The British Book Awards
Mon May 15, 2023
17:00 - 01:00
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London and Online
- Overview
- Judges
- Sponsors
- About
- Video
- Independent Bookshop of the Year
- Small Press of the Year
- Book of the Year - Audiobook: Non-Fiction
- Book of the Year - Audiobook: Fiction
- Book of the Year - Children's Fiction
- Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated
- Book of the Year - Children's Non-Fiction
- Book of the Year - Discover
- Book of the Year - Fiction
- Book of the Year - Début Fiction
- Book of the Year Winners
- Book Retailer of the Year
- Book Trade Awards Winners
- Nibbies Studio
- Author of the Year
- Illustrator of the Year
- Freedom to Publish
- Overall Book of the Year
- Gallery
- Book of the Year - Crime and Thriller
- Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated
- Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Narrative
- Book of the Year - Pageturner
- Marketing Strategy of the Year
- Children's Bookseller of the Year
- Children's Publisher of the Year
- Publicity Campaign of the Year
- Editor of the Year
- Individual Bookseller of the Year
- Literary Agent of the Year
- Designer of the Year
- The British Book Award for Export
- Rights Professional of the Year
- Academic, Educational and Professional Publisher of the Year
- Independent Publisher of the Year
- Imprint of the Year
- Publisher of the Year
- Book of the Shortlists
- British Books Awards 2023 - Live Video Stream
The British Book Awards is a celebration of books and all who make them.
The 2023 Awards were announced at a ceremony on 15th May. Discover the Book of the Year awards and the Book Trade awards.
Watch the livestream and Nibbies Studio interviews.
The British Book Awards, aka The Nibbies, is a celebration of books: it affirms, connects and energises the world of reading by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers. Above all it celebrates the intimate connection between the books, their makers and their audience.
Featured Judges View All
Joseph Coelho
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Lauren Layfield
Anita Rani
Simon Richardson
Fleur Sinclair
Featured Judges
Joseph Coelho
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Lauren Layfield
Anita Rani
Simon Richardson
Fleur Sinclair
Our Judges
Nels Abbey
Stig Abell
Syima Aslam
Anna Bassi
Poorna Bell
Selina Brown
Ashley Bruce
Sharon Canavar
Caroline Carpenter
Bea Carvalho
Matthew Cornford
Hannah Davies
Charlotte Eyre
Nina Findley
Joanne Finney
Molly Flatt
Alison Flood
Joy Francis
Emily Goss
Hannah Griffiths
Brittany Guy
Clare Harington
Jake Hope
Vick Hope
Louise Johns-Shepherd
Philip Jones
Chanté Joseph
Alice Kemp-Habib
Vaseem Khan
Lucy Knight
Dorothy Koomson
Hannah MacInnes
Caroline Maddison
James McConnachie
Deborah Meaden
Lydia Monks
Imriel Morgan
Abir Mukherjee
Fiona Noble
Jonathan Nowell
Alice O'Keeffe
Sheila O'Reilly
Natasha Onwuemezi
Benedicte Page
Liz Pichon
David Prescott
Anita Rani
Simon Richardson
Imogen Russell Williams
Alexandra Shulman
Caroline Sanderson
Susan Sandon
Dan Smith
Ellie Taylor
Helen Thorn
Tom Tivnan
Charlene White
The British Book Awards Sponsors and Partners
About
The British Book Awards, aka The Nibbies, is a celebration of books: it affirms, connects and energises the world of reading by showcasing those who create stories and everyone who plays a role in bringing those stories to life.
The Books of the Year spotlight the titles that have stirred imaginations, started conversations, been part of book clubs and bestseller lists - books whose pages have been well-thumbed, well-worn and well-loved, whose ideas have formed that thread of inescapable connection between one reader and the next. The shortlists and winners all demonstrate the combination of unforgettable writing, exceptional sales, and an outstanding approach to publishing which make the book business the original creative sector, and the go-to home of storytelling.
The Trade Awards celebrate everyone from independent bookshops, and regional small presses, to the industry’s largest players, from agents championing debut authors to marketers and publicists finding the most creative routes to readers. The book industry is an intricate and deeply collaborative ecosystem, and we are here to shine a light on every bit of it.
The Awards is a snapshot of the industry’s achievements and output, and reflects a business that is at the centre of many different conversations. It is committed to amplifying publishing talent from traditionally underrepresented communities, and ensures that this is upheld throughout the event and beyond. Publishers make books for everyone, and the awards echo their commitment to freedom of expression with texts that can challenge and inform, as well as entertain.
At its core, the Awards acknowledges the intimate connection between the books, their makers and their audience. And that is always something to celebrate.
Default Step
See below for the full list of 2023 categories
Books, Authors and Illustrators
Book of the Year - Audiobook: Non-Fiction
Book of the Year - Children's Fiction
Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated
Book of the Year - Children's Non-Fiction
Book of the Year - Fiction
Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller
Book of the Year - Début Fiction
Book of the Year - Non-fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated *UPDATED FOR 2023*
Book of the Year - Non-fiction: Narrative
Book of the Year - Pageturner
Book of the Year - Discover
Author of the Year
Illustrator of the Year
Book Trade Awards
Academic, Educational & Professional Publisher of the Year
Book Retailer of the Year
British Book Award for Export
Children's Bookseller of the Year
Children's Publisher of the Year
Designer of the Year
Editor of the Year
Imprint of the Year
Independent Bookshop of the Year
Independent Publisher of the Year
Individual Bookseller of the Year
Literary Agent of the Year
Marketing Strategy of the Year
Publicity Campaign of the Year
Publisher of the Year
Rights Professional of the Year
Small Press of the Year
Video
The British Book Awards 2022 - Highlights
The British Book Awards 2022 Ceremony
Independent Bookshop of the Year
Regional and Country Winners
Proudly Sponsored by Gardners
Congratulations to the Independent Bookshop of the Year Regional and Country Winners! These nine endlessly creative and enterprising bookshops have innovated time and again, experimenting with new (and old) ways to connect with their communities, engage readers and sell more books. As Tom Tivnan, managing editor of The Bookseller said, ’whatever tools they are using it is backed by the algorithm-beating personal touch.’
Winner
Griffin Books
All nine booksellers on this shortlist are winners in their own right from the regional and country round of this year’s British Book Awards. From this inspiring group it is Wales’ winner, Griffin Books in Penarth, that scoops the flagship title and the £5,000 from sponsor Gardners that goes with it.
“A little haven of gloriousness” is how one customer describes the shop. The team here ticks all the boxes of good independent bookselling, with deep community knowledge, smart stock curation, enticing window displays and personal service that goes the extra mile. There is a popular book subscription service and a loyalty scheme that was revamped in 2022, plus six book clubs for all ages. Events average one a week, with big names like Maggie O’Farrell and Ruth Jones, and the shop also runs its own annual literary festival. All this gives the shop exceptional sales figures considering its small footprint, and they grew in double digits in 2022.
Beyond Penarth high street, Griffin Books does excellent outreach work with schools, charities and groups in some deprived areas of Wales—and even sponsors a local football team. It is committed to the principle of a bookshop as a safe space, and to the ideal of giving everyone equal access to reading. “It is so much more than a bookshop,” said another customer’s testimonial. The British Book Awards judges admired Griffin’s well-run online operation, which includes work with Bookshop.org as well as its own site; its sharp marketing, including through lively social media; and its progress on diversity and sustainability. “It is a complete all-rounder that does everything so well,” they commented. “The buying is imaginative and successful... and Griffin works so hard in and for its community.”
Shortlist
Niche Comics & Bookshop
East England
Halfway up the Stairs
Island of Ireland
Nomad Books
London
The Rabbit Hole
Midlands
Forum Books
North England
The Edinburgh Bookshop
Scotland
Mostly Books
South-east England
Storysmith
South-west England
Griffin Books
Wales
East England Finalists
Bookbugs and Dragon Tales
Norwich
Maldon Books
Maldon
Niche Comics & Bookshop
Huntingdon
Island of Ireland Finalists
Halfway up the Stairs
Greystones, Wicklow
Little Acorns Bookstore
Derry
London Finalists
BookBar
Islington
Burley Fisher Books
Haggerston
Children's Bookshop
Muswell Hill
Nomad Books
Fulham
Phlox
Leyton
Regency Bookshop
Surbiton
Round Table Books
Brixton
Midlands Finalists
Burway Books
Church Stretton
Five Leaves Bookshop
Nottingham
The Rabbit Hole
Brigg
Wonderland Bookshop
Retford
North England Finalists
Forum Books
Corbridge
Imagined Things
Harrogate
Kemps General Store & Bookshop
Malton
Linghams Booksellers
Wirral
Queer Lit
Manchester
Sam Read Bookseller
Grasmere
The Book Corner
Halifax
Wave of Nostalgia
Haworth
Scotland Finalists
Far From the Madding Crowd
Linlithgow
Minerva's Emporium
Kingussie
The Book Nook
Stewarton
The Edinburgh Bookshop
Edinburgh
The Mainstreet Trading Company
Melrose
The Portobello Bookshop
Edinburgh
Timberbooks
West Kilbride
Ullapool Bookshop
Ullapool
South-East England Finalists
Afrori Books
Brighton
Books on the Hill
St Albans
City Books
Hove
David's Bookshop
Letchworth Garden City
Mostly Books
Abingdon
Our Bookshop
Tring
The Book Nook
Hove
The Book Shop
Lee-on-the-Solent
The Hungerford Bookshop
Hungerford
The Margate Bookshop
Margate
South-West England Finalists
Bert's Books
Swindon
bookhaus
Bristol
Liznojan
Tiverton
Max Minerva's
Bristol
Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights
Bath
Shrew Books
Fowey
Storysmith
Bristol
The Borzoi Bookshop
Stow-on-the-Wold
The East Gate Bookshop
Totnes
Wales Finalists
Book-ish
Crickhowell
Chepstow Books & Gifts
Chepstow
Cover to Cover
Swansea
Griffin Books
Penarth
Gwisgo Bookworm
Aberaeron
Shelf Life Books and Zines
Cardiff
The Berwyn Bookshop
Mold
The Bookshop
Mold
Small Press of the Year
Regional and Country Winners
Proudly Sponsored by CPI Books
From diverse children’s presses to climate-positive companies to publishers of Nobel Prize winners, ten small presses across the UK and Ireland have emerged as Regional and Country Winners for Small Press of the Year, with another three highly commended in their regions. The Bookseller’s Editor Philip Jones said small presses are "publishing ahead of the market, sustaining and growing sales, and taking home plenty of book prizes to boot. This is a thriving sector of the book business and one we should all look to and celebrate."
