, The Bookseller
Judging Book of the Year
Claire Walker

Claire Walker

Co-Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre
Judging Book of the Year
Imogen Russell Williams

Imogen Russell Williams

Children’s book critic,The Guardian
Judging Book of the Year
Steven Williams

Steven Williams

Strategic adviser and co-founder, Midas PR
Judging Trade categories
Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson

Children's author
Judging Book of the Year
Gaby Wood

Gaby Wood

Director, The Booker Prize Foundation
Judging Book Trade

The British Book Awards Sponsors and Partners


About

The British Book Awards, aka The Nibbies, is a celebration of books: it affirms, connects and energises the world of reading by showcasing those who create stories and everyone who plays a role in bringing those stories to life.

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The Awards aims to:

  • Reward excellent writing, excellently published
  • Spotlight the creativity, passion and power on display throughout the book industry
  • Celebrate every step of the process of creating a book, from the author’s mind to booksellers’ shelves to readers’ hands
  • Connect audiences through their love of reading

The British Book Awards is formed of two parts: Book of the Year and Book Trade Awards

The Books of the Year spotlight the titles that have stirred imaginations, started conversations, been part of book clubs and bestseller lists - books whose pages have been well-thumbed, well-worn and well-loved, whose ideas have formed that thread of inescapable connection between one reader and the next. The shortlists and winners all demonstrate the combination of unforgettable writing, exceptional sales, and an outstanding approach to publishing which make the book business the original creative sector, and the go-to home of storytelling.

The Trade Awards celebrate every step in the book creation chain, from independent bookshops, and regional small presses, to the industry’s largest players, from agents championing debut authors to marketers and publicists finding the most creative routes to readers. The book industry is an intricate and deeply collaborative ecosystem, and we are here to shine a light on every bit of it.

The Awards is a snapshot of the industry’s achievements and output, and reflects a business that is at the heart of many different conversations. It is committed to amplifying publishing talent from traditionally underrepresented communities, and ensures that this is upheld throughout the event and beyond. Publishers make books for everyone, and the Awards echoes their commitment to freedom of expression with texts that can challenge and inform, as well as entertain.

At its core, the Awards acknowledges the intimate connection between the books, their makers and their audience. And that is always something to celebrate.

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See below for the full list of 2024 categories

Books, Authors and Illustrators

  • Book of the Year - Audiobook: Fiction
  • Book of the Year - Audiobook: Non-Fiction
  • Book of the Year - Children's Fiction
  • Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated
  • Book of the Year - Children's Non-Fiction
  • Book of the Year - Fiction
  • Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller
  • Book of the Year - Début Fiction
  • Book of the Year - Non-fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated
  • Book of the Year - Non-fiction: Narrative
  • Book of the Year - Pageturner
  • Book of the Year - Discover
  • Author of the Year
  • Illustrator of the Year

Book Trade Awards

  • Academic, Educational & Professional Publisher of the Year
  • Book Retailer of the Year
  • British Book Award for Export
  • Children's Bookseller of the Year
  • Children's Publisher of the Year
  • Designer of the Year
  • Editor of the Year
  • Imprint of the Year
  • Independent Bookshop of the Year
  • Independent Publisher of the Year
  • Individual Bookseller of the Year
  • Literary Agent of the Year
  • Marketing Strategy of the Year
  • Publicity Campaign of the Year
  • Publisher of the Year
  • Rights Professional of the Year
  • Small Press of the Year
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Video

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The British Book Awards 2023 - Highlights

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Top tips from the judges

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We know you’re all working furiously to make your entries the best they can be, and appreciate how much craft and energy goes into the process. And we’re here to help - here are a few tips from the team and the judges, that will help to make your entries really shine.

Book Trade entries

Tell Us A Story. Our judges are primed to read your detailed entries, including all of the facts and figures behind your successful years. But they, like you, love a narrative - try to go beyond chronology and the day-to-day to show us something extraordinary.

Present It Properly. Your document doesn’t need to be professionally designed, but do be conscious of your presentation. You’re delivering a lot of information, and basics like mismatched fonts, long chunks of text without pause or disorganised data can interfere with how our judges process what you’re trying to share. 

Don’t Hide the Wrinkles. Not everyone has a good year every year. Tell us the positives, but don’t shy away from what went wrong. Sometimes success is about dealing with adversity first.

Get Granular. Nibbies judges are incredibly knowledgeable, but it’s best not to assume they know all the internal workings of your team. If you secured great PR, tell us what your pitch was. If you had a stellar year, break down the figures and tell us what they mean. We judge hundreds of entries each year, and it is often that extra level of detail that’ll bag you the win.

Pivot… PIVOT! Part of the challenge of going above and beyond in publishing is how to adapt to challenges and how to replot our strategy or path. Did this lead to innovation? Finding new revenue streams? Did you do things that surprised you and how did this bring unimagined success?

Polish and re-polish. Clarity and brevity win over filler, every time. Cut the fluff, think about what’s really special about your entry and make it pleasurable to read and where appropriate, quick to scan - think bullet points, charts, screengrabs, where it makes sense to include these.

Change the World. Did your work have a wider impact for the greater good - on the author’s fortunes, the publisher’s confidence, the reading public? What beyond the bottom line did you achieve? Maybe you inspired the next generation of readers through some of your clever marketing activity, or the publicity reached into parts unknown, or you partnered with an organisation whose aims aligned with yours? If you’re a bookseller, how did your work impact your customer base in a positive way? This storytelling paints a picture - we want to know!

Why you? Why now? If you’re entering your incredible self for one of the trade awards, don’t be shy. Tell us why this was your year - ask others for supporting quotes and illustrate your impact with lists, visuals, charts or whatever really makes your entry sing.

Book of the Year entries

Take Up Space (but not too much space). Have you given yourself enough space to paint a complete picture, and to demonstrate that you’re serious about a win? Consider whether what you’re entering tells the full story of what you’ve accomplished (but edit enough to keep things moving!).

Define the Difference. We know you had your choice of which titles to enter. What did you do differently for this one? Where did you take a risk, innovate or depart from the norm? Show us why the whole publishing process behind this title sets it apart, not just from the rest of the industry but from the other titles you work on.

Curate Your Quotes. And everything else, really. Judges are reading a lot of entries and after a point, too many quotes, photos or references start to feel like filler. It’s hard to define how many is too many, but if you’re not actively selecting the best of the bunch, do.

Practical stuff

Don’t Sweat the Category. If you aren’t sure which is most relevant for your entry, enter where it feels best and drop us a note to let us know you’re unsure. If we think it needs to move, we’ll move it, with an eye to ensuring it’s placed where it has the highest likelihood of being shortlisted.

5pm on 1st February is not a good time to upload. Our website is amazing, but if/when everyone uploads at that exact time, it will fall over. Then we will be sad, and you will be anxious, and nobody wins. 

Put Your Photos Forward. From the print magazine to social media shoutouts, we want to do everything we can to make your work shine. Help us do this as well as possible by sending us a selection of sharp, hi-res images that we can use to represent you.

Got more questions? Please drop us a line via email to awards@thebookseller.com

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Nibbies Studio

The British Book Awards celebrate books and everyone who brings them to life. We caught up with some of the 2023 winners fresh off the stage from claiming their golden Nibbie. 

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Bonnie Garmus Interview

Alice Oseman Interview

Davina McCall & Dr Naomi Potter Interview

Rachel Denwood Interview

Sheena Patel Interview

Mel Tuke Griffin Interview

Meera Ghanshamdas & Aimée Felone Interview

Harry Woodgate Interview

Louise Kennedy Interview

Carolynn Bain Interview

Katherine Rundell Interview

Juliet Mabey Interview

Vicky Palmer, Lilly Cox, Alison Barrow Interview

Full Event Stream

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Gallery

Photos from The British Book Awards 2022

Credit: The British Book Awards and David Parry

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 Richard Madeley, Judy Finnigan, Lauren Laverne and Rhys Stephenson presenting the Award for Author of the Year to Marian Keyes The British Book Awards 2022 ceremony, at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London Knights Of win Children's Publisher of the Year at The British Book Awards Phil Earle wins Book of the Year - Children's Fiction Louie Stowell presents the award for Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated Hey You! wins Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated Clare Chambers wins Book of the Year - Pageturner Marcus Rashford and Carl Anka accept the award for Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated Keisha the Sket wins Book of the Year - Discover and is accepted on behalf of Jade LB by the #Merky Books team Dapo Adeola is our British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year 2022 Francis Bourgeoise presents the award for Book of the Year - Audiobook: Fiction Cressida Cowell's The Wizards of Once: Never and Forever wins Book of the Year - Audiobook: Fiction Sathnam Sanghera wins the award for Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Narrative Ian Rankin accepts the award for Book of the Year - Fiction: Crime & Thriller for his work on The Dark Remains Ugo Monye presents the final Book of the Year award of the night, the prestigious Overall Book of the Year award Marcus Rashford's mother Melanie accepts the award for our Overall Book of the Year, You Are a Champion The Bookery takes home a double-win and accepts the awards for Independent Bookshop of the Year and Children's Bookseller of the Year Becky Thomas wins Literary Agent of the Year Alexandra Pringle wins Editor of the Year Viper Books wins Imprint of the Year Micaela Alcaino wins Designer of the Year Drew Jerrison wins the award for Publicity Campaign of the Year for his work on Torrey Peter's Detransition, Baby M.d of Vertebrate Publishing, Jon Barton, accepts the award for Small Press of the Year Arabella Pike & HarperCollins win the inaugural British BooK Award for Freedom to Publish Bookshop.org wins Retailer of the Year Alexia Thomaidis and Zoe Coxon win Marketing Strategy of the Year for their work on Open Water Pushkin Press' Adam Freudenheim accepts the award for Independent Publisher of the Year Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller, presents the Publisher of the Year award Simon & Schuster UK win Publisher of the Year

For arrival photography, click here

Book Retailer of the Year

Proudly sponsored by Simon & Schuster

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While book sales volumes softened in 2023, it was an excellent year for these seven retailers. The dominance of internet operators—including two, LoveReading and World of Books, that make this shortlist for the first time—reflects the accelerated migration to online spending during Covid, and leaves Waterstones and the National Trust as the only bricks-and-mortar booksellers.

This shortlist will be completed by two more retailers: the winners of the Independent Bookshop of the Year and Children’s Bookseller of the Year. 

 

Shortlist

Books2Door

Online retailer Books2Door is shortlisted for the third year in a row. Orders surged by a fifth in 2023 after it embraced two big trends in bookselling: TikTok, where it already averages £50,000 of sales a month and has struck partnerships and live streams with top BookTokkers; and book boxes, where it introduced new Box2Door subscription deals. 

Bookshop.org

Bookshop.org’s value to independent booksellers during Covid was recognised by this award in 2022. Last year it passed the milestone of £3m profits earned for 600 indies, plus affiliates including the Women’s Prize. It stepped up promo work with social media influencers, added new strands to its children’s books offer and launched a charitable Read It Forward initiative with BookTrust. 

LoveReading

Like Bookshop.org, recommendation and retail platform LoveReading has a social purpose that goes well beyond selling books. Its model of sending a quarter of buyers’ spend to schools of their choice is helping cash-strapped libraries to get more children reading for pleasure. It is also starting to support in-person events, including as partner of The Week’s book awards and festival. 

Monwell

Monwell, the manager of online bookshops for newspapers, flies under the radar of most consumers—but not of trade publishers. It added the Times to the Guardian, Mail and Express in 2023, and is moving into subscription packages and non-book products. With literary review space under mounting pressure, Monwell has built an important bridge from media coverage to revenue. 

National Trust

With 121 retail sites, and second-hand shops at many more of its properties, the National Trust is a bigger bookseller than some realise—and a particularly valuable one for its publishing partners, HarperCollins and Nosy Crow. Shortlisted at the British Book Awards for the first time since 2017, its team’s market knowledge, merchandising and promos are the equal of many pure book retailers. 

Waterstones

A ninth shortlist place in 10 years shows the consistency of Waterstones since James Daunt took the helm in 2011. It seized good shares of many of 2023’s biggest sellers, especially Prince Harry’s Spare and G T Karber’s Murdle, while helping to break out many more new voices. Events revenue was the best ever and seven new openings showed its confidence for the future. 

World of Books

WOB has sold second-hand books for two decades now, but consumers’ focus on online sales, sustainability and price has moved it up a gear. By helping individuals and charities to rehome used books it has saved millions from pulping, and its online experience increasingly matches bookshop browsing. An author-share scheme has started to address the tricky issue of compensating creators for secondary sales. 

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Book of the Year - Audiobook Non-Fiction

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Memoirs from stalwarts of British media and royalty, alongside histories and self-development titles, make up this eclectic shortlist. What all the titles have in common is premium author care and innovative campaigns championing the audiobook genre.  

Winner

Title to come

Title to Come

Author to come

Imprint to come

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The Shortlist

Alan Partridge: Big Beacon

Alan Partridge: Big Beacon

Written and narrated by Alan Partridge 

Seven Dials/Orion 

Steve Coogan dons his Alan Partridge persona once more in this hilarious account of Partridge’s attempt to return to his primetime TV slot and his efforts to rebuild a lighthouse. Narrated by Coogan and written with long-term collaborators Neil and Rob Gibbons, Big Beacon was Hachette’s biggest ever non-fiction audiobook pre-order. Seven Dials ran animated audio extracts and a pre-order competition in which the lucky winner received a personalised message from Alan himself. 

Making It So

Making It So

Written and narrated by Patrick Stewart

Gallery UK/Simon & Schuster

The icon of British television and film Patrick Stewart narrates his charming memoir Making It So in what was a carefully considered and thoughtful publication from Gallery UK that helped this audiobook top the Audible charts on release. The campaign lent into all aspects of Stewart’s life, from his career on screen to his childhood in Yorkshire, with outdoor advertising across the north of England presenting scannable QR codes to play audio clips.  

Spare

Spare

Written and narrated by Prince Harry 

Penguin Random House Audio

Prince Harry’s record-breaking memoir Spare, written with J R Moehringer, ruled the audiobook charts on release, with deft narration from the royal himself creating an intimate listening experience. Penguin implemented a meticulous, global campaign and made the decision to run no advertising on social media or spaces where users could leave comments, instead running ads with podcasts with a listening base interested in mental health and wellness. 

