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2017 Winners

Bringing Books to Readers

  • Waterstones
    Book Retailer of the Year
    The judges awarded Waterstones for it becoming 'a retailer of depth and quality, staffed by exceptional booksellers'. It's been a transformative year for Waterstones, recording a profit for the first time since it flirted with bankruptcy on 2011 - and increasing book sales for the second year in a row. Through its energetic and imaginative work, it's shown it can still slug it out with supermarkets and online retailers on blockbuster releases - but its true worth comes in the bestsellers it created from scratch! Book Retailer of the Year is sponsored by Bonnier Publishing.
  • Camberwell Library
    Southwark, London
    Library of the Year
    Camberwell Library is described as 'entrancing' and 'vibrant'. Opened in 2015, Camberwell Library is adored by local residents, who've borrowed twice as many items as they did in the last year of their old library. It's hosted visits from authors including Anne Fine, Mike Gayle, Stella Duffy and Holly Webb … and add-on services include homework clubs, job hunting classes - and a weekly ‘Feel Better with a Book’ session. Library of the Year is sponsored by The Reading Agency.
  • The Gutter Bookshop
    Ireland
    Independent Bookshop of the Year
    The Gutter Bookshop was described by the judges as 'a model of how independents don't just survive through challenges, but thrive'. The market hasn’t always been easy since Gutter opened in 2009 - but today it enjoys a devoted following, with successive years of sales growth, augmented by a well-chosen non-book range, pop-up shops at festivals - while a loyalty scheme and brilliant social media cement its position at the heart of Dublin life. Independent Bookshop of the Year is sponsored by Gardners.
  • Tales on Moon Lane
    London
    Children's Bookseller of the Year
    The judges said Tales on Moon Lane "punches way above its weight, with so much energy and passion". This is a second win at the British Book Awards for Tales on Moon Lane, where - said to the judges - activity is 'exhaustive', with a record number of events including a half-term reading festival, a storytelling cabin in the back yard and an imaginative scheme that gives students the chance to run pop-up bookshops in schools! Children's Bookseller of the Year is sponsored by Macmillan Children's Books.
  • Royal Horticultural Society
    Non-Traditional Retailer of the Year
    The Royal Horticultural Society has, according to the judges, 'a bookselling operation that any pure bookshop would be proud of'. The RHS has established huge strength in gardening books across its four shops, but now offers a lot more besides - and its flagship site at Wisley now resembles a first-rate bookshop. Beyond its best-in-class range of gardening books, knowledgeable staff, buying locally as well as centrally, add to the sense of a fully-fledged bookselling operation. Non-Traditional Retailer of the Year is sponsored by The Quarto Group.
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Books of the Year

  • The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
    Chicken House
    Children's Book of the Year
    Kiran Millwood Hargrave's début novel certainly caught the imagination of the judges, and numerous readers. Chicken House acquired her book, a magical tale about an island and the girl who travels to the heart of its story, when its author was just 24. Editorial director Rachel Leyshon worked closely with her, taking time to ensure the book reached its full potential before being published.
  • Dodgers by Bill Beverly
    No Exit Press
    Crime & Thriller Book of the Year
    A literary crime novel from the crime imprint of an independent publisher is a tough starting point, but No Exit Press beat the odds with Bill Beverly’s award-winning Dodgers. A coming-of-age story and a crime novel set in the US, Dodgers impressed the judges for, what they called, 'punching well above its weight'- and winning two awards from the Crime Writers' Association.
  • What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
    Picador
    Début Book of the Year
    Picador positioned Garth Greenwell as an ambassador for his book and an authority on the sensitive issues it explores, following an American man teaching English to students in Bulgaria who becomes fascinated by a troubled young hustler. Impressive sales have made it the year's second highest-selling American hardback literary début.
  • The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
    Serpent's Tail
    Fiction Book of the Year and Overall Book of the Year
    Sarah Perry's second novel came out of nowhere to become one of the smash hits of 2016. Its jacket was the first thing that caught the judges' attention. But it was Sarah Perry's story -an exploration of myth, superstition and belief, set in 1890s Essex - that excited the panel, with the work of the publisher further impressing the judges.
  • Hello, is this planet Earth? by Tim Peake
    Century
    Non-Fiction: Lifestyle Book of the Year
    Capturing the beauty of Earth from space on the page is no easy task, but Century achieved it in stellar style with this winner… the result of three years of conversations with Tim Peake, which took less than three months from commission to bookshop, impressing the judges with Century’s flexibility in creating the perfect mix of being awe-inspiring and educational.
  • East West Street by Philippe Sands
    Weidenfeld & Nicolson
    Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year
    Part memoir, part legal thriller, part historical detective story - the clever weaving together of narratives in Philippe Sands’ East West Street won over the judges. It's combination of personal and legal history, examines the origins of international law at the Nuremberg Trials and uncovers the circumstances in which his own grandparents and mother left Vienna.
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Great People