The Winner
Boldwood Books
While this is a first British Book Award for Boldwood Books, it is unlikely to be the last—though with turnover already nearing £5m, it will not be able to call itself a small press for much longer.
Barely three years after publishing its first books, the business has sprinted past the two milestones of 10 million books sold and 100 authors signed. Sticking to its mission statement of “Publishing Reimagined”, it publishes every book simultaneously in multiple print, digital and audio formats—and with nearly 200 titles released in 2022, it is a lot of publishing for a team of just 15.
E-books are at the core, and 13 different Boldwood titles reached the Bookstat top 10 last year. TCM revenue quadrupled and there were moves into new channels, including W H Smith and supermarkets. It is already a significant international name, with half its revenue now coming from beyond the UK. Authors, many of whom have self-published or moved from elsewhere, seem to love the business model; “Signing with Boldwood was nothing short of life-changing,” said one testimonial. Its digital marketing—through hyper-targeted advertising, lively social media, newsletters and more—is among the best in the business. By focusing on digital formats and printing on-demand to bypass warehousing and returns, it is pointing the way forward on sustainability as well.
“Bold is the word,” said the judges. “Boldwood has broken the traditional publishing mould and is now on a roll. It is innovative, creative, nimble and enthusiastic... the exceptional growth in revenue in 2022 proves this is a winning formula.” All 10 publishers on this shortlist were winners in the regional and country rounds of the Small Press of the Year Award.
Winners
SRL Publishing
East of England
New Island Books
Island of Ireland
Boldwood Books
London - Joint Winner
Fitzcarraldo Editions
London - Joint Winner
Sweet Cherry Publishing
Midlands
Bluemoose Books
North England
Scottish Mountaineering Press
Scotland
David Fickling Books
South-East England
Little Toller Books
South-West England
Firefly Press
Wales
Highly Commended
Magic Cat Publishing
London
September Publishing
South-East England
Graffeg
Wales
Regional Finalists - East England
Dedalus Books
Galley Beggar Press
SRL Publishing
Isle of Ireland
Banshee Press
Little Island Books
New Island Books
The Lilliput Press
London - Regional Finalists
Boldwood Books
Cipher Press
Elliott & Thompson
Fitzcarraldo Editions
Magic Cat Publishing
Mensch Publishing
Muswell Press
Renard Press
Unbound
Midlands - Regional Finalists
Bad Betty Press
Henson Editorial Services and North Staffordshire Press
Malcolm Down and Sarah Grace Publishing
Sweet Cherry Publishing
Victorina Press
North England - Regional Finalists
Bluemoose Books
Carcanet Press
Fly on the Wall Press
Saraband
UCLan Publishing
Scotland - Regional Finalists
404 Ink
Charco Press
Rymour Books
Scotland Street Press
Scottish Mountaineering Press
The Wee Book Company
South-East England - Regional Finalists
Author In Me
David Fickling Books
Duckworth Books
Guppy Books
Praspar Press
September Publishing
South-West England - Regional Finalists
Ad Hoc Fiction
BOTH Press
From You To Me
Little Toller Books
PG Online / ClearRevise
Wales - Regional Finalists
Broken Sleep Books
Firefly Press
Graffeg
Parthian Books
Y Lolfa
Book of the Year - Audiobook: Non-Fiction
Supported by Audiobookish
Memoirs from culture-defining names, personal development and the trials and tribulations of parenthood make up this eclectic shortlist. What all the titles have in common is excellent attention to detail on production and thoughtful campaigns championing the audiobook genre.
Winner
A Pocketful of Happiness
Richard E Grant
Gallery
Richard E Grant’s memoir, A Pocketful of Happiness, takes the crown in this category’s second outing at the British Book Awards. Our judges found the story of his life, acting career and marriage to his late wife Joan Washington to be a “hope-filled and joyful” listen and were impressed by Grant’s skill as a narrator which brought “such emotion” to the audiobook. They also praised Gallery Books’ sensitivity to the actor’s emotional vulnerability when recording and promoting the memoir. The actor’s voice was central to the radio advertising and social media campaign, which featured extracts from the audiobook overlaid by video content featuring photos from his life. “Grant’s honesty is refreshing and something that may help encourage other men to open up”, observed one judge.
The Shortlist
A Pocketful of Happiness
Written and narrated by Richard E Grant
Simon & Schuster
Richard E Grant’s moving memoir recounts his life since childhood, acting career and marriage to his late wife Joan Washington. Author care was at the heart of Gallery Books’ approach, with extra time baked into recording sessions so Grant could take breaks; the number of interviews was also limited to give Grant space on days of personal significance.
A Visible Man
Written and narrated by Edward Enninful
Audible
Edward Enninful recounts his own life story directly to the listener, adding another layer of intimacy to this audiobook produced by Audible; it has an average rating on the platform of 4.7 out of five stars. From his Ghana childhood to 1990s London, becoming the youngest-ever fashion director of i-D and now the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, it is a remarkable tale.
Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing
Written and narrated by Matthew Perry
Headline Publishing Group
Matthew Perry’s honest memoir, detailing his struggles with addiction, was Hachette UK’s top non-fiction audio release of 2022. Perry’s narration creates an intimate experience which, combined with a marketing campaign that utilised 30-second snippets of the audio for radio adverts, made Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing a success.
Menopausing
Davina McCall with Dr. Naomi Potter, narrated by Dr Naomi Potter, Davina McCall & Dr Nighat Arif et al
HarperCollins
HQ carefully considered the production of Menopausing to enhance the conversational style of the writing. Different recording set-ups were used for Davina McCall, Dr Naomi Potter and their contributors, so each section was clearly differentiated. The taboo-breaking book became a top-five Audible bestseller and has remained in the platform’s top 50 since publication.
Parenting Hell
Written and narrated by Rob Beckett & Josh Widdicombe
Bonnier Books UK
Adapted from Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s podcast and book of the same name, Parenting Hell was Bonnier’s most successful audiobook of 2022. The production combined reading from the text and off-script conversations to capture the pair’s comic partnership. Blink also asked the podcast listeners’ children to record chapter titles for use in the audiobook.
Ten Steps to Nanette
Written and narrated by Hannah Gadsby
W F Howes
This memoir by comedian Hannah Gadsby, chronicling their Netflix comedy special of the same name, was recorded by W F Howes during Gadsby’s tour of America and creates a “compelling hybrid performance” of stand-up comedy and narration. It was selected as one of the Best Audiobooks of 2022 at the FT and remains an Audible bestseller in the LGBTQ+ voices category.
Book of the Year - Audiobook: Fiction
From Booker winners to audio exclusives and fantasy classics, the Audiobook: Fiction shortlist champions the audiobook as an evolving art form. Well-known voices include Richard Armitage, Nicola Walker, Fiona Shaw and Sarah Agha.
Winner
Young Mungo
Douglas Stuart
Picador
The audiobook of Young Mungo, the second novel from Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, celebrated the novel’s Glasgow setting. Chris Reilly, a BAFTA Scotland award-winning actor and native Glaswegian, recorded the audiobook at La Chunky Studio in Glasgow. Our judges praised the “authentic” casting for bringing “the written dialect to life”. It was “beautifully narrated”, said one judge; while another thought the “adaptation lifted the book.” The audiobook was promoted with the immersive installation of a doocot [dovecot] in Waterstones Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow and Piccadilly in London which played a 12-minute audio extract on a loop. Picador also created a minute-long animated advert for the audiobook which ran across social media generating huge buzz online. Young Mungo entered the Audible bestseller charts at number three on publication.
The Shortlist
Geneva
Richard Armitage, narrated by Richard Armitage, Nicola Walker and Jane Perry
Audible
Richard Armitage’s thriller début Geneva was written and released exclusively for Audible. Uniting the voices of seasoned narrator Armitage and actor Nicola Walker with Bafta-winning actor Jane Perry, the trio created a captivating performance. Geneva débuted at number one in the Audible charts upon release, remaining in the top 10 for the rest of 2022.