Strong Female Character

Strong Female Character

Written and Narrated by Fern Brady 

Brazen/Octopus Publishing Group

Comedian Fern Brady recounts her life as a woman living with autism in her honest memoir, Strong Female Character, which was recognised as one of Apple and Audible’s audiobooks of the year. Brazen utilised Brady’s existing public profile to push audiobook sales, offering her tour audiences a voucher for the audio edition. The memoir triumphed in audio and remains the publisher’s number one title on Spotify.  

The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life

The Diary of a CEO

Written and narrated by Steven Bartlett

Penguin Random House Audio

Author and narrator Steven Bartlett brings his conversational podcast style and entrepreneurial and self-development expertise to the audio edition of The Diary of a CEO. With only two weeks of Bartlett’s time available to promote the audio edition, Penguin Random House Audio instigated a no-holds-barred campaign, running its first ever advertising on Apple News and sending padlocked golden boxes to influencers with a download code for the audiobook. 

Unruly: A History of England's Kings and Queens

Unruly

Written and narrated by David Mitchell

Penguin Random House Audio 

David Mitchell’s witty history of the English monarchy ruled the autumn on release. Penguin Random House Audio launched Unruly's pre-order campaign with a 15-minute video of Mitchell and identified the Twixtmas period as a ripe opportunity, running a fresh slew of Guardian advertising. Mitchell also wrote and hosted a pub quiz for Greene King that was then rolled out across 35 pubs.  

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Book of the Year - Audiobook Fiction

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From literary icons to genre titans and debut voices, the audio fiction shortlist champions the audiobook as a vital part of a story’s longevity. Well-known voices such as Nicola Walker and Samuel West feature alongside series narrators Robert Glenister and Lauryn Allman.  

The Shortlist

Impossible Creatures

Impossible Creatures

Katherine Rundell, narrated by Samuel West

Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Actor Samuel West lends his voice to Katherine Rundell’s fantastical tale of a magical archipelago inhabited by the creatures of myth and legend. Bloomsbury Children’s Books ran a slew of digital advertising to promote the audio edition of Impossible Creatures, reaching more than one million people, and reinvigorated the Audible children’s bestseller list, normally dominated by backlist titles.  

None of This is True

None of This is True

Lisa Jewell, narrated by Nicola Walker and Louise Brealey

Penguin Random House Audio

Lisa Jewell’s crime hit None of This Is True, follows podcaster Alix who becomes immersed in her birthday twin’s life after a chance encounter. With 12 narrators, including actors Nicola Walker and Louise Brealey in the titular roles, Penguin Random House Audio produced an immersive listening experience, incorporating the podcast and true-crime documentary elements of the novel into the audiobook. 

Poor Things

Poor Things

Alasdair Gray, narrated by Russ Bain and Kathryn Drysdale

W. F. Howes

In an example of savvy publishing, W F Howes released Alasdair Gray’s Poor Things with a striking film tie-in audiobook cover. Gray’s story of a reanimated woman named Bella, and her growing sense of autonomy and curiosity, is the first of his novels to be adapted for audio. The publisher worked with Gray’s Estate to cast Scottish actor Russ Bain alongside Kathyrn Drysdale in this considered production. 

The Housemaid's Secret

The Housemaid's Secret

Freida McFadden, narrated by Lauryn Allman

Bookouture

Narrator Lauryn Allman returned as the voice of Millie in Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid’s Secret, following a maid who must protect her own secrets while helping the wife of her employer. Bookouture made this its second bestselling audiobook of all time by building on the book’s theme of secrecy, offering exclusive listening codes to select readers and bloggers and restricting the launch to Audible and Apple Books. 

The List

The List

Yomi Adegoke, narrated by Sheila Atim and Arinzé Kene

4th Estate

Ola and Michael are happily engaged, but when Michael’s name appears on a roster of abusive men, everything is put at risk. This is the premise of Yomi Adegoke’s conversation-starting debut novel The List, voiced by actors Shelia Atim and Arinzé Kene. 4th Estate put authenticity at the heart of its campaign; The List was selected as the Guardian’s audiobook of the week and was championed as part of Spotify’s audiobook launch. 

The Running Grave

The Running Grave

Robert Galbraith, narrated by Robert Glenister

Little, Brown Audio

The Running Grave, the seventh in Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series, sees the detective take on a seemingly peaceful organisation. It took the crown as Hachette’s biggest-selling audiobook of 2023. Established narrator and actor Robert Glenister reprised his role as the voice of the series. Little, Brown Audio built hype among existing audiences with a teaser cover-reveal video, a three-pronged social advertising strategy and a Galbraith discussion evening on Facebook. 

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Book of the Year - Children's Fiction

Supported by The Week Junior

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From an enchanted archipelago to a murder mystery, this shortlist boasts everything from a festive musical to a decadent enemies-to-lovers tale. There is something for every young reader, with each title championed in-house with unique campaigns and retailer support.  

The Shortlist

Impossible Creatures

Impossible Creatures

Written by Katherine Rundell

Bloomsbury Children's Books

Katherine Rundell continues to reach new fantastical heights with the lauded first instalment in her new series with Bloomsbury Children’s, which wanted to create “the publishing event of the year”. Impossible Creatures finished the year as both Waterstones’ Book of the Year and Foyles' Children’s Book of the Year. The publisher secured a full sweep of supermarket slots and installed the dragon “Archie Pelago” at Waterstones Piccadilly. Interior illustration by Tomislav Tomic, map by Virginia Allyn, cover illustration by Daniel Egneus.

Powerless

Powerless 

Written by Lauren Roberts

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books 

The debut enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel from BookTokker Lauren Roberts fired up the team at S&S Children’s to produce a nimble and creative campaign to hit publication, a short three months after acquisition. Previously self-published, S&S improved on Powerless original cover, clinched a Waterstones exclusive sprayed-edge edition and marshalled BookTok creators with limited-edition mailing packages. Even with a short lead time, Powerless became S&S Children’s number one YA fiction title of the year. 

Skandar and the Phantom Rider

Skandar and the Phantom Rider

A.F. Steadman

Simon & Schuster Children's Books

The second in A F Steadman’s ferocious unicorn series hit number one in the children’s and YA fiction charts on publication. S&S Children’s produced exclusive editions of Skandar and the Phantom Rider for Waterstones and indies that capitalised on the stormy, electric-blue front cover, while Steadman committed to a six-week tour around the world, visiting schools, festivals and bookshops.

The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas: A Musical Novel

The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas

Matt Lucas, illustrated by Forest Burdett

Farshore

Matt Lucas’ musical Christmas novel captured the festive imagination. The songs, written and recorded by Lucas and a cast of West End professionals, form part of the story’s narrative and can be accessed through in-text QR codes. Farshore embarked on an impressive campaign for this unique tale, securing numerous broadcast slots, including “Sunday Brunch, “The One Show” and “The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show”. Lucas also rallied indie support and hosted a virtual event with the National Literacy Trust.  

The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks

The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks

Written and illustrated by Katie Kirby

Puffin

Katie Kirby’s The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks cemented this hilarious and relatable tween series as a firm favourite for readers. Puffin organised four sold-out signing events, appearances at Bath and Ilkley literature festivals and a holiday-giveaway competition with Tesco. Social media posts engaged fans by teasing the topsy-turvy festive story and Puffin partnered with The VIP Suite for influencer giveaways. 

This Book Kills

This Book Kills

Ravena Guron

Usborne

Ravena Guron’s debut, a murder mystery that tackles wealth and race, was championed by the team at Usborne and made Guron a new standout author in YA thrillers. Getting the right cover for This Book Kills was paramount, and the team pushed back campaign dates to ensure it was perfected. The risk paid off and, coupled with campaigns run with Tandem Collective and Rocket, This Book Kills was the bestselling YA debut thriller of 2023. 

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Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated

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Graphic novels make their stamp on this year’s shortlist with Alice Oseman’s heart-warming Heartstopper series making a return alongside the latest Bunny vs Monkey adventure from Jamie Smart. The shortlist is rounded off with a seasonal tale, the debut from George Webster and a celebration of King Charles III.  

The Shortlist

Bunny vs Monkey: Multiverse Mix-up

Bunny vs Monkey: Multiverse Mix-up

Written and illustrated by Jamie Smart

David Fickling Books

Jamie Smart saw off 2023 as the year’s top-selling graphic novelist and David Fickling Books aimed to cement him as a market leader with Bunny vs Monkey: Multiverse Mix-Up!. DFB’s fun and interactive campaign strategy, which included a large installation at Waterstones Piccadilly over February half-term and a “Laugh Yourself Silly” initiative with supermarkets, made this the bestselling Bunny vs Monkey publication yet.  

 

Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea

Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea

Written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey

Scholastic

Dubbed the “godfather of the children’s graphic novel”, the 11th instalment in Dav Pilkey’s hilarious series marked a 27% increase in year-on-year sales for the author-illustrator, despite a two-year hiatus. Scholastic managed a supermarket sweep and support from W H Smith and Waterstones to produce a slew of kid-safe and family targeted advertising to make Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea the second-bestselling graphic novel of 2023 in the UK. 

Heartstopper: Volume 5

Heartstopper: Volume 5

Written and illustrated by Alice Oseman

Hodder Children’s Books 

The fifth instalment in Alice Oseman’s iconic series celebrating queer love and friendship became the fastest-selling graphic novel ever in a globally orchestrated publication. Not only did Heartstopper rack up the highest pre-order sales of any Hodder Children’s Book title, but the Waterstones exclusive edition also sold out in under an hour. A cover reveal with Cosmopolitan and a takeover at Hay Festival helped bring readers old and new to the series. 

The King's Pants

The King's Pants

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Allan

Andersen Press

In celebration of King Charles III’s coronation, Nicholas Allan’s funny picture book The King’s Pants benefited from an award-winning marketing campaign and pant-tastic advertising with a coronation activity pack, bunting artwork and a window installation at Waterstones Piccadilly. Andersen Press also ran a fundraiser, asking artists to create their own “Coronation Pants” artwork for auction, and donated more than £10,000 to charity in aid of people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.  

This is Me

This is Me

George Webster and Claire Taylor, illustrated by Tim Budgen

Scholastic 

George Webster’s joyful picture book based on his life celebrates representation and inclusion. Co-written with Claire Taylor and illustrated by Tim Budgen, This Is Me was treated with the utmost care in-house, with Webster’s comfort prioritised at every moment of the campaign. Scholastic secured a spread of national newspaper and broadcast opportunities, including interviews on “The One Show” and “BBC Breakfast, to help launch the CBeebies presenter as a new voice in children’s literature.  

We're Going on a Ghost Hunt

We're Going on a Ghost Hunt

Martha Mumford, illustrated by Cherie Zamazing

 Bloomsbury Children's Books

This spooky lift-the-flap Halloween adventure marks the latest instalment in Martha Mumford and Cherie Zamazing’s Bunny Adventures series. Despite running an author-less campaign, Bloomsbury was determined to make this book a seasonal moment, creating a bewitching foil-accented cover and obtaining prime positioning across supermarkets to make We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt a number one Sunday Times bestseller for eight consecutive weeks. 

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Book of the Year - Children's Non-Fiction

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Now in its third year, this shortlist is dominated by conversation-starting books seeking to redress historical imbalances from both established and new voices. The topics include inclusivity, identity and curiosity. Many of the campaigns put education at the heart of their approach, prioritising outreach and charitable actions.  

The Shortlist

Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes

Black & Irish

Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons, illustrated by Jessica Louis

Little Island Books in collaboration with Black & Irish 

Little Island Books worked with illustrator Jessica Louis and the Black & Irish organisation on this “history-making” book, the first children’s title to be published on Black Irish identity. Black & Irish was welcomed by the Irish press with impressive coverage in both the Irish Times and Irish Times magazine, as well as a slew of broadcast slots for co-authors Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons. This was the most ordered book on the publisher’s website last year. 

Brilliant Black British History

Brilliant Black British History

Atinuke, illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi 

Bloomsbury Children’s Books  

Atinuke’s vital exploration of Black British history covers the longest period of time of any children’s book on this subject. With moving artwork from debut illustrator Kingsley Nebechi, Brilliant Black British History was truly a collaborative effort. Bloomsbury Children’s created a positive, education-led campaign with multiple school events and commissioned a headline-grabbing survey on the need for comprehensive Black history education in response to a media backlash.  

Kay's Incredible Inventions

Kay's Incredible Inventions

Adam Kay, illustrated by Henry Paker

Puffin

Adam Kay and Henry Paker’s unique education-entertainment brand continues to delight readers, with Kay’s Incredible Inventions designed to inspire the next generation of scientists. Puffin took this mission to heart, launching a competition with the Young V&A to challenge children to imagine their own invention, with the winner to be featured in the upcoming paperback edition. Kay and Paker also embarked on a school tour and hosted a Puffin virtual visit to 117 classrooms.  

Little People, Big Dreams: King Charles

Little People, Big Dreams: King Charles

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Matt Hunt

Frances Lincoln Children's Books

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara partnered with illustrator Matt Hunt for this instalment in the iconic and inspiring series that marked King Charles III’s coronation with a celebration of the monarch’s life. Partnerships with four supermarkets, including a new slot with Aldi, and a bookshop “coronation pack” made King Charles the bestselling book in the UK in the week leading up to the coronation.  

Stolen History: The Truth About the British Empire and How It Shaped Us

Stolen History

Sathnam Sanghera, illustrated by Jen Khatun

Puffin Books

Puffin created a powerful social impact campaign for Sathnam Sanghera’s considered history of British colonialism with warm illustrations from Jen Khatun. Sanghera embarked on a two-week school tour, speaking to nearly 3,000 children about Stolen History, while also appearing on “London ITV News” and “The Andrew Marr Show”. The publisher worked with Media Hive, a specialist agency, to plan publication sensitively and target communities where Sanghera’s book would be most wanted. 

The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die

The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die

Peter Lantos

Scholastic  

Originally published for adult readers, Peter Lantos adapted his autobiographical story following his horrific journey as a child through Europe to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Scholastic was shortlisted for the Publisher’s Publicity Circle’s Best Children’s Campaign for its sensitive and thoughtful treatment of The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die, which included a partnership with Anne Frank Trust and virtual events with Holocaust Memorial Trust Day and Holocaust Education Trust. 

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Book of the Year - Discover

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The Discover award continues to amplify books from under-represented writers, with a particular focus on the work of indie presses. This shortlist boasts six important books, from cookery to memoir, history and fiction.  

