The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards have been announced with US and Indian publishing industries leading the shortlists with four nominations apiece, with China and Korea not far behind with three each.
Shortlists for this year’s inaugural Awards, which are held in association with The UK Publishers Association (The PA), showcase the best international companies and individuals from across the publishing industry who will compete for 16 prestigious awards.
In the hotly anticipated Crossmedia for best use of IP category, Angry Birds (Rovio, Finland) takes on The Walking Dead (Skybound, US), alongside nominees from Australia and the US. However, it is an all-European battle for International Literary Agent with agents from France, Denmark and Germany all vying for the accolade.
Jacks Thomas, Director, The London Book Fair, said: “We are thrilled to have so many countries – and their book industries – under one roof at The London Book Fair. All book fairs offer a great window on the world of publishing, and showcase the innovation, commitment and sheer hard work which together create a rich and diverse array of books and related initiatives across the globe. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to highlight some of these achievements, and to celebrate the book industry’s amazing successes, which continue to connect book-loving professionals across languages and continents.”
Richard Mollet, Chief Executive, The UK Publishers Association, said: “With the publishing industry undergoing a dynamic stage of development across the world and facing new opportunities, such the growth of e-business, and new threats, such as copyright and intellectual property saboteurs, these awards represent a tremendous opportunity to celebrate excellence and innovation in every aspect of the industry. The international market is hugely important for British publishing and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to recognise the original thinking and talent that drive publishing on the world stage.”
Cortina Butler, Director of Literature, British Council, said: “The British Council is delighted to see the range of countries represented in these new awards. This is a reflection of the ever-expanding network of creative, cultural and commercial connections forged in the international publishing industry, which goes to the heart of the British Council mission to create partnerships and opportunities through our work in literature and publishing fields and with The London Book Fair Market Focus Cultural Programme.”
The Awards will include the long-running IPA Freedom to Publish Award. Six publishers have been short-listed for the 2014 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize, which honours a person or an organisation that has made a notable contribution to the defence and promotion of freedom to publish. Reflecting on the large number of submissions, IPA Vice-President Richard Charkin commented that it was “good news for the award, bad news for the world”.
The shortlisted nominees in all categories are:
• IPA Freedom to Publish Award
Irina Balakhonova (Russia), Nguyen Vu Binh (Vietnam), Ihar Lohvinau (Belarus), Myay Hmone Lwin (Myanmar), Ilbay Kahraman (Turkey), Afghan PEN Centre
• Korea Market Focus Outstanding Contribution Award
Brother Anthony of Taizé (An Sonjae); Eric Yang Agency; Barbara J. Zitwer Agency
• The Bookseller International Adult Trade Publisher Award
Fixi, Malaysia; Kero, France; Silverfish, Malaysia
• The Crossmedia Award for Best Use of IP
Chronicle Books US; Penguin Australia; Robert Kirkman, Skybound (US); Rovio, Angry Birds (Finland)
• The International Academic and Professional Publisher Award
Sage (US); University of Chicago Press
• The International Education Initiatives Award
Fatih Project Turkey; Indigenous Literacy Foundation Australia; Knowledge without Borders (UAE)
• The International Educational Learning Resources Award
Penguin Australia; HarperCollins India; Oxford University Press (Brazil)
• The International Literary Agent Award
Pierre Astier, Pierre Astier & Associates (France); Anneli Høier, Leonhardt & Høier Literary Agency (Denmark); Nicole Witt, Mertin Literary Agency (Germany) • The International Literary Translation Initiative Award Best Translated Book Award; Penguin India; Shanghai 99 (China)
• The International Trade Children’s and Young Adult Publisher Award
Cosac Naify (Brazil); Kalimát Publishing (Sharjah, UAE); Tara Books (India)
• The UK Publishers Association Copyright Protection Award
Bholan Boodoo, Publishers Territory Manager (Guyana); Manas Saikia, Feel Books (India); Emrah Ozpirincci, Oxford University Press (Turkey); Copyright Clearance Centre (US); Oxford University Press (Pakistan)
• The Market Focus Achievement Award
Jo Lusby, Penguin China; Nermin Mollaoglu, Kalem Literary Agency (Turkey); Motilal Books of India
• The Publishers Weekly International Book Industry Technology Supplier Award
Datamatics (India); Publishing Technology (China)
The winners of a number of other Awards will also be announced on the night including: The Publishing for Digital Minds Innovation Award; The Publishers Association Copyright Protection Award; and Digital Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year.
The London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Deborah Rogers of Rogers, Coleridge and White.
The Awards which celebrate international excellence in the book industry, cover all aspects of the business of international publishing, including academic publishing, the supply chain, education, children’s publishing and digital innovation. A panel of UK judges, with international or discipline-specific expertise, have judged the individual award categories.
The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards will be an invite-only evening event, and will take place on Tuesday 8 April, the first day of LBF 2014. The Awards Ceremony will be held at 6.00pm in The Conference Centre, Earls Court, London.