The Bullet that Missed
Richard Osman, narrated by Fiona Shaw
Penguin Random House Audio
Not only was The Bullet That Missed an Audible and Apple Books bestseller, but it was also Richard Osman’s bestselling audiobook, with sales 13% up on last year’s shortlistee The Man Who Died Twice. Penguin Random House Audio’s marketing campaign championed actor Fiona Shaw as the new voice of the series and promoted a “detective-style audio treasure hunt”.
The Discworld series
Sir Terry Pratchett, narrated by Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy, Indira Varma & Andy Serkis et al
Penguin Random House Audio
The stellar multi-cast recording of made 2022 Pratchett’s biggest year in audio ever. The publication of 19 audiobooks, over 400 hours of finished audio and music from Bafta-winning composer James Hannigan revitalised this epic fantasy collection.
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
Shehan Karunatilaka, narrated by Shivantha Wijesinha
Bolinda Audio
Translating the Booker Prize-winning The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida to audio was no mean feat. Publisher Bolinda organised training for Shivantha Wijesinha, the voice of the book, with expert narrator Stig Wemyss. Having lived through the Sri Lankan Civil War, Wijesinha brought authenticity to the recording.
Tyger
S F Said, narrated by Sarah Agha
Bolinda Audio
To promote accessibility, Bolinda produced S F Said’s Tyger in every audio format and organised an extensive marketing campaign across distributors such as Spotify and libraries globally. Meetings between Said, experienced narrator Sarah Agha and the production team helped capture the “ethereal” quality of the Tyger’s voice and bring Said’s artistic vision to life.
Young Mungo
Douglas Stuart, narrated by Chris Reilly
Pan Macmillan
Retaining the authenticity of Douglas Stuart's Glasgow-set Young Mungo was at the heart of this production, with narration by actor Chris Reilly and recording at La Chunky Studio in Glasgow. Pan Macmillan installed a doocot (dovecot) as the keystone of its campaign in Waterstones Sauchiehall Street and Piccadilly; the installation played an extract from the audiobook.
Book of the Year - Children's Fiction
Supported by The Week Junior
From vicious unicorns to Norse gods, this shortlist boasts début writers and brand-name authors alike. From epic adventures and doomed romance to fun, musical romps and lyrical writing on the power of friendship, there is something for every young reader, with each title supported by a unique campaign.
The Winner
Tyger
S F Said, illustrated by Dave McKean
David Fickling Books
S F Said’s Blakeian adventure, strikingly illustrated by Dave McKean, was nine years in the making, with publisher David Fickling Books determined not to rush the book to market until it was fully ready. This patience paid off: Tyger is the independent publisher’s second-bestselling fiction hardback ever and the title is now in its fifth reprint. The publisher utilised the glowing reviews from early readers to build connections with key retailers, ensuring the book stood out in a crowded children’s market. One judge said: “This to me feels like a book I really want children to read and have access to.” The “synergy” between the text and illustrations was applauded, with our judges agreeing that Tyger already “felt like a classic”. A “stand-out”, they all concluded.
The Shortlist
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde
Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney
Puffin
Jeff Kinney’s 17th Wimpy Kid book reinvigorated the series, achieving a 12% growth in year-on-year sales and marking the first time Wimpy Kid outsold David Walliams in their respective first part-weeks since 2015. Puffin produced an epic tour, including a “first rock gig experience” for Kinney’s readers, featuring live bands, smoke machines and lights.
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good
Written and illustrated by Louie Stowell
Walker Books
This comic illustrative book, issued by Walker Books, is about the Norse god Loki trapped in a child’s body, and includes drawings from author and first-time illustrator Louie Stowell, creating a “unique” approach to storytelling. Loki’s success was helped by the author visiting 30 bookshops, a 10-stop blog tour and appearances at 15 different festivals.
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
Tọlá Okogwu
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Tolá Okogwu’s début, about a British-Nigerian girl whose hair has psychokinetic powers, was won by Simon & Schuster Children’s Books in a multi-publisher auction. Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun hit seventh in the children’s fiction chart on publication, was crowned as both Waterstones and Blackwells Book of the Month and chosen for BookTrust Represents.
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
A F Steadman
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
A F Steadman’s début was acquired by Simon & Schuster Children’s Books in a record-breaking seven-figure deal. The novel went on to become the fastest-selling children’s fiction début since Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl. Selected as Waterstones’ Children’s Book of the Year, the novel sold over 54,000 copies and Simon & Schuster encouraged the hype with three special editions.
The First to Die at the End
Adam Silvera
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Published in the wake of Adam Silvera’s BookTok success, Simon & Schuster Children's Books created a publishing event with The First to Die at the End. A complete redesign of Silvera’s backlist, a branded phone-box installation in Waterstones Piccadilly and a 3D countdown billboard in Hackney helped Silvera reach new heights, closing 2022 as the fifth-bestselling YA author.
Tyger
S F Said, illustrated by Dave McKean
David Fickling Books
S F Said’s Blakeian adventure, with illustrations from Dave McKean, has been nine years in the making and garnered support from authors and critics alike. It is David Fickling Books’ second-bestelling fiction hardback ever; the indie worked closely with the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, holding a launch for Tyger at its Literacy Library on publication day.
Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated
Supported by LoveReading4Kids
Julia Donaldson takes two places on this year’s shortlist with tales of resourcefulness and Christmas spirit, while LGBTQ+ stories of love and friendship take centre stage with Alice Oseman’s groundbreaking series Heartstopper and Harry Woodgate’s homage to love in all forms. The shortlist is rounded off with the return of a much-loved potato—and an anarchic bunny and monkey duo.
Winner
Grandad’s Camper
Harry Woodgate
Andersen Press
Our judges fell in love with the “beautiful” and “joyous” message of Harry Woodgate’s picture book, Grandad’s Camper. This “gentle and heart-warming” tale, a celebration of love in all its forms which was inspired by the lack of older LGBTQ+ characters in children’s books, was awarded Best Illustrated Book at the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2022.
Author Woodgate worked hard to promote the book: decorating the windows of six bookshops across the UK, creating postcards for the Queer Lit bookshop, and teaming up with National Literacy Trust to create KS1 resources for schools to use alongside the book. The “purity” and “simplicity” of the book’s message and the drive behind the “hell for leather” marketing campaign from Andersen Press made it a winner for our judges.
The Shortlist
Bunny Vs Monkey: Rise of the Maniacal Badger
Written and illustrated by Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books
The fifth book in Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey series was a turning point. David Fickling Books championed the series’ uniqueness as a much-loved collection, securing a 94% increase in first-week sales on Smart’s last outing. He ended the year as the 28th-bestselling author in the TCM, having risen from 96th place.
Grandad's Camper
Written and illustrated by Harry Woodgate
Andersen Press
A celebration of love, Harry Woodgate’s picture book was one of Andersen Press’ top 10 bestsellers and was awarded Best Illustrated Book at the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Woodgate decorated numerous bookshop windows and partnered with LGBTQ+ children’s charity Just Like Us to create school resources on how to introduce children to LGBTQ+ stories.
Supertato presents Jack and the Beanstalk
Written and illustrated by Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet return to this year’s shortlist with the 10th instalment in their beloved series, published for the first time in trade hardback. Simon & Schuster Children’s Books partnered with Save the Children for Supertato…, raising £24,000 for the charity, and ran full-page advertising with the London Palladium during its run of “Jack and the Beanstalk”.
The Baddies
Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Alison Green Books
The inimitable duo of Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler return to the shortlist with their biggest hardback to date, issued by Alison Green Books. The Baddies, a tale that shows children how they can be brave and resourceful, was the bestselling picture book of 2022, with first-week sales of the title up an impressive 60% on the pair’s previous title, The Smeds and the Smoos.
The Heartstopper Yearbook
Written and illustrated by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books
Last year was the year of Heartstopper, with the Netflix adaptation of Alice Oseman’s YA graphic novel series reinvigorating the genre and filling Hodder Children’s coffers. The Heartstopper Yearbook was the first in the collection to be published in full colour, giving fans a new entry into the much-loved universe with exclusive new content.
What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas
Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lydia Monks
Macmillan Children's Books
The second Julia Donaldson title on this shortlist, What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is the author’s 12th picture book collaboration with Lydia Monks. Macmillan Children’s started marketing early to drive pre-orders and organised sold-out events and signings with Donaldson and Monks; it says the title will become “a seasonal festive classic”.
Book of the Year - Children's Non-Fiction
Supported by The Week Junior
Celebrating its second year, this shortlist features previous Book of the Year winners alongside a well-established series and first-time writers. The topics explored include bravery, how to talk about mental health and curiosity. Many of the campaigns partnered with charities, uniting publishing with charitable action.
The Winner
A Better Day
Dr Alex George
Wren & Rook
Dr Alex George, UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador and a former A&E doctor, brought his personal experience to A Better Day, an empowering mental health handbook aimed at children aged nine to 11. The title is taken from the author’s regular social media message that “there is always hope of a better day”. The handbook format with curved edges was admired by our judges, who also praised the balance between the text and the illustrations by The Boy Fitz Hammond. A Better Day was the bestselling début children’s non-fiction book in 2022, according to figures from Nielsen BookScan. “It’s a book that will really save lives”, agreed our judges, as it offers practical techinques for young readers to use when faced with issues from exam stress to peer pressure.