The Shortlist

A Bollywood State of Mind

A Bollywood State of Mind

Sunny Singh

Footnote Press  

Sunny Singh’s socio-cultural history of India, its cinemas and performance traditions was published as Footnote Press’ lead autumn non-fiction title last year. A Bollywood State of Mind was backed with an inventive rickshaw proof-drop, a cinema screening and a special appearance at the Mayor of London’s Diwali on the Square celebrations in Trafalgar Square. Pop art-style assets online stimulated word-of-mouth buzz, while a Spotify playlist curated by Singh rolled out pre-publication.  

April’s Garden

April’s Garden

Isla McGuckin, illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

Graffeg 

Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2023 and selected as one of the Children’s Books Ireland’s picture books for 2023, April’s Garden is the debut from Isla McGuckin, who appeared on last year’s “New Voices” panel at the Children’s Books Ireland International Conference. Exploring poverty, homelessness and displacement, the story is sensitively illustrated by Catalina Echeverri and published with teaching notes to provide discussion points in classrooms. 

Imad’s Syrian Kitchen

Imad’s Syrian Kitchen

Imad Alarnab, illustrated by Evi-O.Studio

HQ 

Imad Alarnab’s strikingly designed cookbook offers more than just recipes from the author’s homeland, also featuring essays reflecting on his life. HQ’s PPC-shortlisted campaign worked with The Unmistakables agency and secured broadcast and print publicity, including a slot on “Saturday Kitchen” on publication week. Imad’s Syrian Kitchen was selected as one of the Times best cookery books of the year and is one of the top 10 cookery debuts of 2023.  

Lessons from Our Ancestors

Lessons from Our Ancestors

Raksha Dave, illustrated by Kimberlie

Clinthorne-Wong 

Magic Cat 

Archaeologist Raksha Dave spotlights forgotten histories and misrepresented stories in Lessons from Our Ancestors, her debut picture book. Dave added a personal touch by including 50 objects in the book that she has dug up and examined in archaeological sites across the world. Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong's evocative illustrations amplify the text. Magic Cat organised a museum tour to galvanise interest and partnered with the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education for the cover reveal. 

Pageboy: A Memoir

Pageboy: A Memoir

Elliot Page

Doubleday  

Acquired in a 16-publisher auction, Pageboy found a home at Doubleday after editor Bobby Mostyn-Owen filmed a personal video for Elliot Page. Author care was at the heart of the sensitive publicity campaign: journalists and producers were vetted, provided with a style guide and a list of no-go topics. Doubleday also championed queer independent bookshops, which received signed copies, and ran a pre-order competition with the Queer Lit bookshop. 

Sunburn

Sunburn

Chloe Michelle Howarth

VERVE Books

Chloe Michelle Howarth’s debut novel Sunburn, a coming-of-age Sapphic story set in 1990s Ireland, was VERVE's lead summer title last year and backed with a creative campaign including an inaugural blogger event, proof posts with bracelet packages and a partnership with clothing shop Lucy & Yak. Sunburn went on to be shortlisted for the Debut Fiction Nero Book Award and sales far exceeded the original print run. 

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Book of the Year - Fiction

Supported by Scala Radio

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This year’s fiction shortlist runs the gamut from literary fiction to fantasy and from historical adventure on the high seas to pin-sharp contemporary satire. From iconic cover art to inventive campaigns both online and in the real world, these books were unmissable in 2023. 

The Shortlist

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker

Macmillan

Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, co-authored by her son Harry Whittaker, is the eighth and final novel in Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series. Macmillan partnered with the Tandem Collective to create a campaign of readalongs and influencer activity to re-engage fans of the series, while competition winners were invited to the launch at the Fitzrovia Chapel. Pre-orders were exceptionally strong and hardback sales marked a 43% growth on the previous HB in the series, with Atlas spending nine weeks in the Top Ten. 

Iron Flame

Iron Flame

Rebecca Yarros

Piatkus

The sequel to Fourth Wing was published six months after the phenomenal success of the first in the series and flew straight to the top of the charts, selling more than 57,000 copies in its first week. The Waterstones special edition became the fastest-selling pre-order title in a single day on the retailer’s website, selling out the entire print run in just seven hours. Piatkus responded to the fan love by running a competition in which the winner saw her artwork featured as endpapers in the UK edition. 

So Late in the Day

So Late in the Day

Claire Keegan

Faber

Following the response to Small Things Like These in 2021, Faber decided to publish this standalone short story as a hardback to celebrate Claire Keegan as one of the most acclaimed authors of literary fiction writing today. Lead interviews in the Observer and the Irish Times created a significant publication splash. A special edition was created for indie bookshops, always passionate champions of the author, and four bookshops were selected for bespoke painted windows.  

Tackle!

Tackle!

Jilly Cooper

Bantam Press

Transworld has been publishing Jilly Cooper for 40 years, establishing her as brand author with an iconic, instantly recognisable, jacket style, replicated for Tackle! with four colours only. The return of hero Rupert Campbell-Black generated huge interest, with the Mail running a total of 10 articles in total, and the Sunday Times five. The campaign, with the strapline She shoots, she scores!, encompassed nationwide outdoor print advertising, digital display ads and perfectly branded POS including an exclusive gift-with-purchase tote bag for indie bookshops. 

The Ghost Ship

The Ghost Ship

Kate Mosse

Mantle

This historical epic is the third in the Joubert Family Chronicles but also works as a standalone, telling a queer love story between two female pirates amid adventure on the high seas. In a no-stone-unturned PR campaign, Kate Mosse undertook 35 press interviews, 27 broadcast interviews and 58 in-person events including bookshop and festival appearances. The Ghost Ship also had its very own sea shanty, a folk interpretation of the book, which was listed on Spotify and played on BBC 6 Music, generating additional publicity. 

Yellowface

Yellowface

Rebecca F. Kuang

The Borough Press 

Known for her fantasy dark academia novel Babel, this sharp satire of the publishing industry was a change of direction for Rebecca Kuang. More than 80 cover designs were produced before the now-iconic eyes that formed the basis of the standout marketing campaign and the publisher’s biggest ever outdoor advertising for a first format, from 4,000 flyposters (two months before publication date) to the London Underground. Add in three special editions, for Waterstones, FairyLoot and Illumicrate, and Yellowface was the most unmissable novel of the year. 

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Book of the Year - Début Fiction

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This exciting shortlist is a celebration of novelists at the very beginning of their careers. From a fresh take on heartbreak with some sharp jokes to tender love stories both contemporary and historical, and with settings from a fantasy world to a Japanese bookshop, these debuts broke through in 2023. 

The Shortlist

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa 

Manilla Press 

With cosy Japan-set novels proving enduringly popular with readers, Bonnier snapped up UK rights for Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days at the Morisaki Bookshop for a small advance from HarperCollins US and published as a £10.99 flapped paperback, a first for the publisher. Fittingly for a novel about the healing power of reading, it was the passion of individual booksellers on the high street, both independents and Waterstones, that drove sales making this the bestselling debut in our shortlist. Hat-tip to cover illustrator Ilya Milstein.

Godkiller

Godkiller

Hannah Kaner

HarperVoyager

Epic fantasy Godkiller became the bestselling fantasy debut of 2023. With a stunning jacket featuring a luminous woodland scene from artist Tom Roberts, three special editions were produced for subscription box Illumicrate, specialist SFF bookshop The Broken Binding and Waterstones, which sold out before it was even released. Rave reviews from individual Waterstones booksellers were turned into personalised quote cards and shared across social media. 

In Memoriam

In Memoriam

Alice Winn

Viking

In Memoriam, which scooped the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and Waterstones Novel of the Year, tells of the love between two First World War soldiers. The original cover design centres the men rather than the war, to appeal to readers of contemporary as well as historical fiction. Review coverage from the Sunday Times to Women’s Weekly and a post-publication UK tour for US-based Alice Winn helped make In Memoriam the bestselling hardback fiction debut of 2023. 

Really Good, Actually

Really Good, Actually

Monica Heisey

4th Estate

Schitt’s Creek” screenwriter Monica Heisey’s debut Really Good, Actually charts the highs, lows and chronic oversharing of a heartbroken millennial whose marriage has ended before her 30th birthday. Selected as one of the Observer’s best new novelists, Heisey undertook a two-week, nationwide, sold-out events tour. Much-coveted tote bags, a Foyles exclusive, featured a ‘Google search’ list from the novel and fans of the book could listen to a Spotify Wrapped list specially created for protagonist Maggie.  

Talking at Night

Talking at Night

Claire Daverley

Penguin Michael Joseph

Falling for the epic love story between Will and Rosie, Penguin Michael Joseph moved swiftly to pre-empt Talking at Night. With author Claire Daverley a complete unknown, with no existing platform or subscription box support, the publisher focused on finding individual bookseller champions. On TikTok, user-generated videos raving about the book have received 1.5 million views, and the book has inspired playlists, character art – and at least one Talking at Night tattoo!  

The List

The List

Yomi Adegoke

4th Estate

This highly topical debut shines a light on the dark side of social media and its effect on Ola and her fiancé Michael weeks before their wedding. The first novel from Yomi Adegoke, journalist and co-author of the bestselling Slay in Your Lane, triggered a fierce 11-publisher auction. Fourth Estate produced an eye-catching emoji cover design that formed the basis of an unmissable advertising campaign whether on socials or the London Underground: Have you seen #TheList? 

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Book of the Year - Crime and Thriller

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This year’s shortlist runs the gamut from cosy crime to not one but two espionage thrillers, leaving space for a twisty psychological thriller or two and a long-running detective series. With megabrand authors alongside a new name, our judges have a difficult decision ahead. 

The Shortlist

Damascus Station

Damascus Station

David McCloskey

Swift Press

Originally published in the US, indie Swift Press spotted the commercial potential of this Syria-set spy thriller, written by a former CIA analyst, when other UK publishers had turned it down. The key to success was getting this debut on the radar of influential reviewers, and then capitalising on the excellent media coverage to ensure retailer buy-in, from Waterstones to W H Smith Travel and eventually Waitrose. Crowned as the Times Thriller of the Year, Damascus Station finished 2023 as the bestselling crime and thriller title from an independent publisher. 

None of This is True

None of This is True

Lisa Jewell

Century

None of This Is True is Lisa Jewell’s bestselling hardback in her career of more than 20 years, powered by an irresistible hook and a standout Book Marketing Society-winning marketing campaign. Century brought the podcast from the novel to life, creating four true-crime inspired episodes released weekly in the run-up to publication, with the final episode revealing that the podcast was, in fact, a genius stunt. Impactful TV advertising across ITVX and Netflix added to the impressive online engagement 

The Last Devil To Die

The Last Devil To Die

Richard Osman

Viking

Despite being the fourth in the Thursday Murder Club series, The Last Devil to Die is now the fastest-selling hardback adult novel ever – with Richard Osman beating his own previous record. Multiple TV slots included an exclusive VT, filmed at his mother’s retirement village the inspiration for the series broadcast on “The One Show. Black Friday was a key focus, with a Devil-themed wordsearch puzzle in the Radio Times (1.1 million readership) in November and a ‘Which member of the Thursday Murder Club are you?’ quiz, which was widely shared online. 

The Running Grave

The Running Grave

Robert Galbraith

Sphere

Sphere rose to the challenge of publishing the seventh in the Cormorant Strike series with an emphasis on expanding the author’s social media reach. The online book club on the Robert Galbraith Facebook page featured pre-recorded author videos, which readers were able to comment on as they were released, simulating a live event feel. A partnership with Good Housekeeping ensured the content was broadcast to its 1.4 million followers. The Running Grave spent 14 weeks in the Top 10. 

The Secret Hours

The Secret Hours

Mick Herron

Baskerville

Both a gripping standalone spy thriller and a prequel to Mick Herron’s bestselling Slough House series, The Secret Hours was powered by the biggest marketing and publicity strategy to date, securing the author a spread of high-profile interviews in print from the Sunday Times to You Magazine and the Radio 4 Book at Bedtime slot. At a secret pop-up event at Harrogate Crime Festival, fans joined the author for a one-off Q&A and reading. HB sales grew by 10% on Herron’s previous novel.  

The Woman Who Lied

The Woman Who Lied

Claire Douglas

Penguin Michael Joseph

Michael Joseph launched Claire Douglas’ first official newsletter to coincide with publication of The Woman Who Lied. The publicity campaign focused on growing her presence on the crime festival circuit. On publication, this hit number five on its first part-week sale, rising to number two and spent a total of 11 weeks in the Top Ten. Selected as a Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, this psychological thriller finished the year in the Nielsen UK Top 50 of 2023’s bestselling titles. 

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Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated

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From an instant cookery brand to what not to eat, an addictive murder mystery puzzle to life-enhancing poetry, this year’s Lifestyle and Illustrated shortlist may be broad in scope but these books are united by clever campaigns and impressive sales. 

The Shortlist

Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book

Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book

Nathan Anthony

Ebury Press 

Ebury discovered lockdown cooking account @Boredoflunch, run by Nathan Anthony, and turned it into a leading brand. With the cost-of-living crisis looming and people seeking energy-saving alternatives to ovens, Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book was published at the perfect time. Ebury tailored the campaign to all retailers, achieving great success with The Works, which had the second-largest market share. It is the fifth fastest-selling cookbook of all time.  

Ghosts: The Button House Archives

Ghosts: The Button House Archives

Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond

Bloomsbury General

The official companion to the much-loved hit TV series, Ghosts: The Button House Archives needed to encapsulate the warmth, gentle humour and emotional depth of the show. Working with the six authors, who are also the show’s scriptwriters and actors, to a tight timeline, Bloomsbury produced a beautiful, high-spec treasure trove of historical artefacts belonging to the ghosts for readers young and old. It was Bloomsbury’s third-bestselling hardback of the year. 

Let The Light Pour In

Let The Light Pour In

Lemn Sissay

Canongate

For 10 years, Lemn Sissay has written a poem as dawn is breaking. Let the Light Pour In is both a collection of his best work, and also a model of how a daily practice of art might improve mental health and well-being. A coveted spot on BBC Breakfast, focusing on morning practices, saw pre-orders spike. Canongate worked with Waterstones, World Poetry Day and the Natural Voice Network choir, who performed one of Lemn’s poems live at sunrise on publication day. 

Marr's Guitars

Marr's Guitars

Johnny Marr

Thames & Hudson

This lavish visual guide to the extensive collection of the influential former Smiths guitarist features Pat Graham’s macro photography of each individual guitar interspersed with anecdotes from Johnny Marr. The musician prepared AV material for each guitar, playing and discussing how they had inspired or enhanced a particular song, which was used online. The limited-edition print run of Marr’s Guitars, in a slipcase made of a material more usually found in amps, sold out in four hours, a T&H record. 

