News

The Bookseller to run 'unified' awards at BA Conference

20.09.09 | Philip Jones

The Bookseller has signed a licensing agreement for the British Book Industry Awards and intends to merge the awards with its own Retail Awards. A unified awards that will recognise retailers, publishers and all sides of the business will now take place during the annual Book Industry Conference. The next conference will take place in May next year.

The announcement was made this evening at the fifth annual Bookseller Retail Awards, in conjunction with The Booksellers Association and PN Holdings Ltd, which currently runs the British Book Industry Awards a.k.a. the 'Trade Nibbies'.

Alan Staton, head or marketing at the BA, said: "We are delighted the awards will now take place during the Book Industry Conference, organised by the BA. It is the major event in the UK book industry and is the natural home for the new awards. We're confident that by building on the combined strengths of three independently strong and popular industry brands, the overall impact is maximised."

Nigel Roby, managing director of The Bookseller, said: “We are very grateful to Mark Newman, son of the late Fred, for facilitating this and we are delighted that Jo Henry, managing director of Publishing News Ltd, will be working with The Bookseller to help us bring the Trade Nibbies into The Bookseller fold. We are thrilled to be working with the Booksellers Association to put the awards and the conference together and make it a truly memorable annual occasion for the trade.”

In future, a single award ceremony will take place on the middle night of the two-day Booksellers Association Book Industry Conference. The joint PA/BA Conference Working Party will be meeting shortly to devise the business programme for 2010, which takes place in London on May 17th and 18th.

The two-day programme will be put together by a BA/PA Working Party, under the chairmanship of new president of the Booksellers Association, Sharon Murray [Hammicks]. The conference will be preceded by an Independent Booksellers Forum on Sunday May 16th, 2010.

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By JULIAN RIVERS

Merged awards , merged trade associations , now that's an idea.

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Bob Cripps

A very sensible move. I hope the winners still receive the Nibbies Pen as it is such a well now symbol?

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Lacking Teeth

If The Bookseller is getting in bed with the BA, does that mean that it'll be supporting all bonkers BA initiatives (ahem, bookholism)? I hope for The Bookseller's sake that it remains impartial in such matters

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Philip Jones

Well, we support the BA, and its many initiatives, just as we support all aspects of the trade, and indeed anything that might lead to greater book sales. That doesn't stop the coverage of the issues remaining impartial, nor should it in the future.

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Philip Wicks

Get your facts right, Lacking Teeth. Bookaholism is a joint initiative of the BA/PA which was well received (imo) at the Book Industry Conference. I defend your right to label the initiative bonkers (although I disagree) but please don't tar just the BA with the same brush. Bonkers is pricing The Lost Symbol at

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Lacking Teeth

Well received, Philip Wicks? Perhaps by those in attendance but "get your facts right" yourself, and keyword search "bookaholism" on this website. You'll come across an awful lot of vitriol from people at the heart of the UK book industry who feel they've had no say in what the BA (and PA) are planning for the future. Cross industry initiative or not, my concern, Philip Jones, was that the new agreement (above) may cloud future judgements on the angle of stories within the pages of your magazine and website. I think you will agree that the huge volume of "voice of the public" comments regarding recent BA initiatives on this site have been largely negative, so I hope for your sake (and your readership, subscription rates, etc) that you continue to report fairly (as you have been doing to your credit) on such matters, and do not cower solely to what the BA or PA WANT you to report. I direct you to The Big Green Bookshop's blog for an excellent post on the inadequacy of certain BA "services" http://woodgreenbookshop.blogspot.com/2009/01/booksellers-association-is.... Hopefully this explains why I raised the initial question in the first place...

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By JULIAN RIVERS

Merged awards , merged trade associations , now that's an idea.

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Bob Cripps

A very sensible move. I hope the winners still receive the Nibbies Pen as it is such a well now symbol?

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Lacking Teeth

If The Bookseller is getting in bed with the BA, does that mean that it'll be supporting all bonkers BA initiatives (ahem, bookholism)? I hope for The Bookseller's sake that it remains impartial in such matters

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Philip Jones

Well, we support the BA, and its many initiatives, just as we support all aspects of the trade, and indeed anything that might lead to greater book sales. That doesn't stop the coverage of the issues remaining impartial, nor should it in the future.

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Philip Wicks

Get your facts right, Lacking Teeth. Bookaholism is a joint initiative of the BA/PA which was well received (imo) at the Book Industry Conference. I defend your right to label the initiative bonkers (although I disagree) but please don't tar just the BA with the same brush. Bonkers is pricing The Lost Symbol at

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01
By Lacking Teeth

Well received, Philip Wicks? Perhaps by those in attendance but "get your facts right" yourself, and keyword search "bookaholism" on this website. You'll come across an awful lot of vitriol from people at the heart of the UK book industry who feel they've had no say in what the BA (and PA) are planning for the future. Cross industry initiative or not, my concern, Philip Jones, was that the new agreement (above) may cloud future judgements on the angle of stories within the pages of your magazine and website. I think you will agree that the huge volume of "voice of the public" comments regarding recent BA initiatives on this site have been largely negative, so I hope for your sake (and your readership, subscription rates, etc) that you continue to report fairly (as you have been doing to your credit) on such matters, and do not cower solely to what the BA or PA WANT you to report. I direct you to The Big Green Bookshop's blog for an excellent post on the inadequacy of certain BA "services" http://woodgreenbookshop.blogspot.com/2009/01/booksellers-association-is.... Hopefully this explains why I raised the initial question in the first place...

Thu, 27/01/2011 - 12:01

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