The Shortlist
A Better Day: Your Positive Mental Health Handbook
Alex George, illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond
Wren & Rook
Dr Alex George’s A Better Day, illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond, encourages children to treat their mental and physical health as something worthy of daily care. Wren & Rook partnered with charity Read for Good as well as Seren Network, supporting high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds.
Am I Made of Stardust?
Maggie Aderin-Pocock, illustrated by Chelen Écija
Buster Books
Written by scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Am I Made of Stardust? combines NASA photographs with illustrations from Chelen Écija and a Q&A format to answer children’s questions about space. Buster Books pushed to establish Aderin-Pocock in the children’s literary world and created a social media calendar based on celestial activity.
Girlhood Unfiltered
Ebinehita Iyere and Milk Honey Bees, illustrated by Shay Ashworth
Knights Of
Edited by Ebinehita Iyere, Girlhood Unfiltered details the voices and experiences of young Black girls. Knights Of and Milk Honey Bees, an organisation which supports young women, ran half-term workshops establishing the themes of the essays and found 20 girls to author the collection. Girlhood Unfiltered is illustrated by teenager Shay Ashworth.
Little People, Big Dreams: Queen Elizabeth
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Melissa Lee Johnson
Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Initially written to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, this commemorates the life and service of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. Illustrations from Melissa Lee Johnson and Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara’s trademark style made it one of the most popular books in Frances Lincoln Children’s Books’ series.
You Can Do It: How to Find Your Voice and Make a Difference
Marcus Rashford with Carl Anka
Macmillan Children's Books
Book of the Year 2022 winners Marcus Rashford and Carl Anka return with You Can Do It, the follow-up to You Are a Champion, and Macmillan Children’s worked with social justice advocate and educator Shannon Weber to share the skills children need to stay safe while helping others.
You Don't Know What War Is
Yeva Skalietska, illustrated by Olga Shtonda
Bloomsbury Children's Books
Yeva Skalietska’s eye-opening diary recounting 12 days in Ukraine was published by Bloomsbury in association with the UNHCR. Supplemented with text messages, personal photographs and newspaper headlines,this is a moving account of conflict and courage: “Yeva speaks a truth all of us must listen to”, wrote Michael Morpurgo in the foreword.
Book of the Year - Discover
Supported by Magic Radio Book Club
In the second year for this category,which aims to amplify books from traditionally underrepresented writers—with a particular focus on the work of indie presses and imprints—the shortlist features six unforgettable books from a wide range of genres, from memoir to essay to historical fiction.
Winner
I’m a Fan
Sheena Patel
Rough Trade
In the second year for this category, which aims to amplify under- represented voices, our judges singled out Sheena Patel’s début novel as an “incisive look at the world we live in now”. I’m a Fan was commended as a “sinister and compelling read”. “I absolutely am a fan,” proclaimed one judge. Rough Trade Books produced a “remarkable”, “beautiful” object with the hardback edition of this book, which slots into the social media culture Patel deconstructs in the novel—and the author chose the colours and font of the cover. The panel loved how Rough Trade worked with Patel to create a “grassroots success story” when the book was acquired during lockdown. The success of I’m a Fan “shows an independent publisher, through innovation and collaboration, producing something truly brilliant”, said one judge.
The Shortlist
Aftermath
Preti Taneja
And Other Stories
Preti Taneja’s Aftermath, described by the author as “a personal lyric essay about a horrific, complex yet avoidable tragedy” required sensitive handling by the publisher from the acquisition onwards. When potential high-profile media coverage threatened to sensationalise the book, And Other Stories refused to compromise. It was awarded the Gordon Burns Prize 2022.
As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
Zoulfa Katouh, illustrated by David Curtis
Bloomsbury Publishing
The first YA novel to be published in the UK by an author with Syrian roots was the bestselling YA fiction début of 2022. Bloomsbury’s campaign promoted not only As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow but Zoulfa Katouh herself and her reasons for writing it. The impact on social media resulted in Bloomsbury’s most viral TikTok ever.
Carrie Kills A Man
Carrie Marshall
404 Ink
Technology journalist and broadcaster Carrie Marshall came out as trans later in life and felt that now was the time to tell her story: Carrie Kills a Man is her memoir. It was a key non-fiction title for small Scottish independent publisher 404Ink, and the title’s profile was raised when it was selected as Book of the Week on the “Damian Barr’s Literary Salon” podcast.
Home is not a Place
Johny Pitts & Roger Robinson
HarperCollins
Acquired in a five-way auction, Home is Not a Place is a free-form collection of photography, poems and essays reflecting upon Black Britishness. Foyles Charing Cross produced a stunning window display, and the authors signed copies in-store during Black History Month. HarperCollins created standout billboards that caught the eye of passers-by in London, Sheffield and Bristol.
I'm a Fan
Sheena Patel
Rough Trade Books
Sheena Patel had previously published a pamphlet with Rough Trade Books, as a part of the poetry collective 4 Brown Girls Who Write, when she sent early fragments of I’m a Fan. Early endorsement came from the Observer, which selected Patel as one of its 10 best début novelists of 2022; it was later Foyles’ Fiction Book of the Year 2022 and was reprinted three times.
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho
Paterson Joseph
Dialogue Books
Paterson Joseph’s début tells the fictionalised story of Sancho, who lived a unique life in Georgian London. A passion project for Joseph, who performed as Sancho in full costume at the Waterstones launch, the book smashed its sales target in eight weeks, becoming Dialogue Books’ bestselling hardback début.
Book of the Year - Fiction
Supported by Good Housekeeping
This year’s Fiction shortlist features new novels from a Booker Prize winner and a Women’s Prize for Fiction victor, with settings ranging from Ancient Greece to Renaissance Italy to contemporary London—and an alternative Oxford. All titles benefited from standout jackets and inventive campaigns, both online and in the real world.
The Winner
Babel
R F Kuang
HarperVoyager
F Kuang’s tale of colonialism, magic and language, set in an alternate Oxford in the 1800s, broke out of the fantasy genre into the mainstream last year. Our panel praised Kuang’s use of “very clever” footnotes which added an extra layer to the novel, and commended how Babel encouraged an interest in language and translation, giving a new perspective on the legacies of empire.
HarperVoyager produced seven special editions for multiple retailers which reached “every permutation of reader”. The marketing campaign, which reached a non-traditional readership via TikTok and other social channels, “left no stone unturned” according to the judges who singled it out as “the most impressive campaign” on the shortlist. Our judges were unanimous in agreeing that this was an “event book” of 2022.
The Shortlist
Babel
R F Kuang
HarperVoyager
Babel saw an astonishing 1,155% increase in sales across all formats from R F Kuang’s previous book, testament to HarperVoyager’s energetic and passionate campaign to reach a non-traditional readership via TikTok and other social channels. Seven special editions were produced, each one tailored to a particular retailer, from Waterstones to book subscription box Illumicrate.
Fairy Tale
Stephen King
Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder scored the highest ever pre-order for Stephen King with Fairy Tale, which ensured the author ’s biggest first week of physical sales since BookScan records began and growth of 73% on first-week sales compared with his previous novel. Fairy Tale benefited from Hodder’s first “major” TikTok advertising campaign to reach a younger fantasy audience.
Love Marriage
Monica Ali
Virago
Love Marriage marked the return of Monica Ali with her first novel in 10 years, acquired by Virago in a “fierce” auction. This hugely engaging read grapples with some of the big questions of contemporary British life, and does so with acuity and humour. The publicity campaign achieved impressive coverage, including a coveted spot for the author on BBC1’s “The One Show”.
Stone Blind
Natalie Haynes
Mantle
Stone Blind was Natalie Haynes’ feminist retelling of the Medusa myth. Mantle utilised the author’s unique blend of academic expertise and incredible storytelling at the centre of the campaign to successfully grow her readership beyond existing fans of her earlier novels. Stone Blind has been reprinted six times to date and rights have sold in multiple new territories.
The Marriage Portrait
Maggie O'Farrell
Tinder Press
Maggie O’Farrell’s second historical novel (the first, Hamnet, scooped the Women’s Prize for Fiction), told of a young woman’s battle for self and survival in Renaissance Italy. Tinder Press needed to keep The Marriage Portrait’s surprise ending under wraps but the sumptuous jacket was central to the online campaign, with the cover reveal animation viewed over 16,000 times.
Young Mungo
Douglas Stuart
Picador
Douglas Stuart’s dazzling second novel was acquired by Picador well before the success of his début Shuggie Bain, but the publisher rose to the challenge of following a Booker Prize winner with an arresting jacket image, a high-impact flyposting campaign and real dovecotes installed in Waterstones in Glasgow and London. The US-based author came over for a major UK tour.
Book of the Year - Début Fiction
From a sparkling contemporary rom-com to forbidden love in 1970s Northern Ireland to a Dorset country house between the world wars, this shortlist celebrates some of the best writing of 2022, with exhilarating débuts from writers at the very beginning of their careers. These titles enjoyed phenomenal sales or critical acclaim—and sometimes both.
The Winner
Trespasses
Louise Kennedy
Bloomsbury
Louise Kennedy’s 1970s Northern Ireland-set début, Trespasses, was a blazing success in this category. The judges were deeply moved by this beautifully written tale of forbidden love: “It is one of the best books I have ever read,” declared one judge; a “masterpiece”, agreed another. Trespasses “introduced me to a completely different world I didn’t know anything about”, said one judge; Kennedy is “writing about the Troubles in a way I haven’t read before”, added another.