Murdle

Murdle 

G. T. Karber

Souvenir Press 

The standout Christmas gift bestseller, Murdle is best described as Cluedo crossed with Sudoku; a new type of logic puzzle that invites the reader to solve a murder mystery. The book’s distinctive, eye-catching design made it an irresistible till-side purchase for fans of smart puzzling. With bookshops encouraged to host their own ‘Murdle Nights’, word-of-mouth soon spread. With impressive sales from publication onwards, it took the coveted Christmas number one slot. 

Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food… and Why Can’t We Stop?

Ultra-Processed People

Chris van Tulleken

Cornerstone Press

The first book from NHS doctor and presenter Chris van Tulleken is an authoritative account of the damage that ultra-processed food (UPF) is doing to our bodies. Cornerstone Press began by establishing the author as the expert on UPF, while the campaign launched with a three-part serial in the Mail and key broadcast interviews from “BBC Breakfast” to “The One Show”. Ultra-Processed People went into the charts at number one, spending nine weeks there and a further 19 weeks in the top three 

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Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Narrative

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From a pop icon to a sports hero, from a dragon with life advice to a prince with something to get off his chest, this year’s Narrative shortlist is filled with those telling their own story, but there’s also room for a history book that tells the story of many. 

The Shortlist

Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History

Normal Women

Philippa Gregory

William Collins

A radical retelling of English history, Philippa Gregory’s “tribute to the women of England” (not just a handful of famous ones) was acquired in a hotly contested seven-way auction. The publisher launched a bespoke eight-part podcast to accompany publication of Normal Women, to further expand the audience for the book, and the author undertook a big tour complete with a dynamic audio and visual presentation that was adjusted for every city to incorporate regional stories from the book. 

Politics on the Edge: A Memoir from Within

Politics on the Edge

Rory Stewart

Jonathan Cape

Jonathan Cape set out to publish a political memoir “like no other”, a book with an urgent mission to expose the issues at the heart of our government in a falling market for political books. The striking photographic jacket, capturing Rory Stewart mid-stride, perfectly positioned the book outside the Westminster bubble. An impressive raft of TV interviews reached an audience of all political hues and the book hit number one in the non-fiction charts on publication. Indie retailers did particularly well, taking 34% market share.  

Spare

Spare

Prince Harry

Bantam

Meticulous planning with retailer partners, extra tight security and “one of the most complicated and sensitive logistics plan any of us will ever experience” (according to one retailer) underpinned the success of Spare, the first memoir from a serving member of the British royal family. Prince Harry’s book, written with J R Moehringer, which set the news agenda both before and after publication, sold more than 700,000 copies through the TCM. It is the fastest-selling non-fiction hardback since records began and finished 2023 as the biggest-selling book of the year.  

The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life

The Diary of a CEO

Steven Bartlett

Ebury Edge

Entrepreneur, Dragons’ Den” star and host of the UK’s number one podcast of the same name, Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO became the fastest-selling personal development book since records began. Ebury moved beyond the author’s own impressive social media following (7.3 million across all channels) to collaborate with a number of creators (reaching a total audience size of 55 million) in a stunt involving a locked Perspex box, a gold box and a secret code that went viral. 

The Extra Mile

The Extra Mile

Kevin Sinfield

Century

The memoir from Rugby League legend Kevin Sinfield, co-written by Paul Hayward, documents not just the athlete’s sporting achievements but also his commitment to raising awareness of motor neurone disease (MND), which has afflicted his best friend and fellow rugby star Rob Burrow. Century worked with the MND Association to deliver an online event for MND sufferers, and during publication week MND charities raised an estimated £40,000. The Extra Mile is the bestselling sports autobiography of 2023.  

The Woman in Me

The Woman in Me

Britney Spears

Gallery UK

The memoir from international pop icon Britney Spears was acquired in a confidential and highly competitive auction. With no access to the star herself, S&S created a headline-grabbing campaign in which an army of Britney superfans took to the streets of London, resulting in a flood of picture stories across the nationals. A midnight launch at drag venue Mrs Riot and a Waterstones first-of-its-kind, Britney-themed silent disco created huge buzz, making publication day a real celebration.   

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Book of the Year - Pageturner

Supported by Stylist

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The Pageturner award celebrates bestselling books hailing from all genres and formats. All the shortlisted books managed to cut through in crowded commercial, romance and fantasy markets, with tales set everywhere from the southern Appalachian Mountains to a fantastical dragon school.  

The Shortlist

Demon Copperhead

Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver

Faber 

Faber has not stopped in its quest to cement Barbara Kingsolver as one of the most important writers of today with the paperback release of the garlanded Demon Copperhead. Kingsolver’s modern reimagining of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield was supported with an extensive author tour that maximised her limited time, a new character-led cover and an indie edition to make this Kingsolver’s most successful UK publication. 

Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing

Rebecca Yarros

Piatkus 

Continuing from its explosive launch, Fourth Wing is the first hardback to appear on this shortlist since its inception in 2021. Rebecca Yarros’ compulsive romantasy, fronted with a protagonist with a disability, was the bestselling SFF book in the UK last year. Piatkus produced multiple editions including an exclusive, highly sought after edition with FairyLoot and a slot on the BBC’s “The Radio 2 Book Club to make Fourth Wing a hit year-round.  

Icebreaker

Icebreaker

Hannah Grace

Simon & Schuster 

The first in Hannah Grace’s Maple Hills romance series scored top points at S&S as its bestselling debut of the year. Acquired and published in three months, S&S worked quickly to position Grace’s originally self-published American sports romance as a social media hit, with a team of TikTok ambassadors helping make Icebreaker the third bestselling romance title of the year. 

It Starts with Us

It Starts with Us

Colleen Hoover

Simon & Schuster

Colleen Hoover returns to this year’s shortlist with the chart-topping It Starts with Us, the sequel to It Ends with Us. Written in response to fan demand, the story of Lily and Atlas continues in the bestselling romance title of 2023. S&S held fortnightly TikTok meetings in the lead-up to publication and created a “Lily Bloom’s” florist installation at Waterstones Liverpool, Manchester and Piccadilly for BookFest. 

The Lost Bookshop

The Lost Bookshop

Evie Woods

One More Chapter

One More Chapter launched debut author Evie Woods into the Sunday Times bestseller chart with this bookshop mystery about the healing power of books, despite having to move publication forward six months. With no time for proofs and no publicist, the team focused on targeted influencer outreach with digital copies and an online readalong, which, coupled with an eye-catching cover, helped The Lost Bookshop soar, with rights now sold in 20 languages. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin

Vintage

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin’s iconic novel about creativity and connection, was a monumental success in paperback. Chatto & Windus pulled out all the stops in a year-round seasonal marketing campaign that included cover-reveal scratch cards, a branded ice-cream van, extensive outdoor advertising and a Christmas jumper competition. Not only did the novel place in five supermarkets, but it is also the best performing book so far in Waterstones' coveted ‘Books of the Month slot.  

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Marketing Strategy of the Year

Proudly sponsored by Nielsen BookData

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These nine marketing strategies stretch across a wide variety of genres, including fantasy, poetry, children’s books, cookbooks and celebrity memoirs. They showed exceptional passion and creativity and took both debut voices and established authors to new audiences, online and in the real world. While some of these books might have thrived regardless, the campaigns ensured publishers beat all their expectations. The shortlist features three marketing teams from Penguin Random House, which has won this award for the past two years, and two from HarperCollins. 

The Shortlist

Alesha Bonser, Sophie Rosewell

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Bloomsbury Children's Books

Bloomsbury’s work on Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures was a masterclass in building anticipation for a release. Alesha Bonser and Sophie Rosewell lifted Rundell to the major leagues with a campaign full of imagination and ambition. There was some great work with Waterstones, who named this its Book of the Year. 

Sophie Clarke, Imogen Whiteley and Katie Hall

The Orange and Other Poems by Wendy Cope

Faber

Faber’s marketers didn’t just promote Wendy Cope’s The Orange and Other Poems: they created it. After Cope’s poem caught fire on TikTok, the marketing trio of Sophie Clarke, Imogen Whiteley and Katie Hall turned round a campaign in just six weeks, using brilliant artwork and influencer promos to reach non-traditional poetry buyers. 

Rebecca Ikin, Lydia Weigel and Cameron Watson

#Merky Books Literature Festival

#Merky Books, Penguin Random House

PRH celebrated five years of its imprint with a #Merky Books Literature Festival in collaboration with Netflix. Rebecca Ikin, Lydia Weigel and Cameron Watson helped put together talks, workshops, seminars, clinics and more, with the emphasis on accessibility and appealing to readers who might not otherwise have been found. 

Olivia Marsden

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey 

4th Estate

Liv Marsden’s campaign made Monica Heisey’s Really Good, Actually the bestselling new debut fiction release of 2023. It built a big buzz before publication, got traction on TikTok and spread vibrant POS material across bookshops. Relentless activity throughout the year earned TCM sales of 200,000 copies in all editions. 

Hayley McMullan, Genevieve Barratt and Rich Vlietstra

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Simon & Schuster

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears was always going to be one of the biggest books of the year, but the Simon & Schuster trio of Hayley McMullan, Genevieve Barratt and Rich Vlietstra smashed all forecasts. The campaign had sensitivity as well as blockbuster activity that led to TCM sales of 250,000 copies in just 10 weeks. 

Katrina Northern, Helia Daryani and Amelia Rushen

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 

Vintage

Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was impossible to ignore in 2023. Vintage’s team of Katrina Northern, Helia Daryani and Amelia Rushen, supported with memorable design from Sally Felton, blitzed bookshops and online platforms and helped make it the TCM’s seventh biggest book of the year.

Abbie Salter, Sian Richefond and Emily Merrill

Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang

The Borough Press

Some publishers would have struggled with Rebecca F Kuang’s Yellowface, a hard-to-categorise skewering of publishing. But the Borough Press team of Abbie Salter, Sian Richefond and Emily Merrill ran a rule-breaking campaign with advocacy and inclusion at its core, and earned huge support from retailers. Hardback sales alone reached six figures. 

Demeter Scanlon

Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book by Nathan Anthony

Ebury

Nathan Anthony’s Bored of Lunch hit the top of the charts in the first week in January and rolled on all year, becoming the fifth biggest seller of 2023. In between, the Ebury team led by Demeter Scanlon led superb marketing through retailers, socials and influencers, and even managed to turn running out of stock into a selling point. 

Laura Vile, Katy Brigden, Gemma Shelley and Alex Cooper

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Piatkus

The Piatkus team of Laura Vile, Katy Brigden, Gemma Shelley and Alex Cooper deftly made TikTok romance star Rebecca Yarros a smash hit in fantasy. Social media dominated the pre-pub work on her Empyrean series, but there were great proofs and shop promos too. Across all formats and markets, Piatkus sold nearly a million copies of Fourth Wing

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Children's Bookseller of the Year

Proudly sponsored by Macmillan Children’s Books

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With the cost-of-living crisis squeezing families’ spending, children’s book sales were under pressure in 2023, while retailers were hit by soaring costs of their own. It makes the success of the five small businesses shortlisted here from long-established names such as Sevenoaks and The Children’s Bookshop to newcomers including Next Page and Wonderland all the more impressive. Alongside Waterstones and two web-based retailers, they show the invaluable work that children’s booksellers do to engage all children and foster the book buyers of the future.  

The Shortlist

Books2Door

Online

Online bookseller Books2Door, also shortlisted for Book Retailer of the Year, has sustained the momentum it built during Covid lockdowns. It has crafted a compelling offer at TikTok Shop and moved smartly into subscription boxes. Keen pricing and support of under-represented communities help it engage readers that publishers otherwise wouldn’t reach. 

Halfway up the Stairs

Greystones

This County Wicklow independent is shortlisted for the fourth year in a row, and is Ireland’s An Post Bookshop of the Year to boot. Its winning formula includes superb customer service, popular subscription deals, great book clubs and school supply. This is a small bookshop that punches way above its weight in Ireland. 

Imagine Me Stories

Online

A monthly subscription box set up to promote black children's literature, Imagine Me is one of the most inspiring new children’s booksellers of recent years. Founder Keisha Ehigie has helped fill a glaring gap in representation and worked tirelessly on outreach to primary schools, marketing to parents and the creation of black history resources.  

Next Page Books

Hitchin

Three years after opening in Hitchin, Next Page Books is shortlisted for this award for the first time. Storytimes and events are popular, and the shop’s indefatigable founders work with schools to curate diverse and accessible library collections and bookfairs. Its focus on neurodiversity and inclusion makes it a special place for children and parents. 

Sevenoaks Bookshop

Sevenoaks

This Kent independent is a local institution that has welcomed generations of children since the 1940s. It engages readers of all ages through talks, workshops, subscription services, peer book reviews and much more. Inclusivity and representation are at the heart of everything, and there is a particular focus on autism and dyslexia. 

The Children's Bookshop

Muswell Hill, London

Muswell Hill’s Children’s Bookshop turns 50 in 2024 but remains as youthful and energetic as ever. Adding new book clubs and a creative writing course in 2023, it has a special place in the hearts of writers and publishers, attracting big names including David Walliams and Julia Donaldson. “You can feel the love vividly at work,” said one author. 

Waterstones

UK

Waterstones, joint winner of last year’s award, revamped its children’s buying team to good effect last year. It ran superb marketing and events for top-flight children’s brand names, and its promotions and awards continue to be transformative for lesser-known authors and illustrators. “They demonstrate the power of passion and creativity,” said one grateful publisher. 

 

Wonderland Bookshop

Retford

Retford’s independent battled to overcome the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, rent hikes and flooding in 2023. As with all the indies on this list, it does much more than sell books, acting as a safe and non-judgemental space that all children and families can enjoy. A pay-it-forward scheme and pupil premium book fair showed its commitment to inclusion.  

 

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Children's Publisher of the Year

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After several boom years, children’s book sales in the trade weakened slightly in 2023. Nevertheless, these publishersa nice balance of independents and groupsall had excellent years, carving out new sales opportunities across the market. While there were plenty of frontlist hits, for many of them the year was more notable for backlist saleswhether books revived by TikTok or brands stretching back many years. Publishers also made good progress on diversity in all its forms in 2023, both through output and in-house. 

