Independent Publisher of the Year
Independent Publisher of the Year Winner and Shortlist
New and old, large and small, adult and children’s, general and niche… this shortlist displays the vast range of independent publishing across England, Scotland and Wales. Rising costs and falling consumer confidence made life tough for some smaller publishers last year, but these nine nominees drew brilliantly on the resilience and agility that comes with independence.
This shortlist will also include the winner of the Small Press of the Year.
The Winner
Pushkin Press
Pushkin Press turns 30 in 2027, but it retains all the energy and entrepreneurial spirit of a start-up – and it had by far its best year yet in 2025.
Under MD Adam Freudenheim, Pushkin punched way above its weight. While most trade publishers struggled for growth, it nearly doubled its sales through the TCM. Much of this came from Uketsu’s Strange Pictures and Strange Houses and Seishi Yokomizo’s Murder at the Black Cat Café – three books from the Vertigo list that typify Pushkin’s ability to anticipate hot trends such as Japanese crime.
Other standouts included Giuliano da Empoli’s topical The Wizard of the Kremlin. Like many indies, Pushkin has always been a very proactive publisher, and in 2025 it looked beyond the frontlist to repackage old classics including Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla and the Choose Your Own Adventure concept for new generations. There were further reissues from recently acquired Gallic Books, plus new Pushkin Collection merch. Its children’s books, under outgoing editor-at-large Sarah Odedina, were recognised by several prizes.
All the output was tightly controlled and brilliantly marketed by Pushkin’s small team, especially via bookshop promotions. “The brand-building of Uketsu was an all-round masterclass,” said one grateful bookseller. The formula is also working in the US, where sales more than doubled.
As well as the stellar numbers, judges admired Pushkin’s covers – especially those for Uketsu by Designer of the Year Luke Bird – and saw good progress on issues including diversity and sustainability. “Pushkin’s numbers are out of this world,” the panel said. “They make it look so easy and are becoming a serious player. They’re a fantastic example of what’s possible as an independent press.”
This shortlist includes the winner of Small Press of the Year, and the winner of this category, Pushkin Press, joins the shortlist for Publisher of the Year.
The Shortlist
Boldwood Books
Last year’s joint Independent Publisher of the Year, Boldwood’s sales by value shot into eight figures in 2025. Its format-agnostic approach saw it firing across print, digital, audio, rights and international, and its backlist is now substantial enough to generate more than half of revenue. Valerie Keogh and Shari Low delivered e-book number ones and eight authors have now sold more than one million units, fuelled by brilliant digital marketing and community-building.
Boydell & Brewer
Employee-owned Boydell & Brewer represents the vibrant independent side of scholarly publishing on this shortlist. Despite shrinking library budgets, it scored double-digit print and digital growth. Highlights included a brand refresh, new university partnerships, a podcast launch and participation in the Opening the Future initiative for open access. There was good work on DEI and sustainability, and excellent author care – especially around AI issues.
Canongate
Canongate has been shortlisted for this award seven times in nine years. Last year saw it break into the TCM’s top 20 publishers for the first time after 14% growth. Rights sales rocketed, Matt Haig’s sales rolled on and there were more than a dozen literary award wins, including the Wainwright Prize for Chloe Dalton’s Raising Hare. The care of staff and authors was excellent; one writer declared Canongate “the best publisher I could have hoped for”.
Graffeg
Welsh publisher Graffeg makes its first appearance on the shortlist this year. Writer and illustrator Jackie Morris was the star performer from its 70-strong list of English and Welsh language books in 2025. Children’s titles did particularly well, including those from Cadno, a new imprint for middle-grade authors. As well as promoting Wales and the Welsh language, Graffeg’s frontlist championed some underrepresented voices and themes, and picked up several prizes.
Joffe Books
Much of Joffe’s work in 2025 was back-of-house graft on infrastructure, data and the integration of acquisitions like The Book Folks. But the results were spectacular: more than three million units sold across print, e-books and audio, and 1.8 billion pages were read on subscription platforms. It continued to build big author brands and uncover new voices, including through its own Joffe Books Prize. Late in the year it grew again by acquiring Severn House.
Pushkin Press
Pushkin Press had the best year in its history in 2025, nearly doubling its TCM sales. Uketsu’s Strange Pictures and Strange Houses – published by Editor and Imprint of the Year contender Daniel Seton and Pushkin Vertigo – had a lot to do with that. Giuliano da Empoli was another standout from its diverse translated lists, which got exceptional marketing, especially through Waterstones. Last year also saw Pushkin acquire Gallic Books, allowing it to push further into the US market.
SPCK
Tracing its history back to 1698, SPCK is comfortably the oldest name at The British Book Awards. Its 2025 sales and profits were the best in its very long history – the result of a strategy to publish fewer books better and more globally. TCM numbers rose 11%, but overseas income overtook domestic for the first time, following smart investment in rights. New Bible ranges, backed up by strong marketing and publicity, did very well.
Swift Press
Swift Press has only just turned five, but it has already been shortlisted here three times. In a tough year for non-fiction, it grew its TCM sales by nearly a fifth – and its e-book and audio revenue rose even faster. Eli Sharabi’s Hostage reached the Sunday Times lists, as did David McCloskey’s The Seventh Floor on the fiction side. Swift already has a strong reputation as the spotter of hits that other publishers miss or shy away from.
Titan Books
Titan Books flourished in its niches of fantasy and comic books in 2025, with sales growing. There was huge strength in breadth, including in illustrated books and horror, and stellar growth in special editions and subscriptions. Titan also ratcheted up its licensed publishing, events and supermarket partnerships, and won a hatful of genre fiction prizes. “They’re punching well above their weight,” said one of its authors.