The judges also praised the eye-catching jacket design, created by deputy creative director Greg Heinimann, and Bloomsbury’s commitment to author care on the publicity trail. Trespasses was the critics’ most-picked book of the year in 2022 and the judges are eager to see what Kennedy, a standout début writer in her fifties, writes next.
The Shortlist
Honey & Spice
Bolu Babalola
Headline Review
Honey & Spice is a fresh take on the traditional rom-com and Headline targeted a relatively young audience for Bolu Babalola’s début. The Honey & Spice Sessions, filmed at BookBar with Babalola and four guests—actor Charithra Chandran, author Caleb Azumah Nelson, podcaster Tolly T and British Vogue’s Annie Lord—provided enticing video content for social media.
Lessons In Chemistry
Bonnie Garmus
Doubleday
Doubleday won a 16-way auction to acquire Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry and set about ensuring this début from an unknown writer entered the charts at number two. More than 40 visuals were produced in the search for the perfect jacket, which was the basis for a campaign that encompassed all retailers and resulted in the book spending 35 weeks in the top 10.
The Rabbit Hutch
Tess Gunty
Oneworld Publications
Oneworld secured Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch with the highest advance the publisher has ever paid for a début. Set in America’s Midwest and described by Gunty as “a love song to the forgotten and the lonely”, Oneworld focused on getting the book into the hands of booksellers; a strategy that paid off when it won the inaugural Waterstones Début Fiction Prize.
The Satsuma Complex
Bob Mortimer
Gallery
Comedian Bob Mortimer was riding high on the success of his memoir And Away… when he emailed Simon & Schuster to say he was writing a novel. It was published just nine months later as The Satsuma Complex, becoming the bestselling hardback début of 2022. The eye-catching publication take-over at Waterstones Piccadilly saw a three-metre satsuma suspended from the ceiling.
The Whalebone Theatre
Joanna Quinn
Fig Tree
Joanna Quinn’s début is both a country house novel and a war novel, and the striking cover design took inspiration from, among other sources, the set of Kate Bush’s “Before the Dawn”. The publicity campaign harnessed word-of-mouth passion, achieving 14 national print reviews on publication. It is Penguin General’s bestselling hardback début of 2022.
Trespasses
Louise Kennedy
Bloomsbury Circus
Bloomsbury’s campaign began with a passion to get Louise Kennedy’s 1970s Northern Ireland-set story of forbidden love into the hands of as many readers as possible. Trespasses was a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime, shortlisted for the inaugural Waterstones Début Fiction Prize and finished 2022 as the critics’ most-picked book of the year, equally beloved by booksellers and readers.
Book of the Year Winners
With 72 titles across 12 categories, this year’s shortlists are proof that publishing, writing and illustration all remain in excellent health.
Winner
Overall Book of the Year
Winner
Author of the Year
Winner
Illustrator of the Year
Winner
Fiction
Winner
Pageturner
Winner
Crime & Thriller
Winner
Début Fiction
Winner
Non-Fiction: Narrative
Winner
Non-Fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated
Winner
Discover
Winner
Children's Non-Fiction
Winner
Children's Illustrated
Winner
Children's Fiction
Winner
Audiobook: Non-Fiction
Winner
Audiobook: Fiction
Book Retailer of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Simon and Schuster
After two years of turmoil from Covid-19, book retailers were rejuvenated in 2022 and, with the proviso of gaps in data during lockdowns, they delivered the highest print sales on record. Combining high street, online, travel and media booksellers, and new and long-standing names, this shortlist shows the many routes retailers took to readers last year. This shortlist will also include the winners of the categories for Independent Bookshop of the Year and Children’s Bookseller of the Year.
Winner
W H Smith Travel
WH Smith Travel wins this award for the third time in eight years, having burst back to life since the end of Covid-related travel restrictions in 2022.
While year-on-year sales comparisons were inevitably impressive, there was also a sense that the business had emerged from the pandemic with new resilience and fresh ideas. It had its usual ample share of sales of the year’s blockbusters—notably from Sally Rooney, Bella Mackie and Liane Moriarty. But it also showed it does not rely on big international names and is committed to promoting backlist books and new voices too. The in-house Richard & Judy Book Club is instrumental in that, breaking several début authors last year and selling nearly half a million copies of its featured titles. Newer initiatives included a partnership on non-fiction with entrepreneur Steven Bartlett.
The business opened three new standalone bookshops in 2022, at Luton and Manchester airports and Edinburgh Waverley station, plus new concept stores with bright book departments. It meanwhile relocated and revamped its concessions within Harrods and Selfridges in London—special shopping environments that provide more proof that the W H S Travel team can do far more than pile-‘em-high bookselling.
Authors and publishers admire the forward- thinking, collaborative buyers and booksellers, who help books reach readers that other retailers cannot. “Their knowledge of the books world is immense and their intuition for bestsellers is second to none,” said one grateful sales director.
“The new stores are inviting and engaging bookshops, and the books they are selling surpass the expectations of the sort that a travel shop might sell,” the British Book Awards judges added. “It is an impressive bounce-back from a very difficult few years.”
Shortlist
Books2Door
Online retailer Books2Door flourished during lockdowns as children and parents sought books to read, both for learning and for pleasure. It carried the impetus into 2022, recording another record year of sales and growing its head-count by around a third. It launched a new mobile app and rode the BookTok wave to attract thousands of new users. Based in Leicester and with 85% of staff coming from an Indian or Pakistani background, it is doing more than most to diversify bookselling in the UK.
Bookshop.org
Last year’s winner Bookshop.org has helped more than 500 independent booksellers to rise to the challenges of Covid lockdowns and the online dominance of Amazon, and the platform took its income generation past £2.5m in 2022. New initiatives included a Book of the Month promotion, a Golden Bookmark sweepstake to win books for life and the Indie Champions Awards, which recognise the authors, publishers, podcasts, organisations and events that have welcomed Bookshop.org to the UK so warmly.
Monwell
Appearing on this shortlist for the first time, Monwell likes to bill itself as the book retailer you have never heard of. Facilitating sales for major media groups including the Guardian, Mail, Express and Times Literary Supplement, it generated well over £2m from a team of just seven people in 2022. Marketing is Monwell’s core strength, and its campaigns—including a new-look Shelf Improvement subscription service for the Guardian—gave many publishers sales that they wouldn’t otherwise have got.
Waterstones
Waterstones has won this award in three of the past eight years. Celebrating four decades in bookselling in 2022, it opened 13 new shops and launched initiatives including a Début Fiction Prize and a Read for Ukraine fundraising campaign, while capitalising very well on BookTok and establishing new literary names such as
its Author of the Year, Bonnie Garmus. Warehouse software problems blighted months of Waterstones’ year, though it was still able to end it with a bumper Christmas.
W H Smith High Street
The first of W H Smith’s two places on this shortlist is for its town and city centre bookselling. The 525 stores that comprise its High Street division went big on the TikTok phenomenon and grabbed a sizeable slice of the year’s top new book, Richard Osman’s The Bullet That Missed. Value was a major focus as the cost-of-living crisis mounted, while work with the National Literacy Trust supported children’s reading. The year finished with the High Street division claiming its strongest-ever sales results for the Christmas period.
W H Smith Travel
Bookselling in airports and stations was naturally hit hard by two years of Covid-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions, but the Travel division of W H Smith bounced back strongly in 2022. It opened three new dedicated bookshops and revamped its concession stores within Harrods and Selfridges, and also reminded the book industry of its huge influence in shaping brand fiction, in particular. “We have suffered without them and we are delighted to see them back up to full power,” said one publisher.
Book Trade Awards Winners
Winner
Small Press of the Year
Winner
Independent Bookshop of the Year
Winner
Children's Publisher of the Year
Winner
Children's Bookseller of the Year
Winner
Marketing Strategy of the Year
Winner
Book Retailer of the Year
Winner
Publicity Campaign of the Year
Winner
Editor of the Year
Winner
Individual Bookseller of the Year
Winner
Literary Agent of the Year
Winner
Designer of the Year
Winner
The British Book Awards for Export
Winner
Academic, Educational & Professional Publisher of the Year
Winner
Rights Professional of the Year
Winner
Imprint of the Year
Winner
Independent Publisher of the Year
Winner
Publisher of the Year
Winner
Freedom to Publish
Nibbies Studio
The British Book Awards celebrate books and everyone who brings them to life. We caught up with some of the 2023 winners fresh off the stage from claiming their golden Nibbie.
Bonnie Garmus Interview
Alice Oseman Interview
Davina McCall & Dr Naomi Potter Interview
Rachel Denwood Interview
Sheena Patel Interview
Mel Tuke Griffin Interview
Meera Ghanshamdas & Aimée Felone Interview
Harry Woodgate Interview
Louise Kennedy Interview
Carolynn Bain Interview
Katherine Rundell Interview
Juliet Mabey Interview
Vicky Palmer, Lilly Cox, Alison Barrow Interview
Full Event Stream
Author of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Montegrappa
Winner
Bonnie Garmus
Débuts do not come much bigger or better than Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry. Published in April 2022, it has spent 35 weeks near the top of the charts, with more than 200,000 copies shifted in the UK TCM and rights sold in 40 territories.