The Shortlist

Bloomsbury Children's Books 

Bloomsbury is back on the shortlist after six years away. After reinvigorating its team it excelled across the board in 2023, though Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures, Waterstones’ Book of the Year, was the standout. In the background, J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books racked up another £9m of TCM sales. 

David Fickling Books

David Fickling’s eponymous list had a stunning year, with sales rocketing 73% in the TCM, where it is now five times bigger than five years ago. Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey series had a lot to do with that, but there was much more besides, including S F Said’s multi-award-winning Tyger. 

Hachette Children's Group

Years of work to pull together Hachette’s disparate imprints and acquisitions into a united unit paid off handsomely in 2023. Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper hit number one and there were big sales across the backlist, especially from Enid Blyton. Globally, the rights and licensing team had a record year. 

Macmillan Children's Books

A third of Macmillan’s children’s revenue in 2023 came from Julia Donaldson, the TCM’s top-selling author for the fourth year in a row. But as usual it had huge strength in depth, from big pre-school brands including Rod Campbell to Pari Thompson’s Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Year Greenwild. 

 

Oneworld

Oneworld is shortlisted for its YA imprint Rock the Boat, which had another remarkable year. It owes a lot to TikTok, which has powered Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces and Amber Smith’s The Way I Used to Be. Hits from its small but focused and diverse frontlist included Josh Silver’s LGBTQ+ thriller HappyHead.  

Scholastic

Scholastic had its best ever year in the TCM, bursting back into the list of top 10 publishers with 9.2% growth. Like Macmillan it benefited hugely from Julia Donaldson. Suzanne Collins was a second big contributor on the back of a film adaptation, and Dav Pilkey had yet another good year. 

Simon & Schuster Children's Books

Last year’s winner didn’t rest on its laurels in 2023, creating new imprints Gallery Kids and Gallery YA. It had nearly 100 category top 10s, with stars including Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet’s Supertato in picture books and Lauren Roberts’ Powerless in YA. There was a biggest ever haul of book prizes and shortlist places too. 

Sweet Cherry Publishing

Sweet Cherry has done more than most to improve diversity and accessibility in publishing, and in 2023 it launched Every Cherry, a new special educational needs and disabilities imprint. Elsewhere its focus on box sets and global licensing delivered stellar growth domestically and internationally. 

Usborne

Peter Usborne’s passing last March brought an outpouring of admiration and affection from across publishing. The company he leaves behind is in better shape than ever, posting record TCM sales in its 50th anniversary year. An 11th consecutive year on this shortlist is testament to its unstinting excellence under Peter. 

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Publicity Campaign of the Year

Supported by the Publishers’ Publicity Circle

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This shortlist is made up of ten campaigns honoured in various genre categories at the Publishers’ Publicity Circle’s annual awards—described by The Bookseller’s Caroline Sanderson, chair of judges, as “demonstrating a wealth of creativity, tenacity, flexibility, affability, diplomacy, sensitivity and a ton of hard graft.” These talented publicists, most of whom appear at The British Book Awards for the first time, created campaigns that started conversations, took great care of authors and helped their publishers beat all sales forecasts. 

The Shortlist

Charlotte Bush

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand

Cornerstone

Charlotte Bush’s campaign for My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand was a masterclass in celebrity author management. It squeezed the most out of a notoriously demanding star and distributed the resulting coverage far and wide, collaborating well with US publicists. 

Beatrice Cross

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Bloomsbury Children's Books

Beatrice Cross’ campaign for Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures dovetailed with Bloomsbury’s marketing strategy to make this one of the children’s book events of the year. Cross first built a pre-publication buzz, then generated acres of review and interview coverage and steered a long programme of events. 

Etty Eastwood

Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken

Cornerstone

Publicity for Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken created one of the most talked-about books of the year. Etty Eastwood, shortlisted for the second successive year, helped the book smash all sales expectations through media awareness campaigns, well-placed interviews, podcasts, social media activity and more. 

Anna Frame

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

Canongate

Anna Frame is shortlisted for her campaign for The Creative Act by award-winning producer Rick Rubin. The coverage she secured ahead of release, and the interviews she strategized with an author on limited time, helped the book catch fire on publication, leading to multiple reprints.

Maria Garbutt-Lucero

ESEA Lit Fest

Sceptre

Sceptre’s publicity director is shortlisted in her capacity as co-founder of the ESEA Publishing Network. In September she partnered with Foyles to stage ESEA Lit Fest, the UK’s first festival dedicated to East and South East Asian writers. On a shoestring she delivered a sell-out event and widespread media interest. 

Drew Jerrison

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

Profile

Profile’s Drew Jerrison, winner of this Award in 2022, is back for his work on Janice Hallett’s The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. The year-round campaign built Hallett’s media profile, earned retailer support and improved the author’s own confidence, laying the ground for a major crime brand.  

Naomi Mantin

The List by Yomi Adegoke

4th Estate

Naomi Mantin’s campaign for Yomi Adegoke’s hardback novel The List was superbly staggered to build anticipation among readers, retailers and media. It harnessed the book’s zeitgeist-capturing themes, grabbed the attention of social media influencers and strategized event activity, propelling the book into the bestseller lists. 

Grace Nzita-Kiki

For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain by Victoria MacKenzie

Bloomsbury

Grace Nzita-Kiki’s campaign for Victoria MacKenzie’s For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain won her the Newcomer category at the PPC’s Awards. It made careful use of a first-time author and used the historical aspects of the book as hooks for widespread coverage in literary media.

Rachel Phillipps

This is Me by George Webster

Scholastic

Rachel Phillipps ran a sensitive and powerful campaign for This is Me by children’s TV star George Webster, producer Claire Taylor and illustrator Tim Budgen, generating impactful media coverage and good sales. More importantly, it did great work to promote understanding of learning disabilities and celebrate inclusion.

Josie Turner

Kammy: My Unbelievable Life by Chris Kamara

Pan Macmillan

Josie Turner’s campaign for Kammy: My Unbelievable Life by football pundit Chris Kamara carefully timed the rounds of interviews and signing tours to secure Sunday Times bestseller list status. She took great care of the author, raising awareness about his speech condition as well as his book. 

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Individual Bookseller of the Year

Proudly sponsored by Penguin Random House

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The energy and passion of these eight individuals made an enormous difference to their stores in 2023. Seven of the nominees are from independent shops, five are shortlisted for the first time and three specialise in children’s books, where booksellers can make a particularly big difference. All are clearly loved by customers, colleagues and the many authors and illustrators who have benefited from their hand-selling and events. They show the future of bookselling is in safe hands. 

The Shortlist

Carolynn Bain

Afrori Books

Last year’s Individual Bookseller of the Year is back after another outstanding year of work to diversify bookshelves. Bain’s Afrori Books in Brighton could have gone under after a rent hike, but a passionate campaign for its survival led to a new home at the Brighthelm Centre. Beyond the shop she did incredible work to promote Black authors around the country. 

Amanda Dunne Fulmer

Halfway up the Stairs

Amanda Dunne Fulmer of County Wicklow’s Halfway up the Stairs, a Children's Bookseller of the Year contender, has helped hundreds of young readers build their love of books. The personalised book subscription service she runs has been very popular. “The future of children’s books is bright with booksellers like Amanda,” said a colleague. 

Olivia Kekewich

The Edinburgh Bookshop

The Edinburgh Bookshop’s assistant manager and events coordinator Olivia Kekewich is a superb hand-seller and staunch believer that there is a book out there for everyone. She steered nearly 60 events in 2023, set up the new Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival and was a big champion of debuts and romance.  

Sarah Mullen

The Bookshop on the Green

Sarah Mullen’s story illustrates the courage of booksellers in the face of adversity. She took on the Bookshop on the Green in Birmingham in the middle of the pandemic lockdowns, but three years of ceaselessly energetic work came to a sad end when the shop shut in August. The local outpouring of regret shows what a community loses when a bookshop closes. 

Serena Russo

Waterstones

As manager of the children’s and SFF floor at Waterstones Piccadilly, Russo has one of the biggest jobs in children’s bookselling. She’s both a superb leader and consummate floor seller and ran some large-scale promotions in 2023, including a House of YA x Waterstones BookFest with PRH Children’s and a Heartstopper installation. 

Heather Slater

Forum Books

Heather Slater was promoted to manager at Forum Books in Corbridge in 2023, a reward for her superb work in events in particular. As well as author readings and school visits she ran a popular Summer Book Camp and bookshop socials. One of her visiting authors said: “If you look up the word 'bookseller' in the dictionary, it simply reads: 'See Heather Slater.” 

Helen Tamblyn-Saville

Wonderland Bookshop

Helen Tamblyn-Saville, owner and manager of the Wonderland Bookshop in Retford in Nottinghamshire, is shortlisted for the third year in a row. A shop that was at risk of closure when she arrived is now a vibrant hub for children and parents. “Wonderland is under her spell of charm, passion, love and knowledge of books,” said one author. 

Jack Wrighton

Mostly Books

Jack Wrighton of Mostly Books in Abingdon has a flair for matching the right books to the right readers. As well as excelling in the day job on the shop floor, he has looked after its subscriptions, run lively TikTok and Instagram feeds, steered book-and-wine evenings and hosted the popular Mostly Books podcast. 

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Literary Agent of the Year

Proudly sponsored by The London Book Fair

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“I owe her everything”… “An unending support for me and my work”… “Will go to war for you”… These are just some of the dozens of glowing author testimonials for the literary agents on this shortlist. They steered some of last year’s biggest books, but just as importantly gave many more authors the careers they had only dreamed of, and substantially improved the representation of marginalised voices. The list is also notable for the prominence of agents from children’s books and YA. 

The Shortlist

Becky Brown and Norah Perkins

Curtis Brown

The co-founders of Curtis Brown’s Heritage department get a joint shortlisting for their revolutionary work in an area of agenting that is often overlooked: literary estates. They treat their 150 estates like frontlist and doubled sales in 2023, sustaining the legacies of the likes of Douglas Adams, Iain Banks and Laurie Lee. 

Will Francis

Janklow & Nesbit

Will Francis of Janklow & Nesbit has a flair for building agenda-setting non-fiction, from Adam Rutherford, Tracy King, Mary Ann Sieghart and Ed Yong among others in 2023. He’s a very strategic agent with an eye on the long-term rather than instant hits, and with Rangan Chatterjee has shown he can build big author brands. 

Amanda Harris

YMU Literary

Amanda Harris, global managing director at the YMU agency, is shortlisted for the third time. She has been the force behind the success of Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton and many more from the world of entertainmentbut beyond the big celeb deals she was a powerful supporter of new voices and literacy projects in 2023.  

Jodie Hodges

United Agents

The phenomenal success of Jamie Smart is in no small part down to the prolonged work of United Agents’ head of books Jodie Hodges. She has been a tenacious deal-maker for many more writers and illustrators including Harriet Muncaster, Jim Field and Camilla Reid. “I owe my career almost entirely to Jodie,” said one client. 

Harry Illingworth

DHH Literary Agency

The DHH Literary Agency’s director has been a key agent in the rise of the sci-fi and fantasy genre in recent years. Sunyi Dean and Richard Swan have benefited from his canny deal-making, while interest in Tariq Ashkanani, Tom Hindle and Femi Kayode shows his Midas touch in crime and thrillers too. 

 

Ivan Mulcahy

MMB Creative

The Mulcahy Sweeney agency had its best ever year in 2023, with several long-term author projects paying dividends. David Mitchell and Miriam Mulcahy topped bestseller lists having been carefully placed with publishers. Among new voices, he built a big buzz among publishers around Africa Brooke and Kuba Shand-Baptiste. 

Chloe Seager

Madeleine Milburn

Chloe Seager of the Madeleine Milburn agency piloted a wide range of children’s and YA authors to success in 2023, including bestselling Katie Kirby and multi-award-winning Danielle Jawando. Authors revere her and publishers value her collegiate approach. “Chloe’s quick, funny, astute and fierceall the ingredients required to be the very best of agents,” said one. 

Emma Shercliff

Laxfield Literary Associates

Emma Shercliff has shown agents the way on diversification since founding Laxfield Literary Associates. She has brought many under-represented voices to wider attention, especially from Africa, and ensured the legacy of the late Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina. She found time to run a book prize, festival and writer development programme too. 

Clare Wallace

Darley Anderson

Clare Wallace was promoted to MD of the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency in 2023a reward for her work to make the agency a leading force in children’s and YA. Success for A M Howell, Olivia Levez and Beth Reekles were just three examples of her unwavering support of authors, even if they don’t immediately land sales. 

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Designer of the Year

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The quality of design in UK publishing is better than ever, sustaining the appeal of printed books in the age of digital content. This award celebrates the originality, diversity and versatility of designers and highlights the value of covers to sales. The shortlist comprises five in-house designers and four freelances, and seven of the names appear here for the first time. All combine artistic flair with expert knowledge of what booksellers and browsers want to see. 

The Shortlist

Micaela Alcaino

Freelance

Micaela Alcaino won here in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Future Leader of the Year at the 2023 FutureBook conference. Formerly of Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, she is now a freelancer whose colourful and intricate covers include Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi and Alix E Harrow’s Starling House. 

Coralie Bickford-Smith

Penguin Random House

Penguin Press’ senior cover designer has a flair for covetable, clothbound classics. Her covers are bold, bright and distinctive while incorporating techniques of centuries past: “Perfect collectable objects of desire,” as one bookseller called them. Alongside the day job Bickford-Smith has written and illustrated engaging picture books of her own.  

Luke Bird

Freelance

Luke Bird is shortlisted for the third time in four years. His freelance work for a wide range of publishers has won a host of design awards and is characterised by a bold, less-is-more approach that isn’t afraid of empty spaceas on literary covers including J M Coetzee’s The Pole and Yomi Adegoke’s The List. 

Emma Ewbank

Freelance

After time at Bloomsbury and Penguin, Emma Ewbank has joined the ranks of in-demand freelances. Dolly Alderton’s Good Material and Peter Frankopan’s The Earth Transformed were among the books she brought to life with lavish designs in 2023. “A joy to work with,” said one grateful author. 

Mel Four

Hachette

Egmont, Pan Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Penguin and Octopus have all benefited from Mel Four’s talents. Mono design is her main focus but she showed her skills for bright, attention-grabbing covers on Fern Brady’s Strong Female Character. Internally she has updated and unified Octopus’ design workflows. 