  • Juliet Mabey
    Oneworld
    Editor of the Year
    The judges called Juliet Mabey 'an editor who is bold and clear in her decision-making… and who spots the potential in books and authors that many others do not'. With her authors winning two consecutive Man Booker Prizes, Mabey’s literary instincts have transformed Oneworld's sales and profile, in the UK trade and overseas. The judges admired her for diversifying UK publishing, bringing things into the market from around the world that might not otherwise be seen.
  • Catherine Clarke
    Felicity Bryan Associates
    Literary Agent of the Year
    The judges said Catherine Clarke 'puts in the hard yards for her authors, resolutely focused on their whole careers, not just the next bestseller'. Clarke's nurturing role is balanced by firmness at the negotiating table and a vision for how her books should be published and sold… and last year her dedication paid off with two notable successes: Peter Frankopan’s acclaimed The Silk Road, and the first adult novel by children’s author Meg Rosoff. Literary Agent of the Year is sponsored by the Orion Publishing Group.
  • Kate Hibbert
    Little, Brown Book Group
    Rights Professional of the Year
    The judges were impressed with Kate Hibbert's passion for her authors, tenacity in negotiations, and a knack for pairing the right book with the right publisher. Hibbert has been shortlisted four times for the award previously. Her win this year is a reward for a magnificent 2016 in which she steered Little Brown to a best ever rights year, notching up an average of almost three deals a day in more than 40 different languages. Rights Professional of the Year is sponsored by Frankfurt Book Fair.
  • Rebecca MacAlister
    Blackwell's, Oxford
    Individual Bookseller of the Year
    The judges described Rebecca MacAlister as 'an exceptional leader'. A bookshop like Blackwell's flagship in Oxford needs an standout manager, and MacAlister has proved herself to be one of the best in the business. Since joining four years ago she's restructured to make better use of staff time, introduced incentives, and made improvements in store layout - all the while keeping a relentless focus on customer service. Individual Bookseller of the Year is sponsored by HarperCollins.
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Publishing Success

  • Lean in 15: The Sustain Plan by Joe Wicks
    Pan Macmillan
    Marketing Strategy of the Year
    The judges said Pan Macmillan's campaign for Lean in 15: The Sustain Plan was a 'relentless and very effective marketing campaign' which ensured a blockbuster hit. On social media, Joe Wicks was impossible to ignore. Wicks’ fans were at the heart of the campaign, with Facebook ads, YouTube Q&As, video content and a selfie promo among the mix. By the end of 2016 The Sustain Plan had sold some 230,000 copies. The campaign then tied up all three books for the annual January surge in interest in diet books. Marketing Strategy of the Year is sponsored by Nielsen.
  • Anna-Marie Fitzgerald
    For The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (Serpent's Tail)
    Publicity Campaign of the Year
    The judges said the success of The Essex Serpent ‘shows what can happen when a publicist gets passionate about a book and makes it resonate with others’. There's little doubt that Fitzgerald's publicity campaign lit the fire under The Essex Serpent - with a blitz of proofs and retailer book drops ahead of publication, tenacious chasing of media coverage and careful event planning with an incapacitated author...culminating in a Waterstones award attributed directly to word of mouth nurtured by Fitzgerald. Sponsored by The Publishers' Publicity Circle
  • Head of Zeus
    Independent Publisher of the Year
    The judges said Head of Zeus 'is a perfect example of long tail publishing - spotting the value in unknown authors and undiscovered backlist'. From start-up to profitable multi-million pound business in just four years, Head of Zeus is one of the brightest stars of trade publishing - a textbook example of using e-books to get traction. But what most impressed the judges was how it has pivoted from a digital-focused list to a true hybrid. E-books still outnumber print titles on its list by three to one, but Head of Zeus is enjoying steep print growth through the TCM. Independent Publisher of the Year is sponsored by the Firsty Group.
  • John Murray
    Hachette
    Imprint of the Year
    The judges called John Murray 'a dynamic and forward-thinking publishing division that's enjoying its best ever year'. The John Murray name will soon mark its 250th year in publishing, but this is no dusty imprint stuck in the past. Rather, against a backdrop of steady print growth, it last year increased the value of its TCM sales by half, thanks to a consistency of strong performers. It was also a remarkable year for book prizes, with 26 shortlistings and 11 wins. Imprint of the Year is sponsored by Clays.
  • Nosy Crow
    Children's Publisher of the Year
    Nosy Crow was hailed by the judges as 'one of the most remarkable success stories of recent times'. From start-up to the UK’s 13th biggest children's publisher in just six years, Nosy Crow’s stats are astounding. TCM sales rocketed over 70% last year as it broke into the top 40 of UK publishers - and became a truly global business with rights and exports accounting for more than half its revenue, and sales to the US, Asia and Australia doubling last year. Children's Publisher of the Year is sponsored by Tesco.
  • Collins Learning
    Academic, Educational & Professional Publisher of the Year
    Collins Learning has proved itself one of the most modern and innovative operators in its sector. Collins will soon celebrate its 200th year in publishing - but last year, through organic growth and acquisition, it evolved from a UK heritage brand into a properly global business, and the smart use of the renowned Collins label in reference has doubled international sales in the last five years, while pushing deeper into both the UK's primary and secondary school markets.
  • Pan Macmillan
    Publisher of the Year
    The judges agreed that through 2016, Pan Macmillan was incredibly strong in almost every area it published into, and described it as 'a company that just keeps building and building and building'. Pan Macmillan is Publisher of the Year for the second time in three years, honoured once again for remarkable strength right across the board. Its TCM sales jumped around 30% last year, to the point where it can now be considered alongside Penguin Random House, Hachette and HarperCollins as part of a ‘Big Four’ in the UK. International and digital sales, and engagement with staff, authors and retailers, were all impressive. Publisher of the Year is sponsored by Bertram Books.
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The Booksellers Association Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Book Trade

 

 

J K Rowling spent six years planning her first book, only to be rejected by eight publishers - then with the third book in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, she began to break records - and make publishers take notice of their children’s divisions. In each year of a Harry Potter publication the overall book market grew, with Deathly Hallows taking the sector to an all-time high of £1.79bn.

The Bestseller Award

 

 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child became the bestselling book of the year on publication, shifting 847,886 copies in its first week…as well as breaking all records for Drama Texts, Plays and Screenplays categories, with a first-week value of £8.7m. The book held the number one spot for six weeks, hitting the million-copy mark after just a fortnight on sale.