Moving to London in 2017 and feeling lonely in a new city, Garmus signed up to a creative writing course, which is how she met her agent, Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown. Blunt led a 16-way auction during lockdown 2020, with Transworld emerging as the victor. “Never has the entire company been so hungry and determined to win a book,” the publisher noted.
The novel’s influence at this year’s Nibbies is pronounced, with nods for the Fiction: Début award and in the Marketing, Publicity, Imprint (Doubleday) and Agent (Felicity Blunt) categories.
As well as writing a truly original book, Garmus is also notable for being a 64-year-old début author, a rarity in an industry that often seems obsessed with the voice of youth. “I feel great about having reached this goal now, at this age,” she told The Bookseller ahead of publication in 2022. Lessons in Chemistry looks set for an even greater 2023: after its paperback release in March it notched up four consecutive Mass Market Fiction number ones.
Congratulations to Bonnie Garmus, British Book Awards Author of the Year.
Illustrator of the Year
Illustrator of the Year
Alice Oseman
Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series was at the forefront of a record year for graphic novels in 2022. When named 151st on The Bookseller’s list of the most influential people in UK publishing—its de facto “Person of the Year”—in 2022, Oseman was billed as “Britain’s first truly global breakout children’s superstar in two decades”, with “Heartstopper Volume 1 the bestselling children’s book across Nielsen BookScan’s 11 international territories”.
This is not an overnight success. In 2016, aged just 22, Oseman began to post webcomics online. She had no formal art training and knew YA graphic novels were a tough sell, but felt passionately about the work and queer representation. Her subscribers multiplied and as the buzz increased she launched a Kickstarter edition in 2018, which hit its target in under two hours.
In 2019, Hachette Children’s Group published the first two volumes of Heartstopper to enormous commercial success. The illustrated form broke new ground in the YA fiction market, and ever since this LGBTQ+ love story has been at the cutting edge of the UK’s mass-market success in graphic novels. Oseman also had a huge creative input on the Netflix series of “Heartstopper”, won an Emmy in 2022 for Outstanding Writing, and is tireless in her support of booksellers.
Congratulations to Alice Oseman, The British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year 2023.
Sponsored by Sweet Cherry Publishing
Sweet Cherry is a small independent publisher with a great, big mission! Based in Leicester, where one in 10 children live in poverty, we aim to bring fantastic stories within reach of every child. Our mission is to make books fun and accessible for all children, everywhere.
Freedom to Publish
Winner
Salman Rushdie
Booker-winning novelist Salman Rushdie is the recipient of The British Book Awards’ second ever Freedom to Publish Award. The accolade acknowledges that threats to authors, publishers, booksellers and others in this business have not diminished, and that we continue to live in a period of intolerance. This year the award is supported by Index on Censorship.
After Rushdie’s fourth novel The Satanic Verses was published by Penguin in 1988, the author became the subject of several assassination attempts and death threats, including a fatwa. The events sparked violence around the world, with bookstores and booksellers targeted. Public rallies were held where copies of the book were burned. Several people associated with translating or publishing the book were attacked, seriously injured and even killed. Rushdie went into hiding and a memoir of this period, Joseph Anton (Rushdie’s secret alias), was issued in 2012.
Rushdie has continued to advocate for others’ rights to freedom of expression. His most recent book Victory City was published by Vintage in February. None of this is done without risk. On 12th August 2022, a man stabbed Rushdie after rushing onto the stage where the novelist was scheduled to deliver a lecture at an event in New York. He survived, but has lost sight in one eye.
A citation by the author Monica Ali read: “It takes courage to create art. It takes courage to speak truth to power. Art may, in the end, be stronger than censorship, but the artist remains vulnerable. Nobody has been more courageous, more steadfast, more brilliant in the pursuit of truth and artistic freedom than tonight’s recipient.”
The British Book Awards is privileged to honour Salman Rushdie.
Overall Book of the Year
Overall Book of the Year: Winner
Menopausing
Davina McCall, with Dr Naomi Potter
HQ
The final judging panel crowned the Non-Fiction Lifestyle & Illustrated Book of the Year winner, Menopausing, as The British Book Awards’ Overall Book of the Year. They thought the “impressive” book captured Davina McCall’s voice and passion.
Our judges praised Menopausing as a “taboo-busting” book, which effectively wove McCall’s warmth with Dr Naomi Potter’s expertise, helping to normalise menopause as a topic of discussion. HQ’s “exhaustive”, “agile” marketing campaign, combined with high-profile interview slots, brought menopause into the mainstream last year.
The discussion was chaired by The Bookseller’s books editor Alice O’Keeffe and the judges comprised Anita Singh, arts and entertainment editor at the Telegraph; Andrew Holgate, former literary editor of the Sunday Times; Hazel Broadfoot of Village Books, Dulwich, and president of the Bookseller’s Association; Krishnan Guru-Murthy, presenter of Channel 4 News; and Zoey Dixon, library hubs manager at Lambeth libraries and chair of Youth Libraries Group for London. Ultimately, our panel felt Menopausing captured the zeitgeist of 2022, shining a light on women’s health and topping 160,000 copies through Nielsen’s TCM.
The Shortlist
Young Mungo
Douglas Stewart
Picador
WINNER Book of the Year - Audiobook: Fiction
A Pocketful of Happiness
Richard E Grant
Gallery
WINNER Book of the Year - Audiobook: Non-Fiction
Grandad's Camper
Harry Woodgate
Andersen Press
WINNER Book of the Year - Children's Illustrated
Tyger
S F Said, illustrated by DaveMcKean
David Fickling Books
WINNER Book of the Year - Children's Fiction
A Better Day
Dr Alex George, illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond
Wren & Rook
WINNER Book of the Year - Children's Non-Fiction
I'm a Fan
Sheena Patel
Rough Trade
WINNER Book of the Year - Discover
Babel
R F Kuang
HarperVoyager
WINNER Book of the Year - Fiction
The Twyford Code
Janice Hallett
Viper
WINNER Book of the Year - Fiction: Crime & Thriller
Trespasses
Louise Kennedy
Bloomsbury
WINNER Book of the Year - Fiction: Début
Menopausing
Davina McCall, with Dr Naomi Potter
HQ
WINNER Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Lifestyle
Super-Infinite
Katherine Rundell
Faber
WINNER Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Narrative
Gallery
Photos from The British Book Awards 2022
Credit: The British Book Awards and David Parry
For arrival photography, click here
Book of the Year - Crime and Thriller
Supported by Scala Radio Book Club
The popularity of cosy crime is reflected in this year’s shortlist, with no fewer than three bestselling titles positioned at the gentler end of the market. But there is also space for a locked-room mystery, a long-running detective series and an ingenious thriller, all backed with inventive marketing campaigns and huge sales.
Winner
The Twyford Code
Janice Hallett
Viper
The Twyford Code, Janice Hallett’s follow-up to her début The Appeal, was praised as “brave” and “bold” by our judges, with one dubbing it: “epistolary brainy crime”. Second books can be tricky, but Hallett smashed expectations when The Twyford Code outsold her début novel in hardback, audio and export. The judges were very impressed by Hallett’s skill in creating a mystery where the reader is invited to solve the crime alongside the characters, testifying to her growing strength as a writer. The striking cover included 33 clues within the fish’s scales and eyes and Viper’s “canny” marketing positioned Hallett as a the “queen of cosy crime” and capitalised on the love for her début. It is a “really wonderful success story”, commented one judge.
The Shortlist
Bamburgh
LJ Ross
Dark Skies Publishing
Bamburgh shot to the top of the Amazon UK Kindle chart when listed, with over 29,000 pre-orders. That’s a remarkable number for the 19th book in L J Ross’ DCI Ryan Mystery series—the second-bestselling book series of all time on Amazon UK—and attests to the importance of online sales for Dark Skies Publishing, the list founded by Ross in 2019 to publish physical copies too.
Murder Before Evensong
Reverend Richard Coles
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
The first novel in the Canon Clement Mystery series sold over 80,000 copies through Nielsen BookScan and spent five weeks atop the bestseller chart. It was the second-biggest novel for Orion in 2022. Five special editions were produced by W&N, including two Christmas editions, and Rev Richard Coles visited over 50 bookshops as part of a tour.
The Bullet That Missed
Richard Osman
Viking
Viking pulled together a crack in-house team for The Bullet That Missed. The third in a record-breaking series benefited from bespoke campaigns for publication week, Black Friday and Christmas, anchored with Richard Osman appearing on numerous big TV shows.
The Paris Apartment
Lucy Foley
HarperCollins
With Lucy Foley’s third lockedroom thriller, HarperFiction sought to establish her as the biggest emerging brand in the market. The innovative marketing campaign was tailored precisely to the story of The Paris Apartment, with a creepy Airbnb-style ad on The Bookseller website, a first for a cover reveal, and a sampler giveaway outside St Pancras’ Eurostar terminal.
The Twyford Code
Janice Hallett
Viper
After the huge success of her début The Appeal, with The Twyford Code Viper needed to cement Janice Hallett’s reputation as the queen of cosy crime. It commissioned an illustrator and made mock-ups of Six on Goldtop Hill (the children’s novel featured in The Twyford Code) which were hidden and discovered by bloggers, creating a social media moment.
Wrong Place Wrong Time
Gillian McAllister
Penguin Michael Joseph
Gillian McAllister’s previous six thrillers were all top-10 bestsellers, and in 2022 Penguin Michael Joseph moved her into hardback. The pre-order campaign for Wrong Place Wrong Time kicked off with a cover reveal that was amplified by more than 100 of the author’s “superfan” bloggers and viewed 85,000 times. The book hit fourth in the charts.
Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Lifestyle & Illustrated
With subjects from climate change to the menopause, mental health to endangered animals and a groundbreaking history of art, this year’s Lifestyle shortlist is broad in scope—but what these six books have in common is eye-catching design and significant sales.
The Winner
Menopausing
Davina McCall with Dr Naomi Potter
HQ
This inclusive guide to the menopause, written by Davina McCall with Dr Naomi Potter, spent 14 weeks in the Sunday Times top 10, hit the top spot three times overall and is now the bestselling menopause book ever. Our judges were very impressed both by the book itself and HQ’s “evangelical” approach to ensuring it reached the widest possible readership. “There is such a need for this book and the conversations it has started”, agreed the judges. Menopausing stands at the “vanguard” of a movement campaigning to break taboos around women’s health by talking about menopause “in a really positive way”. “A movement is something everyone is involved in,” said one judge, “and the beauty of this book is that people are picking it up who aren’t directly affected by menopause”.
The Shortlist
Menopausing
Davina McCall with Dr Naomi Potter
HQ
Menopausing spent 14 weeks in the Sunday Times top 10 and hit the number one spot three times overall, making it the UK’s bestselling menopause book ever. HQ worked hard to ensure the book was fully inclusive and effectively utilised Davina McCall’s star power to ensure Menopausing was unmissable: It even featured as a question on “The Weakest Link”.
One
Jamie Oliver
Penguin Michael Joseph
Jamie Oliver’s dominance of the cookbook market continued with One, the bestselling non-fiction title of 2022. Penguin Michael Joseph has been publishing Oliver for 20 years and keeping an author at the forefront of the market for so long requires strategic planning and creativity. For the first time, the chef’s picture does not appear on the cover; instead the food is the focus.
The Climate Book
Greta Thunberg
Allen Lane
Allen Lane’s cover of The Climate Book reproduced Ed Hawkins’ Warming Stripes graphic; each stripe represents the average global temperature for a year, from 1643 to 2021. Eye-catching and intended to shock, it encapsulated the book’s ethos: an authoritative guide to understanding climate change. The activist author made a pre-publication appearance at Glastonbury.
The Golden Mole
Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Talya Baldwin
Faber
Katherine Rundell appears twice on this year’s Book of the Year shortlists; here with a gorgeously produced tome that inspired readers to do more for the endangered animals with whom we share a planet. Faber produced two high-spec editions pitched as a Christmas gift and, to highlight the environmental message of the book, all point-of-sale was recyclable or biodegradable.
The Story of Art without Men
Katy Hessel
Hutchinson Heinemann
Katy Hessel’s pioneering exploration of women artists from the past 500 years featured over 300 images, yet was still at the affordable end of full-colour publishing. Thus Hutchinson Heinemann successfully broke what could have remained a specialist art title into the mainstream; sales skyrocketed when it won Waterstones Book of the Year.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Dr Julie Smith
Penguin Michael Joseph
With 4.2 million followers on TikTok, psychologist Dr Julie Smith had a younger online audience, but Penguin Michael Joseph shaped a self-help book which would appeal across the generations. All retailers, including the major supermarkets, came on board. The book became the second-bestselling non-fiction title of 2022, spending a total of 23 weeks at number one.
Book of the Year - Non-Fiction: Narrative
Supported by The Big Issue
Powerful personal stories dominate this year’s Narrative shortlist, with a moving account of brotherly love, a memoir of fame and addiction, and one man’s incredible life story. Add to this an award-winning literary biography and a comic tale of parenting travails, and the judges have a tricky decision to make.
Winner
Super-Infinite
Katherine Rundell
Faber
Katherine Rundell has “Donne” it again. Her Baillie Gifford Prize-winning awed the judges with its style, content and readability. Several of our judges admitted that, prior to reading Rundell’s book, they had no interest at all John Donne’s life but the author “absolutely smashed it” in this “completely riveting”, “phenomenally written” and “marvellous” book which has reinvigor- ated the category of literary biography. Super-Infinite was “very well published”, with the elegant cover design and Faber’s work with indie booksellers highlighted as striking elements of the campaign. Overall, Super-Infinite was praised as “one of the best cradle-to-grave biographies” the judges had read. One judge described Rundell, also a bestselling children’s author, as a “Renaissance woman”. “It’s an absolute classic,” they agreed.
The Shortlist
A Visible Man
Edward Enninful
Bloomsbury Publishing
Edward Enninful’s extraordinary life story, from asylum seeker in 1990s London to “setting the cultural agenda” as the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue. Bloomsbury’s publicity campaign, including a 2,000-strong event at the Royal Festival Hall, led to 25 interviews and 27 news stories in its first week on sale; the book hit fourth in the charts.
brother. do. you. love. me.
Manni Coe & Reuben Coe
Little Toller Books
Manni Coe and his brother undertook a six-week tour in a camper van, which served as a safe space for Reuben while away from his care home. Over 16 scheduled events they met carers, nurses, families and adults with learning disabilities, and Dorset indie Little Toller Books sold out the first print run of 5,000 copies in less than a fortnight.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir
Matthew Perry
Headline
No ordinary celebrity memoir, this moved beyond Matthew Perry’s day job on the set of “Friends” to reveal a life lived in the grip of addiction. With the actor focused on the US for publicity, Headline concentrated on marketing a “Perry Christmas” campaign, which included a two-week radio ad campaign with Magic FM, reaching 1.5 million listeners.
Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries
Alan Rickman
Canongate Books
Canongate acquired Madly, Deeply at auction: 27 volumes of hand-written diaries and the task of editing some two million words down to an entertaining single volume. Publication was marked by a BFI Southbank event with guests including Emma Thompson and Ian McKellen. Three days of features ran in the Guardian and the Observer.
Super-Infinite
Katherine Rundell
Faber
Faber set out to establish Katherine Rundell as an adult non-fiction “heavyweight” with Super-Infinite, an “exhilarating” new take on the literary biography—and winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2022. Indie booksellers were identified as key champions and offered an exclusive pamphlet of love poetry by John Donne (the title’s subject), curated and signed by Rundell.
Tired and Tested: The Wild Ride into Parenthood
Sophie McCartney
HarperNorth
A “wild ride into parenthood” from Liverpool-born comedian Sophie McCartney, who has a huge online following, was acquired by HarperNorth at its biggest auction to date. It targeted the author’s existing fanbase with competitions, signed extras and personalised messages, putting connection at the heart of the campaign.
Book of the Year - Pageturner
Supported by TikTok
The Pageturner award celebrates bestselling books hailing from all genres and formats. All the shortlisted books have cut through in a competitive market, delivering everything from a comforting read to pacy thrillers and a love story through the ages, with impressive sales and retail engagement.
Winner
Verity
Colleen Hoover
Sphere
Colleen Hoover’s first suspense title triumphed this year with our judges agreeing Verity was a “true page-turner” and one judge stating: “This is one of the most gripping books I’ve ever read”. Already an established name in romance, thanks to a huge and vocal fanbase on TikTok, Sphere took the opportunity to launch a new strand to her career. The “excellent” marketing campaign highlighted Hoover’s brand and the book’s TikTok buzz with posters, bookmarks and chapter samplers for Waterstones and indie bookshops.
A TikTok challenge engaged both BookTokkers and life- style influencers to post about Verity. “This book was everywhere”, agreed our judges, resulting in sales of more than 430,000 copies according to BookScan, making it is the third-bestselling paperback of 2022.
The Shortlist
How to Kill Your Family
Bella Mackie
Borough Press
Bella Mackie’s début enjoyed success in hardback and the paperback was no different. The Borough Press released an exclusive Waterstones pre-order edition of How to Kill Your Family with a “sinister” cover and personalised postcards in the run-up to Christmas. Outreach featured London Underground and National Rail advertising.
Sunday's Child
Dilly Court
HarperFiction
Six years of publishing the “nation’s favourite saga writer” came to fruition with Sunday’s Child, the fourth instalment in the Rockwood Chronicles, which clinched Dilly Court’s first overall UK number one, a new career high after 40-plus books. HarperFiction secured a partnership with Tesco as a core retailer and built a first Book of the Month promotion for Court with The Works.
The Island of Missing Trees
Elif Shafak
Viking
Elif Shafak’s most commercially successful novel yet, this tale of love and legacy in Cyprus, 1974, is written from the perspective of a fig tree. The narratorial risk paid off: the Viking team worked hard to position Shafak beyond the literary fiction genre, with the novel garnering widespread prize recognition, and it was a “Between the Covers” pick.
The Keeper of Stories
Sally Page
One More Chapter
Sally Page’s début, about a cleaner who will tell any story but her own, was supported by an award-winning marketing campaign by One More Chapter which propelled The Keeper of Stories to success in all formats. For the first time, the publisher created a limited run of gold-foiled proofs to drive pre-publication buzz, while a digital read-along generated a third of the book’s pre-orders.
The Summer That Changed Us
Cathy Bramley
Orion Fiction
A Sunday Times bestseller, The Summer That Changed Us was Cathy Bramley’s biggest paperback yet. Her beach-set read, following three women who slowly become friends, was backed by an ambitious three-year planning session from Orion Fiction, resulting in a new cover design and placement in all the major supermarkets for the first time.