Holly Macdonald

HarperCollins

HarperCollins’ art director shows the importance to design of strong leadership and collaboration with authors and colleagues. Work of her own in 2023 included Hannah Kaner’s Godkiller and Juno Dawson’s The Shadow Cabinet. “She marries beautiful design with a commercial sensibility that means the sky’s the limit on sales,” said a colleague. 

Moesha Parirenyatwa

Pan Macmillan

Moesha Parirenyatwa is one of the rising stars of book design. Less than three years in at Pan Macmillan, she is a leading light across its fiction with a fresh and experimental approach and commercial nous. Covers for L T Shearer’s The Cat Who Solved Three Murders and Kate Foster’s The Maiden show her versatility. 

Jack Smyth

Freelance

From literary novels to celeb-led non-fiction, Jack Smyth covers a lot of ground as a freelance. He was the designer behind the cover of Paul Lynch’s 2023 Booker-winning Prophet Song, and beyond his own work is a champion for his craft. “Jack has that rare alchemy of artistic vision and literary insight,” said one author. 

Nick Stearn

Bonnier Books UK

Bonnier’s art director for adult trade publishing and children’s fiction shows the role of designers in publishers’ branding as well as individual books. He has refined the identity of the group’s imprints, and his work on Lynda La Plante, Wilbur Smith and S J Bennett shows he knows how to keep series of titles both fresh and unified. 

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Rights Professional of the Year

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With domestic sales under pressure, rights teams were the difference between profit and loss at many publishing houses in 2023. They squeezed maximum value from the books and properties at their disposal and constantly found new territories and formats. This year’s shortlist of nine tenacious and creative deal-makers includes no fewer than four rights professionals from the Hachette group, and all but two appear of them feature here for the first time. 

The Shortlist

Bloomsbury Children's Rights Team

Bloomsbury Publishing

The team of six at Bloomsbury’s children’s division is shortlisted en masse for a superb year in everything from picture books to YA. They helped make Sarah J Maas a global star in nearly 40 languages, and 25 years on from Harry Potter’s arrival they struck many new deals across myriad editions. 

Melis Dagoglu

Hodder & Stoughton

Hodder & Stoughton’s head of rights was at the heart of her division’s renaissance in 2023. Revenue rose by a fifth thanks to her leadership on both established brands including Ella Woodward and new signings such as Tessa Bickers. She’s a superb collaborator internally; “A driving force behind our acquisitions and publishing,” said one colleague. 

Isabella Depiazzi

Granta Publications

Granta’s senior rights and acquisitions manager showed the enormous difference a rights pro can make to an independent publisher. Having overhauled Granta’s rights processes and priorities, she achieved a 38% increase in revenue in 2023, with much-improved subsidiary rights and co-agenting practices and many more backlist deals. 

Stella Giatrakou

Bonnier Books UK

Bonnier’s adult-rights director ramped up sales by a third last year, with dozens of contracts for brands including Lynda La Plante, Wilbur Smith and Heather Morris. Film and TV deals beat all expectations too, and new digital-first deals and a joint venture with US publisher Mango showed her innovation. 

Emma O'Grady

Quarto

The Quarto Group’s foreign-rights director for southern territories had a best-ever year of sales in 2023. She and her team averaged three deals a daymostly in co-editions – to more than 170 different publishers. Brazil and several Spanish-language markets were especially profitable.  

Alice Latham

Atlantic Books

Atlantic Books’ rights director is shortlisted for the second year in a row, having doubled the independent’s rights income in just four years. Highlights included an audio co-publishing deal with W F Howes, several high-profile serialisations and an ‘Atlantic Workshop’ programme to maximise rights for emerging authors. 

Karen Lawler

Hachette Children's Group

As head of media rights and audio, Lawler squeezes every drop out of ancillary rights for Hachette’s children’s team. Her team doubled profits last year and took a very proactive approach to backlist, especially across the Enid Blyton properties. One producer said: “She’s a smart, tough negotiator who cares passionately about the books she represents.” 

Tracy Phillips

Hachette Children's Group

Hachette Children's Group’s rights director Tracy Phillips is shortlisted for this award for a fourth time. Her team of 11 posted double-digit growth in co-editions and sub-rights sales, and her leadership work included team restructuring and the integration of Welbeck’s rights operation. “She’s the ultimate rights professional,” said one foreign publisher. 

Margaret Szymczyk

John Murray Press

John Murray Press’ rights director is a skilful juggler of a range of specialist imprints, including Jessica Kingsley, Hodder Faith, Sheldon Press and Nicholas Brealey. She has taken a very strategic and systematic approach to deal-making, leading to double-digit growth in revenue last year. 

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Academic, Educational and Professional Publisher of the Year

Proudly sponsored by Virtusales Publishing Solutions

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Deep budget cuts across schools and universities made it a tough 2023 in these areas of publishing but you wouldn’t know it from these nine nominees. The shortlist features large generalists but is also notable for subject specialists, university presses and publishers serving professionals. Each is sharply focused and nimble, and a fully fledged digital as well as print publisher. Above all, it’s the expert knowledge of their academic, educational and professional markets that helps them thrive despite difficult conditions. 

The Shortlist

Bloomsbury 

Bloomsbury has been shortlisted for this Award in 12 of the past 13 years, and won it three times. Inexorable growth continued in 2023 with new digital content hubs in visual arts, psychology and fashion and the launch of Bloomsbury Open Collections. Author grants and fellowships helped to diversify its output. 

Boydell & Brewer

Independent and employee-owned humanities publisher Boydell & Brewer makes this shortlist for the first time. It had a best-ever year of profits, excelling in direct sales and hitting its stride in open-access publishing. Other areas of progress included new partnerships with scholarly societies and an Indian publisher. 

Bristol University Press

BUP has nearly doubled its turnover in the past few years. Digital content and international expansion were two big themes of 2023, with new global library partners and more overseas authors. Its publishing comes with a powerful social mission, reinforced by excellent work on its in-house sustainability and inclusivity.  

Class Publishing

Class had another best-ever year in its niches of content for paramedics and family law professionals. The business is now digitally dominated, with new and improved apps to the fore in 2023. Customer care and close publishing partnerships are among its top strengths, and it looks after its own team well too. 

Collins

Now well into its third century of publishing, Collins’ grip on the primary schools and learning-to-read markets is as strong as ever. There was more growth from international territories and the National Geographic Kids list, but the biggest moment of Collins’ year came with the acquisition of Barrington Stoke. 

Edward Elgar Publishing

The reigning Independent Publisher of the Year at the IPG’s Independent Publishing Awards had more double-digit growth in revenue and profits. Two thirds of sales are now digital, including through its direct Elgaronline platform, and an even higher proportion come from overseas. Authors, customers and staff are all notably loyal.  

Emerald Publishing

Emerald’s year included the acquisition of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ list. Beyond that there were new open-access journals and a commitment to publishing that meets the UN Sustainable Development Goals. On the print side, Emerald overcame the collapse of distributor Turpin to grow book sales by 25%. 

Manchester University Press

Manchester took big steps up the university press ladder in 2023, and strong growth in e-books and rights show its evolution into a digital and international publisher. Its arts and cultural studies list is increasingly visible in the trade too, backed up by excellent marketing and publicity that delivered best-ever TCM sales.  

Scholastic

Scholastic is shortlisted here for the first time in seven years, having bucked the downward trend in the primary school market with excellent growth. Standouts included its Phonics publishing, which added a non-fiction strand. It outperformed on the trade side too, launching a new home-learning range with W H Smith. 

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Independent Publisher of the Year

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Despite a flat market and severe cost pressures, BookScan numbers show that many independent publishers thrived in the trade in 2023. This shortlist is a fine mix of three venerable publishers Faber, Granta and Thames & Hudson three dynamic newcomers Boldwood, Joffe and Swift Press and two that are somewhere in between: Oneworld and Profile. Regardless of age they are agile, entrepreneurial, ambitious and very proudly independent. This shortlist will also include the winner of the Small Press of the Year. 

The Shortlist

Boldwood Books

Last year’s Small Press of the Year, Boldwood Books is small no longer. In just its fourth full year it sold £7m worth of books in a myriad of formats and topped the Kindle charts seven times. “Innovative, adaptive and leagues ahead of everyone else,” said one of several Boldwood authors to have sold more than a million units. 

Faber 

Faber, a three-time Independent Publisher of the Year, scored 7.7% growth in TCM sales in 2023. Barbara Kingsolver’s Women’s Prize winner Demon Copperhead was its top seller, while Claire Keegan stepped up a league and the backlistone of the richest in publishingthrived. Growth was even higher at the Faber-led Independent Alliance.  

Granta 

Granta is shortlisted for this award for the first time in 10 years, after a best-ever 12 months and a 26.2% leap in TCM sales. Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood was its biggest hit, Sandra Newman’s Julia received exceptional acclaim, and there was a hatful of prizes and shortlistings, including for Sarah Bernstein’s Study for Obedience at the Booker. 

Joffe Books 

Joffe Books is shortlisted for the fifth time in a row. After acquiring romance list Choc Lit and digital publisher Lume in 2023 it can claim to be the UK’s largest independent publisher by title count. Other massive numbers in 2023 included 3.5 million books sold in digital and print and more than one billion pages read on Kindle Unlimited.  

Oneworld

Last year’s Independent Publisher of the Year scooped a remarkable third Booker Prize in just eight years with Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song. Its fiction list was again full of under-represented voices and debuts. YA list Rock the Boat was equally diverse, delivering Oneworld’s biggest seller of all for the second year in a row: Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces 

Profile Books

Profile is back on this list after nine years away. It finished a superb 2023 with record TCM sales and the Christmas number one with G T Karber’s Murdle, from Imprint of the Year contender Souvenir Press. Crime list Viper was another imprint to thrive, and books by Mary Beard and Henry Dimbleby were among 10 to reach the Sunday Times lists.  

Swift Press

Swift Press has only been around for three years, but it already feels like a fully fledged publisher. TCM sales nearly trebled in 2023the result of not just a single hit but success across the boardand it punched far above its weight in review coverage and award recognition. Talked-about books included Hannah Barnes’ Time to Think and Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards. 

Thames & Hudson

Art-book publisher Thames & Hudson celebrates its 75th birthday in 2024, still proudly under family ownership. The frontlist, children’s books, museum partnerships and crowdfunding projects all thrived, and there was a new imprint for giftable lifestyle and creativity books, Skittledog. T&H also made excellent progress on sustainability and diversity initiatives. 

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Imprint of the Year

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Publishing imprints may not matter much to consumers, but for editors, authors, agents and retailers they remain vital focal points and hallmarks of quality. They also come and go: while this year’s shortlist includes two imprints, Pan and Souvenir Press, that can trace their history back decades, four were born within the past five years. New or old, large or small, they are centres of excellence that published many of the biggest books of last year with passion. 

The Shortlist

Bookouture

Hachette

Bookouture is shortlisted for the third time in seven years, having racked up record sales in 2023. Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series was a top contributor, though there were many more big author brands. While e-books still dominate at this digital-led imprint, growth in print and audio was even sharper. 

Cornerstone Press

Penguin Random House

Just two years in, Penguin Random House’s imprint has made a big splash in several areas of non-fiction. Chris van Tulleken’s Ultra-Processed People was among the most talked-about books of 2023 and Amy Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong was the FT Business Book of the Year. 

Gallery Books

Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster’s imprint, launched in 2021, really hit its stride last year. TCM sales leapt 50% after bestsellers from the unlikely trio of Britney Spears, Patrick Stewart and Bob Mortimer, plus Tori Tsui and Joe Gibson. By scheduling just 10 new books a year, it shows less is sometimes more. 

HarperNorth

HarperCollins

HarperNorth is another new arrival, and part of big publishers’ efforts to look beyond London. It had number ones from Sophie McCartney and Scott Mariani, while e-book and audio sales more than doubled. “HarperNorth instils a belief and confidence in writers who can’t always see themselves in what has come before,” said one author. 

HQ

HarperCollins

HarperCollins’ HQ is shortlisted for the second year in a row, after growing TCM sales by 16%. It took 19 books into the Sunday Times lists, including debuts from Millie Bobby Brown and Georgina Moore as well as big brands including Joe Wicks. Inclusivity and reaching new readers were at the heart of the strategy. 

Monoray

Octopus

Hachette’s non-fiction imprint, set up by Jake Lingwood five years ago, doubled its TCM earnings in 2023. Bernie Taupin’s Scattershot was the best performer in the small but powerful frontlist, and social justice was a theme of the year. “This young imprint demonstrates enormous flair and confidence,” said one agent. 

Pan

Pan Macmillan

Pan has been a paperback powerhouse for 80 years, and remains one of the widest-ranging commercial imprints around. TCM sales rose 7% to £18.3m, with David Baldacci, Ann Cleeves, Lucinda Riley and Peter James among the big fiction brands to deliver. Pan also rejuvenated many parts of its mighty backlist. 

Piatkus Fiction

Little, Brown Book Group

The Piatkus brand has grown steadily but surely since Little, Brown acquired it in 2007, and it had its best year by far in 2023. Rebecca Yarros romantasy blockbusters led the way but there were big numbers from authors across the spectrum of commercial fiction, not least Ana Huang and Lauren Asher. 

Souvenir Press

Profile Books

Five years after acquiring Souvenir Press’ eclectic bag of nearly 1,000 titles, Profile Books has polished up the backlist gems and established a fresh frontlist identity. It struck gold with G T Karber’s Murdle, which scooped the Christmas number one on its way to TCM sales of more than 300,000 copies.  

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Publisher of the Year

Proudly sponsored by International Literary Properties (ILP)

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Falling volumes and rising costs made it a tough year in trade publishing—but not for the 10 contenders for Publisher of the Year. They all achieved excellent year-on-year growth through outstanding publishing and marketing and success from across the backlist as well as new releases, and from e-books and audio as well as print. They also made good progress on diversifying publishing’s output. The shortlist includes two divisions from Penguin Random House, two from Hachette and two independents. 

The Shortlist

Bloomsbury 

Bloomsbury’s consumer division is shortlisted for the sixth time in seven years, after its best 12 months in the TCM since the Harry Potter heyday. J K Rowling remained the third biggest selling author but its range is far wider now—from new children’s stars such as Katherine Rundell to fiction with Sarah J Maas to non-fiction with Peter Frankopan. 

Ebury 

Another stellar year for PRH’s Ebury division was led by Nathan Anthony, who had two Bored of Lunch books in the year’s top 10 with sales of nearly 800,000. Beyond that, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Bartlett and Charlie Mackesy were among an eclectic but massively successful range of bestsellers. 

