FutureBook Excellence Award
The shortlist for the FutureBook Excellence category at the 2025 FutureBook Awards
Excellence abounds in the shortlisted entries to our most protean award category. A festival, a prize, a book, a kids’ audio campaign, a publishing academy and an in-house subscription box all convinced the judges that our finalists for the 2025 FutureBook Excellence Award had demonstrated that golden double whammy: a true understanding of their audience, plus tangible, meaningful impact. Teamwork is the key to these ambitious projects, which bring together multiple partners and skillsets to lasting effect.
Winner
The Locked Library
HarperCollins
The Locked Library is HarperCollins’ reader-first fantasy subscription box, directly connecting authors and fans while championing inclusion, sustainability, and collectable editions.
Being shortlisted for the FutureBook Excellence Award is such an honour. Huge thanks to the brilliant team across HarperCollins, our authors and artists, and most importantly the readers who drive everything we do. We’re proud to be in such good company among the nominees.
Highly Commended
Muslim Romance Festival (Sanah Ahmed, Javerya Iqbal, Sian Baldwin, and Alisha Javaid)
Orion & Hachette UK / commissioning editor (Orion Fiction); senior marketing manager (Orion); publicity manager (Orion); communications assistant (Orion)
Orion & Hachette UK
The Muslim Romance Festival celebrates and amplifies diverse Muslim voices in romance, creating joy, visibility, community, and inclusive literary space.
It was a complete joy to launch the inaugural Muslim Romance Festival to spotlight the richness and diversity of Muslim voices in Romance. We’re so grateful for the support we had from Hachette and the industry to be able to make it happen, and absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted.
Shortlist
Ady and Me (Christopher Ransom, Megan Fowler and Lucy Lillystone)
Quarto Kids Campaigns Team
The Quarto Group
Ady and Me campaign innovatively promoted a neurodiverse children’s book, combining research, inclusion, and digital-first engagement for maximum impact.
It’s a real honour to be shortlisted for the FutureBook Excellence Award given its championing of forward-thinking and innovation among our industry. It carries a lot of weight for us as a small team that invests a lot of time in strategy, so thanks to The Bookseller and the judges!
Fly on the Wall Publishing Academy
Fly on the Wall Press - Isabelle Kenyon
Fly on the Wall Publishing Academy provides affordable, accessible training and real-world experience, opening doors for diverse, regional publishing talent.
Being shortlisted is incredible! The Publishing Academy has exceeded all expectations: our international cohort rivals MA programs, and teaching such passionate career
The Locked Library
HarperCollins
The Locked Library is HarperCollins’ reader-first fantasy subscription box, directly connecting authors and fans while championing inclusion, sustainability, and collectable editions.
Being shortlisted for the FutureBook Excellence Award is such an honour. Huge thanks to the brilliant team across HarperCollins, our authors and artists, and most importantly the readers who drive everything we do. We’re proud to be in such good company among the nominees.
The Mo Siewcharran Prize ( Orion's Trapeze team - Katie Ogunṣakin; Pablo Pizarro Janczur; Harry Taylor; Javerya Iqbal)
Editorial director; editorial assistant; publicity manager; senior marketing manager
Orion Publishing Group/Hachette
The Mo Siewcharran Prize supports ethnically diverse unpublished writers, providing mentorship, workshops, and pathways to publication and inclusion. This year the Trapeze team at Orion wanted to expand the prize's range with 'Reclaiming History' its theme for 2025.
It is such an honour to be shortlisted for the FutureBook Awards, especially alongside so many other incredible initiatives. We’re all looking forward to celebrating on the night with other likeminded and driven individuals. Here’s to a brighter publishing future!
Muslim Romance Festival (Sanah Ahmed, Javerya Iqbal, Sian Baldwin, and Alisha Javaid)
Orion & Hachette UK / commissioning editor (Orion Fiction); senior marketing manager (Orion); publicity manager (Orion); communications assistant (Orion)
Orion & Hachette UK
The Muslim Romance Festival celebrates and amplifies diverse Muslim voices in romance, creating joy, visibility, community, and inclusive literary space.
It was a complete joy to launch the inaugural Muslim Romance Festival to spotlight the richness and diversity of Muslim voices in Romance. We’re so grateful for the support we had from Hachette and the industry to be able to make it happen, and absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted.
Start with a Story
Bonnier Books UK Audio Team
Bonnier Books UK
Start with a Story inspires primary children to write, narrate, and engage with audiobooks, fostering literacy, creativity, and storytelling confidence nationwide.