Faber 

Faber is nearing its 100th birthday in better shape than ever. TCM sales were up 7.3%—thanks not just to Barbara Kingsolver’s Women’s Prize winner Demon Copperhead, Claire Keegan and Sally Rooney but to its rich backlist. Faber gave other indies a top year too, leading the Independent Alliance to double-digit growth. 

HarperCollins

HarperCollins had its best TCM sales for 15 years. Children’s books stood out, led as usual by David Walliams, though Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder topped even him. On the adult side The Borough Press flourished with Rebecca Kuang. HarperVoyager, reigning Imprint of the Year, thrived again and there were several new lists. 

Hodder & Stoughton

Hodder’s revival accelerated in 2023, with 42 Sunday Times bestsellers and three new imprints: Hodder Press, HodderScape and Hodder Catalyst. It gave Stephen King his first market top spot in 20 years and rights and audio sales both rose sharply. “It’s a publisher at the top of its game,” said one agent. 

Little, Brown Book Group

Hachette’s group scored double-digit TCM growth for the second year in a row. It has ridden the TikTok wave better than anyone with the likes of Colleen Hoover, Ana Huang and Rebecca Yarros, and there were 33 Sunday Times bestsellers in all. The famous Virago list turned 50, while international sales rocketed. 

Pan Macmillan

Pan Macmillan was another publisher with TCM-beating growth. Fiction did best, through the late Lucinda Riley and big brands including Danielle Steel and David Baldacci. Non-fiction was again led by Pinch of Nom, plus the acquisition of Harriman House. Julia Donaldson was the UK’s top-selling author for the umpteenth year.

Profile Books

Profile scooped the Christmas number one with G T Karber’s Murdle, fuelling 37.5% growth in the TCM. Hits from Robert Greene and Mary Beard showed how well it does more serious non-fiction too, and crime list Viper flourished. It meant founder Andrew Franklin bowed out from the day-to-day running of Profile at the very top. 

Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster is chasing a third successive Publisher of the Year Award. Its TCM sales slipped a little in 2023 but it was a phenomenal year by any other standard. S&S had six of the year’s 20 bestselling books and invested smartly in diversity and sustainability projects as well as its staff and list. 

Transworld

Transworld’s Larry Finlay was another publishing great with a fine swansong. The division is here for the first time since 2017 after TCM sales soared by nearly half. Prince Harry’s Spare was the year’s biggest book by a street and Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry and Lee and Andrew Child’s No Plan B shared nine weeks as paperback fiction number one.  

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Top Tips for Independent Bookshops

Your Guide to Winning The British Book Award for Independent Bookshop of the Year: Success Guaranteed.

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From The Bookseller’s managing editor Tom Tivnan.

OK, that title was a trifle clickbaity. The tips and tricks below might not guarantee you will win this year’s Gardners-backed Nibbie for Independent Bookshop of the Year. But this is how the judging works, what judges are looking for and tips on what to include, to help make your submissions sing.

1. It’s a two-tiered submission process…  

Indie bookshops do not have, say, an entire marketing department on hand to prepare Nibbies submissions so we make decisions in the first round on slightly truncated submissions, then we ask you to go deeper for the second round. Both submissions count. Our judges see both.

2. Introduce yourself in phase 1

Now, though it is a first round, you still have to make your case. Why are you (at this stage) worthy of being shortlisted for your region? Tell us your story succinctly but compellingly. Even at stage one, give us some financials. It does not have to be much, but an indication of year-on-year growth in all its forms is definitely important. We do take in context, by the way, such as fuller market conditions, and what is happening in your particular area.

3. …and go deep in phase 2

In your next entries, tell us more about you and your shop. Go granular with the figures and outline your story a bit more: how do you fit in with the rest of your high street, what role do you play in your wider community, are there any initiatives or bookselling practices you’re particularly proud of? Share more images as well (more of that below). The things we are looking for are itemised in the Independent Bookshop of the Year criteria.  

4. Format your entry attractively

We are not necessarily looking for slick, whiz-bang entries, but at the regional shortlisting stage, we are sifting through hundreds of entries and it helps immeasurably if your entry catches the eye. A 1,500 words entry with a solid block of text and only two paragraph indents is, on a practical level, difficult to absorb. Use bolds, clearly separate sections, bullet points…think of the entry as one long bit of copy that you would write to, say, advertise an event.    

5. Don’t hide your light under a bushel

You are entering this award because you thought, ‘You know what, we aren’t not only the best in this region, but I think we just might be the best dang indie bookshop in the whole of the UK and Ireland.’ Don’t hold back in telling us why! Every year, we encounter a few entries which we know are from brilliant shops but their greatness isn’t really isn’t demonstrated by what’s in the entries.

6. Images really do matter

If you get through to the second phase, please give us at the minimum a few pics that can demonstrate how brilliant your premises are, inside and outside. But other images help, too: events, happy customers bustling about, school visits, your staff… Our judges may be au fait with the book trade⁠, but will be going almost exclusively on what you provide in your entry. Make yourself look brilliant.

7. People matter, too

I mean people in the sense of your local community: your customers, of course, but the other shops on your high street, schools, institutions, local government, etc. What is your role with them, why are you essential to your area? But I also mean it with your team. We want to hear about them. Why are these people great booksellers, how do they fit into your success, and how do you work together to reach readers? And talk about you, too (especially if you are all the people on your team).

8. And remember...

There are thousands of indie bookshops across the UK and Ireland, hundreds of which put themselves forward for this award. Only one, obviously, can win the overall gong. Judging the Indie Bookshop of The Year Award is a joy, but it’s agonising, too, in that we end up by the very nature of the process in having to say no to some really brilliant shops. If you submitted before and weren’t successful, or if you feel daunted by entering for the first time, I completely understand. But we are listening, we appreciate you taking the time and thank you for telling us your story. 

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Small Press of the Year

Regional and Country Winners

Sponsored by CPI Books

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From art-books and children’s titles to the first publisher of dyslexic-friendly fiction for adults, ten small presses across the UK and Ireland were honoured today as regional and country winners for The British Book Awards 2024 Small Press of the Year, with a record six further companies highly commended.

Selected by the judges from 55 finalists announced last month, the award, which is sponsored by CPI Books, celebrates the independent presses delivering imaginative, forward-looking and diverse publishing.

The Winner

Boldwood Books

Boldwood Books

While this is a first British Book Award for Boldwood Books, it is unlikely to be the last—though with turnover already nearing £5m, it will not be able to call itself a small press for much longer.

Barely three years after publishing its first books, the business has sprinted past the two milestones of 10 million books sold and 100 authors signed. Sticking to its mission statement of “Publishing Reimagined”, it publishes every book simultaneously in multiple print, digital and audio formats—and with nearly 200 titles released in 2022, it is a lot of publishing for a team of just 15.

E-books are at the core, and 13 different Boldwood titles reached the Bookstat top 10 last year. TCM revenue quadrupled and there were moves into new channels, including W H Smith and supermarkets. It is already a significant international name, with half its revenue now coming from beyond the UK. Authors, many of whom have self-published or moved from elsewhere, seem to love the business model; “Signing with Boldwood was nothing short of life-changing,” said one testimonial. Its digital marketing—through hyper-targeted advertising, lively social media, newsletters and more—is among the best in the business. By focusing on digital formats and printing on-demand to bypass warehousing and returns, it is pointing the way forward on sustainability as well.

“Bold is the word,” said the judges. “Boldwood has broken the traditional publishing mould and is now on a roll. It is innovative, creative, nimble and enthusiastic... the exceptional growth in revenue in 2022 proves this is a winning formula.” All 10 publishers on this shortlist were winners in the regional and country rounds of the Small Press of the Year Award.

Winners


Scorpius Books

Scorpius Books

East England

The East England winner, launched in the pandemic, is creating an excellent reputation in dyslexia-friendly publishing. Beyond picking up rights for special editions and making them available to dyslexic readers, it’s doing a lot to raise awareness of this learning difficulty through social media and collaborations.


Banshee Press

Banshee Press

Island of Ireland

The Island of Ireland winner is one of the smallest of small presses, with a literary journal and a few new books a year. But its founding team of authors have built a reputation for talent spotting and critically acclaimed output, bringing new voices into Irish culture.


Elliott and Thompson

Elliott & Thompson

London

Joint London winner Elliott & Thompson publish original and bestselling non-fiction and carefully selected fiction, producing beautiful books that inform, inspire and bring enjoyment to a wide range of readers. Its books include the No. 1 Sunday Times bestsellers Prisoners of Geography, The Power of Geography and The Future of Geography by Tim Marshall, Julia Boyd’s top three Sunday Times bestseller Travellers in the Third Reich and A Village in the Third Reich


Magic Cat Publishing

Magic Cat Publishing

London

Joint London winner Magic Cat is an award-winning independent children’s books and stories company based in Bethnal Green. Established in July 2019, they believe that that magic happens when families spend time around a book. This magic attitude is paying off, with the press on target to exceed £5million in 2024.


3dtotal Publishing

3dtotal Publishing

Midlands

Worcester-based 3dtotal is the Midlands winner. Its books for artists, illustrators and animators are exceptionally well made and marketed, and it’s a truly philanthropic publisher, donating half of all profits—more than £1m in the last two years—to environmental and humanitarian causes. 


Fly on the Wall Press

Fly on the Wall Press

North England

Manchester-based Fly on the Wall, the North England winner grew sales of its fiction, poetry and anthologies by a third in 2023. Its endlessly energetic founder Isabelle Kenyon achieved excellent media coverage for its bold publishing and put on around 30 events, including the popular Northern Publishers’ Fair. 


404 Ink

404 Ink

Scotland

404 Ink, the Scotland winner, has an impressive quality of output for a two-person operation. Its Inklings series of short books, supported by Kickstarter campaigns and public funding, is at the heart, and commissioning is bold and diverse.


David Fickling Books

David Fickling Books

South-East England

David Fickling’s eponymous children’s publisher is the South East England winner for a second successive year. Its TCM sales rocketed 73% last year—powered largely by Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey comic book series, but also by SF Said and Gill Lewis.


Peirene Press

Peirene Press

South-West England

South West England winner Peirene Press is one of several indies raising the profile of literary translations in the UK. After relaunching under Stella Sabin and James Tookey, Peirene has doubled its frontlist and trebled its bookshop sales. Its subscription service is thriving and it won the prestigious Dublin Literary Award with Katja Oskamp. 


Firefly Press

Firefly Press

Wales

Firefly Press is the Wales winner for the fourth time in five years. The Carnegie Medal for Manon Steffan Ros’ translated Blue Book of Nebo was the highlight of its tenth anniversary year, and reward for Firefly’s investment in Welsh-language publishing.  

Highly Commended


Little Island Books

Little Island Books

Island of Ireland


Jacaranda Books

Jacaranda Books

London


Sweet Cherry Publishing

Sweet Cherry Publishing

Midlands


Scotland Street Press

Scotland Street Press

Scotland

 


Duckworth Books

Duckworth Books

South-East England


Lucent Dreaming

Lucent Dreaming

Wales

 

Finalists

East England


Dedalus Books

Dedalus Books


UEA Publishing Project

UEA Publishing Project


SRL Publishing

SRL Publishing


Scorpius Books

Scorpius Books

Island of Ireland


Banshee Press

Banshee Press

 


Little Island Books

Little Island Books

 


The Irish Pages Press

The Irish Pages Press

 


The Lilliput Press

The Lilliput Press

 

London


Gallic Press

Gallic Books

 


The Do Book Company

The Do Book Company

 


Elliott and Thompson

Elliott & Thompson

 


Hurtwood

Hurtwood

 


Magic Cat Publishing 2

Magic Cat Publishing

 


Bedford Square

Bedford Square Publishers


Muswell Press

Muswell Press

 


Renard Press

Renard Press

 


Out-Spoken Press

Out-Spoken Press 

 


The Indigo Press

The Indigo Press

 


Jacaranda Books

Jacaranda Books

 


Scallywag Press

Scallywag Press

 

Midlands


Bad Betty Press

Bad Betty Press

 


Otter-Barry Books

Otter-Barry Books

 


3dtotal Publishing

3dtotal Publishing

 


Sweet Cherry Publishing

Sweet Cherry Publishing

 


The Emma Press

The Emma Press

 

North England


Bluemoose Books

Bluemoose Books

 


Carcanet Press

Carcanet Press

 


Fly on the Wall Press

Fly on the Wall Press

 


Saraband

Saraband

 


Dead Ink Books

Dead Ink Books

 


Smokestack Books

Smokestack Books

 

Scotland


404 Ink

404 Ink

 


Charco Press

Charco Press

 


Rymour Books

Rymour Books

 


Scotland Street Press

Scotland Street Press

 


Little Door Books

Little Door Books

 


3TimesRebel Press

3TimesRebel Press

 


The Wee Book Company

The Wee Book Company

 

South-East England


Author In Me

Author In Me


David Fickling Books

David Fickling Books

 


Duckworth Books

Duckworth Books


Guppy Books

Guppy Books

 


Mama Makes Books

Mama Makes Books


September Publishing

September Publishing

 


Noodle Juice

Noodle Juice

 

South-West England


Ad Hoc Fiction

Ad Hoc Fiction


Peirene Press

Peirene Press

 


From You To Me

From You To Me

 


Really Decent Books

Really Decent Books

 


PG Online / ClearRevise

PG Online / ClearRevise

 

Wales


Rily Publications

Rily Publications

 


Firefly Press

Firefly Press

 


Graffeg

Graffeg

 


Parthian Books

Parthian Books

 


Lucent Dreaming

Lucent Dreaming

 

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Independent Bookshop of the Year

Regional and Country Winners
Proudly sponsored by Gardners

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From bookshops established over 45 years ago, to sellers who set up shop during the pandemic, independent bookshops from across the UK and Ireland are continuing to thrive as they serve their communities first.
Selected by the judges from 77 finalists announced last month, the nine regional and country winners are now in contention for the overall Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 13th May 2024. The overall Independent Bookshop of the Year winner will also compete to be crowned Book Retailer of the Year.

Gardners are sponsoring the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award for the 15th Year. The winner of this award for 2024 will win a £5,000 cash prize to be spent on their bookshop. The cheque will be presented at the Gardners Trade Show in 2024.

Winner

Lorum Ipsum

To be announced

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Winners


Kett's Books

Kett's Books

East England

Kett’s Books in Wymondham near Norwich is the East England winner. Last summer it moved from a small, tucked-away shop to a three-floor building on the high street, raising funds from its loyal Friends group and refurbishing with the help of an army of volunteers—many of whom continue to work there. 


The Secret Bookshelf

The Secret Bookshelf

Island of Ireland

The Secret Bookshelf in Carrickfergus is the first shop in Northern Ireland to win the Island of Ireland category. Four years after opening it has expanded into new space and pulls people in from miles around. It’s an excellent supporter of schools and charitable initiatives, and gives free books to local families for newborns.


Brick Lane Bookshop

Brick Lane Bookshop

London

London winner Brick Lane Bookshop has been part of the East End for 46 years and had its best sales yet in 2023. It shows the huge value of bookshops in building communities, and new initiatives included a Young Readers’ Fund for free books to children and local history tours called ‘Sunday Strolls’.


Poetry Pharmacy

The Poetry Pharmacy 

Midlands

The Midlands winner, based in the Shropshire town of Bishop’s Castle, bills itself as the world’s first pharmacy prescribing poems to the public. It put on more than 100 events in 2023 including open mic nights and bibliotherapy sessions, launched collaborations with lifestyle brands like Lush, and ran a three-month pop-up in Soho. 


Wave of Nostalgia

Wave of Nostalgia

North England

The North England winner is a tiny shop in a village—Haworth in Yorkshire—that has several other places to buy books. Yet it grew sales by a quarter in 2023, through outstanding booksellers and range selection, attractive displays and big author events. Social media helped online sales soar. “Best bookshop ever,” said one customer. 


The Book Nook

The Book Nook 

Scotland

The Book Nook in Stewarton is the Scotland winner. Its third year, and first in a relocated space, saw it move activity up a gear, with book clubs for adults and children and a Mini Book Festival, while valuable outreach included a Book Nook Book Bank of donations and workshops for children in care. 


Pigeon Books

Pigeon Books

South-East England

The South East England winner began life as a pop-up at markets and festivals in Southsea to see if there was demand for an independent bookshop—and it turns out there was. Founder Phil Davies runs Pigeon Books single-handed, supporting literacy projects and LGBTQ+ groups as well as selling books. 


Folde Dorset

FOLDE Dorset

South-West England

Three year-old FOLDE, a nature-focused specialist bookshop in the Dorset town of Shaftesbury, is the South West England winner. It knows its niche inside out, championing diverse outdoor and environmental authors with beautiful displays, events and pop-ups. As might be expected, it has a sharp focus on sustainability.


Book-ish

Book-ish

Wales

Book-ish in Crickhowell is the Wales winner for the fifth time in nine years. Sales grew again thanks to creative bookselling, a remarkable array of in-store, festival and school events, reading groups and a good online offer. It also opened a second shop in nearby Abergavenny after a successful crowdfunder. 

Finalists

East England


BookBugs and Dragon Tales

Bookbugs and Dragon Tales

Norwich


David's Bookshop

David's Bookshop

Letchworth Garden City


Kett's Books

Kett's Books

Wymondham


Maldon Books

Maldon Books

Maldon


Next Page Books

Next Page Books

Hitchin


Niche Comics & Bookshop

Niche Comics & Bookshop

Huntingdon


The Book Hive

The Book Hive

Norwich


The Holt Bookshop

The Holt Bookshop

Holt

Island of Ireland


Bridge Books

Bridge Books

Dromore, County Down


Little Acorns Bookstore

Little Acorns Bookstore

Derry


Tertulia Bookshop

Tertulia Bookshop

Westport, County Mayo


The Company of Books

The Company of Books

Ranelagh, Dublin


The Secret Bookshelf

The Secret Bookshelf

Carrickfergus


Woodbine Books

Woodbine Books

Kilcullen, Kildare

London


Backstory

Backstory

Balham


BookBar

BookBar

Islington


Brick Lane Bookshop

Brick Lane Bookshop

Tower Hamlets


Burley Fisher Books

Burley Fisher Books

Haggerston


Children's Bookshop

Children's Bookshop

Muswell Hill


Goldsboro Books

Goldsboro Books

Covent Garden


Round Table Books

Round Table Books

Brixton


The Common Press

The Common Press

Bethnal Green


The Riverside Bookshop

The Riverside Bookshop

Southwark


Village Books

Village Books

Dulwich Village

Midlands


Burway Books

Burway Books

Church Stretton


Five Leaves Bookshop

Five Leaves Bookshop

Nottingham


Poetry Pharmacy

The Poetry Pharmacy 

Bishop's Castle, Shropshire


Rossiter Books

Rossiter Books 

Great Malvern


The Children's Bookshelf

The Children's Bookshelf  

Hereford


The Heath Bookshop

The Heath Bookshop  

Birmingham


The Rabbit Hole

The Rabbit Hole

Brigg


Wonderland Bookshop

Wonderland Bookshop

Retford

North England


Drake - The Bookshop

Drake - The Bookshop

Stockton-on-Tees


Forum Books

Forum Books

Corbridge


House of Books and Friends

House of Books and Friends

Manchester


Kemps General Store & Bookshop

Kemps General Store & Bookshop

Malton


Pritchard's Bookshop

Pritchard's Bookshop

Liverpool


Sam Read Bookseller

Sam Read Bookseller

Grasmere


The West Kirby Bookshop

The West Kirby Bookshop

West Kirby, Merseyside


Truman Books

Truman Books

Leeds


Verey Books

Verey Books

Pooley Bridge, Ullswater


Wave of Nostalgia

Wave of Nostalgia

Haworth

Scotland


Atkinson-Pryce Books

Atkinson-Pryce Books

Biggar


Far from the Madding Crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd

Linlithgow


Heron & Willow

Heron & Willow

Jedburgh


Highland Bookshop

Highland Bookshop

Fort William


Night Owl Books

Night Owl Books

East Linton


The Bookmark

The Bookmark

Grantown-on-Spey


The Book Nook

The Book Nook

Stewarton


The Edinburgh Bookshop

The Edinburgh Bookshop

Edinburgh


Typewronger Books

Typewronger Books

Edinburgh


Ullapool Bookshop

Ullapool Bookshop

Ullapool

South-East England


Afrori Books

Afrori Books

Brighton


Books on the Hill

Books on the Hill

St Albans


Cole's Books

Cole's Books

Bicester


Mostly Books

Mostly Books

Abingdon


Mrs Middleton's Shop and The Rabbit Hole

Mrs Middleton's Shop and The Rabbit Hole

Freshwater, Isle of Wight


Our Bookshop

Our Bookshop

Tring


P&G Wells

P&G Wells

Winchester


Pigeon Books

Pigeon Books

Southsea


The Hungerford Bookshop

The Hungerford Bookshop

Hungerford


The Margate Bookshop

The Margate Bookshop

Margate

South-West England


Bert's Books

Bert's Books

Swindon


bookhaus

bookhaus

Bristol


Folde Dorset

FOLDE Dorset

Shaftesbury 


Gloucester Road Books

Gloucester Road Books

Bristol


Harbour Bookshop

Harbour Bookshop

Kingsbridge, South Devon


Liznojan

Liznojan

Tiverton


Max Minerva's

Max Minerva's

Bristol


Shrew Books

Shrew Books

Fowey


The Borzoi Bookshop

The Borzoi Bookshop

Stow-on-the-Wold


Westbourne Bookshop

Westbourne Bookshop

Bournemouth

Wales


Book-ish

Book-ish

Crickhowell


Cover to Cover

Cover to Cover

Swansea


Gwisgo Bookworm

Gwisgo Bookworm

Aberaeron


The Bookshop by the Sea

The Bookshop by the Sea

Aberystwyth


The Bookshop

The Bookshop

Mold

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British Book Awards Winners 2018 - 2023

Check out previous winners of The British Book Awards from 2018 to 2023

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Book of the Year Shortlists

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With 72 titles across 12 categories, this year’s shortlists are proof that publishing, writing and illustration all remain in excellent health.

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Editor of the Year

Proudly sponsored by YMU

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The glowing testimonials of authors on the submissions to this award show the enormous value that editors bring to books. These nine talented individualssix of whom are shortlisted for the first timewere behind the most successful and talked-about titles of 2023, from celebrity blockbusters and TikTok discoveries to Booker winners and acclaimed debuts. Publishing colleagues, agents and booksellers as well as authors have a lot to be grateful to them for. 

The Shortlist

Molly Crawford

Simon & Schuster

Molly Crawford is shortlisted for the second time in a row, after a year in which she was promoted to editorial director at Simon & Schuster in recognition of her work on Colleen Hoover. Her last acquisition of 2022, Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker, became one of 2023’s biggest hits, and retailers will be eager to know what she spots on TikTok next. 

Ellen Gleeson

Bookouture

Ellen Gleeson went from publishing assistant to director within six years at Bookouture and delivered a quarter of all its sales in 2023. Many came from Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series and there were more hits across the crime, thriller and romance genres. She’s also performed good work as leader of Bookouture’s diversity and inclusion team. 

Manpreet Grewal

HarperCollins/HQ

HQ’s rising star Manpreet Grewal led a rebrand of Sarah Morgan that paid off with a paperback fiction number one in 2023. She also took Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club series to new heights and diversified HQ’s output. “She’s creative, strategic, ambitious and tireless in her efforts to grow sales,” said one author. 

Emma Grundy Haigh

Joffe Books

Editorial director Emma Grundy Haigh was at the heart of an exceptional year for Joffe Books. She took on romance imprint Choc Lit after it was acquired in early 2023, reassuring authors, revitalising marketing and multiplying sales. She also found time to edit elsewhere at Joffe and run its Books Prize. 

Ellen Holgate 

Bloomsbury Children's Books

Ellen Holgate flies the flag for children’s books editors on the shortlist. Bloomsbury’s associate publisher was the force behind Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures, and her authors revere her collaborative editing, quiet determination and loyalty. One said: “Her mind fizzes and her perspicacity is joyful… Ellen is gold dust.” 

Ciara Lloyd

Blnk and John Blake/Bonnier Books UK

Ciara Lloyd, publishing director at Blink and John Blake, has made the tricky work of celebrity editing look easy. She published Bonnier’s biggest earner of 2023, Boy George’s Karma, and has breathed new life into Blake’s list. She’s unflappable, with a keen eye for books people love to read,” said one agent. 

Juliet Mabey

Oneworld Publications

Juliet Mabey was Editor of the Year in 2017 after her authors won the Booker Prize two years in a row, and she completed a remarkable hat-trick in 2023 with Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song. Oneworld had a best-ever year of salesa deserved reward for some of the boldest and most diverse commissioning around. 

Bill Scott-Kerr

Transworld

During 30 years at Transworld, publisher Bill Scott-Kerr has been behind many of the UK’s biggest blockbustersbut not even he has had a project quite like Prince Harry’s Spare. There was much more besides, from his longstanding as well as new authors, and all told his books earned a phenomenal £12.5m in the TCM. 

Kishani Widyaratna

4th Estate

Kishani Widyaratna justified her promotion to 4th Estate publishing director with a stunning year. Hits from Yomi Adegoke, Monica Heisey and Jonathan Escoffery were just some of the results of her unerring eye for talent. “Kish is generous, supportive and attentive… publishing is lucky to have her,” said one grateful author. 

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Book Trade Awards Shortlists

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We’re delighted to reveal the Book Trade shortlists for The British Book Awards 2024. These awards showcase the teams and people, the strategy and campaigns, that lift books and publishing to new heights every year. From agents to editors, designers to rights professionals, from those championing books whether in-house or overseas, including retailers, marketers, publicists, children’s teams and publishers big, small and altogether mighty - this is us, as an industry, at the top of our game. The entries have been outstanding and we have many deserving winners among each of the categories.
 
Who will take home a Nibbie on 13th May? The judges will decide.
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The British Book Award for Export

Proudly sponsored by Woodland Group

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Publishers Association data shows international sales growth has comfortably outpaced domestic in recent years. And with TCM volumes dropping in 2023, export teams became even more important contributors to their publishers’ bottom lines. These seven overcame the lingering effects of Covid and Brexit, and relentless cost pressures across production and shipping, to deliver exceptional numbers. Also notable was its recognition of the carbon footprint of exports and efforts to cut it by reducing book miles, packaging and air travel.  

The Shortlist

Bloomsbury 

Bloomsbury has achieved export sales growth for four years in a row, and audio and e-book numbers were particularly impressive in 2023. It built big global brands such as Sarah J Maas and T C Boyle, took a creative approach to individual countries and increased sales for its distribution clients as well. “Bloomsbury’s team is dynamic, enthusiastic, passionate and well-read,” said one of many satisfied partners. 

Bonnier Books UK

Shortlisted here four times before, Bonnier had another record-breaking year. Its small team added yet more countries and accounts to its exports list and generated a fifth of Bonnier’s trade sales. Holly Black was again the star of the list, backed up by several children’s hits and evergreen brands such as Wilber Smith and Lynda La Plante. Eastern Europe was a hotspot. 

Faber

Sally Rooney and Claire Keegan were among the authors delivering around the world for Faber. Nimble publishing of the screenplays of Barbie, Oppenheimer and Succession gave it a record year in the US and there was good growth across Europe. Beyond its own books, Faber increased exports for every publisher in its Independent Alliance.  

Hachette

Hachette was yet another publisher with a record-breaking year in international sales. Ana Huang and Rebecca Yarros were among many stars, and the size of its team means it reaches countries that few other publishers can. But Hachette also impresses with the details of its exports, with campaigns tailored to retail partners, territories and authors. 

HarperCollins UK (Trade)

Last year’s British Book Award for Export winner excelled againespecially in Europe, where sales have doubled in just three years. Print revenue was also up in the challenging US market, while 4th Estate and Farshore were the top performers divisions-wise. Sales for Colleen Hoover, Holly Jackson and R F Kuang all thundered on. 

Pan Macmillan

Pan Macmillan has been shortlisted in all six editions of this award and its dynamic export team achieved yet more double-digit growth in 2023. Eight author brands earned more than £1m and the US, Germany and India were standout territories. But as ever with Pan Mac there was strength in depth across the backlist, plus an upswing in audio. 

Simon & Schuster

The Publisher of the Year in both 2022 and 2023 has been at least as strong internationally as domestically lately. It made up for an inevitable dip in Colleen Hoover’s sales with two huge non-fiction hits: Britney Spears’ autobiography and Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk. The top export title of all was BookTokker Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker 

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Shortlists

The Book of the Year and Book Trade shortlists for the 2024 British Book Awards - aka ’The Nibbies’

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