Verity
Colleen Hoover
Sphere
Dubbed the “queen of BookTok”, Colleen Hoover’s only suspense title to date reached epic heights in 2022. An arresting cover featuring original artwork, on a novel about a writer who uncovers a horrifying secret about the wife of her employer, was a winning combination for Sphere. Verity was the third-bestselling paperback of 2022—and Hachette’s top seller.
Marketing Strategy of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Nielsen BookData
After months of online-only work during Covid-19, marketing teams were back out in the real world in 2022. These eight campaigns combined brilliant work alongside bookshops and other partners with engaging activity across TikTok, Instagram and other digital platforms. From the world’s biggest names to little-known début writers, they created some of the year’s most memorable publishing moments. Creating bestsellers remains an inexact science, but these strategies were undoubtedly instrumental in the success.
Winner
Vicky Palmer and Lilly Cox
Lessons in Chemistry
Transworld
Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry was hard to avoid in bookshops in 2022. For that, much of the credit must go to Transworld’s energetic, innovative and sustained marketing work, led by Vicky Palmer and Lilly Cox.
Like many hyped hardback débuts acquired after a big auction, Lessons in Chemistry could easily have underwhelmed. But it ended 2022 with 400,000 UK sales in all formats and 35 weeks in The Bookseller’s Original Fiction top 10, plus an armful of awards and “book of the year” picks. The marketing built an immersive world around central character Elizabeth Zott that brought the story exuberantly to life. In-house collaboration on design, p.o.s. and publicity was outstanding and there were great partnerships with retailers—especially Waterstones—on a range of special editions and merchandise, plus well-curated brand partners. Online engagement combined sharply targeted paid advertising, lively social media and broadcasts—like a brownie cook-along. The marketing team earned steady increases in budgets as they unleashed the full potential of the book.
Judges thought the marketing was “brilliantly original and eye-catching”, making Lessons in Chemistry “the book that consumers did not know they wanted to buy.” They also admired the way it rolled on relentlessly throughout the end of the year, with a final burst at Christmas that has teed up a blockbuster paperback for 2023.
“Delivering a début author to this level of success is testament to a creative, strategic and impassioned campaign across the full marketing mix,” they said. “They built a whole world around the book with a really creative use of assets and merch working harmoniously with each other. Everything came together brilliantly and the sales are unbelievable for a début.”
The Shortlist
Hannah Marshall
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Faber
The campaign for Akwaeke Emezi’s You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty was Faber’s first foray into the romance genre. Steered by Hannah Marshall, it deftly repositioned an author with a modest sales record and made great use of bright visuals, Instagram, influencers and a spectacular launch event, propelling the book into the bestseller lists on release.
Kristina Hill & Beth McWilliams
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books
A Netflix adaptation took Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper sales into the stratosphere, but Hachette’s 2022 marketing campaign, led by Kristina Hill and Beth McWilliams, ensured the momentum continued. They broke the books out of their genre, converted TV viewers into book buyers and provided excellent support for retailers and schools.
Sarah Shea, Abbie Salter & Olivia French
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
The Borough Press
The Borough Press marketing trio of Sarah Shea, Abbie Salter and Olivia French were key players in making Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family the fifth-biggest selling book of 2022 in the UK. Bookshop support and digital advertising created the initial wave of sales, but most impressive was the way the team sustained interest through to the end of the year.
Dawn Burnett
Menopausing by Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter
HQ
HQ’s campaign for Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter’s Menopausing, led by Dawn Burnett, helped create one of the most talked-about titles of the year. Pitching it as not merely a book but a movement, it was a meticulously researched and brilliantly executed campaign that struck the right tone at every stage. TCM sales of the title are now well into six figures.
Celeste Ward-Best & Emily Moran
Love Marriage by Monica Ali
Virago
The campaign for Love Marriage, led by Celeste Ward-Best and Emily Moran, ensured Monica Ali returned to publishing after 10 years with a bang, bringing her from the literary market to the commercial mainstream. Stunning visual assets, proof drops and digital promotions helped to build the buzz, especially through independent bookshops and Waterstones.
Sarah Jeffcoate & Genevieve Barratt
It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
Simon & Schuster
After a phenomenal couple of years for Colleen Hoover, It Starts with Us was a shoo-in bestseller, but Sarah Jeffcoate and Genevieve Barratt’s campaign for Simon & Schuster helped take sales far beyond the BookTok core. Build-up, socials and a tailored rather than blanket approach to retailer marketing helped to achieve 120,000 sales in the first week alone.
Vicky Palmer & Lilly Cox
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Doubleday
Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry was the hardback début hit of the year, with Transworld’s UK sales in all formats now past 400,000. The marketing campaign by Vicky Palmer and Lilly Cox made light of a small budget, low author profile and tricky categorisation to smash expectations. Design, retailer engagement, launch and pre-Christmas work were all exceptional.
Annie Moore, Rose Poole & Amelia Fairney
The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
Viking
The campaign for Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry by the Viking team of Annie Moore, Rose Poole and Amelia Fairney brilliantly extended Obama’s brand into personal development. They overcame tight turnarounds and little author time with innovative activity, including a Self-care Sunday event and outdoor light projections, plus excellent audio and socials work.
Children's Bookseller of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Macmillan Children’s Books
Nowhere has the end of Covid-19 restrictions been more joyfully received than in children’s bookselling. The return to the real world of author events, storytelling, book clubs, workshops and more has been a reminder of the special role of bookshops in families’ lives. Through their community outreach, their championing of diverse voices and their efforts to engage all children in reading for pleasure, the impact of these eight retailers goes far beyond their stores and sales.
The Winner
Round Table / Waterstones
With judges unable to separate the top contenders, this award is shared between the UK’s biggest high street children’s bookseller and a dynamic indie in London.
Waterstones, a winner for the first time since 2019, is recognised for the rejuvenation of its children’s bookselling. It took a good share of the year’s biggest children’s books and has jumped on the TikTok phenomenon, including through a BookTokFest. But it was work with new voices that most caught the eye, which was boosted by its Children’s Laureate, Book Prize and Book of the Month and Year initiatives.
They all make an enormous difference, not just to children and Waterstones’ own performance but to authors and publishers. “If anyone doubted the importance of Waterstones to the children’s book market, the reopening of the high street in 2022 proved them wrong,” said one publishing 29 sales director. “Their all-round performance was fantastic,” agreed the judges. “They break books in a way no one else does.”
Round Table Books, the Brixton-based community interest company founded by children’s publisher Knights Of, is only four years old but has already done a huge amount to diversify children’s books by race, sex, disability and more. It took the bold decision to move location in 2022 to be closer to its community and was rewarded by a substantial increase in sales—though the shop has always been about much more than commercial results. Outreach included school events, a festival with Spread the Word and a pay-it-forward bookshelf to gift books to under- privileged children.
“Round Table Books is a truly amazing business with incredible passion and commitment,” said the judges. “They have set their mind on what they wanted to achieve—and they have done it.”
The Shortlist
Bookbugs & Dragon Tales
Norwich
With just three full years of trading, two of them blighted by Covid-19, Norwich indie Bookbugs & Dragon Tales is the youngest bookseller on this list. In September, as expenses mounted, it launched a crowdfunding campaign and received an unlikely donation from Hollywood star Russell Crowe, leading to a spike in sales and media coverage.
Books2Door
Online
Online retailer Books2Door, also shortlisted for the Book Retailer of the Year award, has doubled its sales in the past two years, having attracted thousands of new shoppers during Covid-19 lockdowns. Its high-discount box-sets have been attractive options as the cost-of-living crisis mounts, and online marketing, including great leverage of TikTok, is a core strength.
The Children's Bookshop
Muswell Hill, London
This Muswell Hill institution is the oldest-running children’s bookshop in the country and will turn 50 year in 2024. It will do so in great shape, with close ties with customers, schools, authors and publishers alike. Highlights in 2022 included events with children’s publishing A-listers including Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen and Cressida Cowell.
Halfway up the Stairs
Greystones
This children’s bookshop is a big part of cultural and family life in Greystones in Ireland and, thanks to growing school orders and subscriptions, beyond the town as well. It ran online book salons as well as several dozen in-person events, and gave a warm welcome to Ukrainian refugees in the region. Window displays are a particular strength of the team.
Round Table Books
Brixton, London
Round Table Books, a Brixton-based community interest company founded by children’s publisher Knights Of, appears on this shortlist for the first time. It moved premises in 2022 to get closer to its community and nearly doubled its sales. Events and partnerships across London supported its efforts to champion books that represent a full diversity of children’s experiences.
The Book Nook
Hove
A three-time Nibbies winner, The Book Nook in Hove reached its teenage years in 2022. There was double digit trading growth and a big boost in sales to schools. The Book Nook’s energetic team also stepped up their newsletters and social media and did a lot of valuable work to support underprivileged local families and refugee children in the area.
The Edinburgh Bookshop
Edinburgh
Remarkably, this Edinburgh indie is shortlisted for a 10th consecutive year—testament to its tireless work for local children and families. It packs an array of author events, clubs and storytelling sessions into just 450 square feet of welcoming and inclusive shop space, and had its biggest ever schools and festivals programmes in 2022.
Waterstones
UK
Waterstones continued the revitalisation of its children’s offer. A new BookTokFest helped it capitalise on the TikTok phenomenon, while A F Steadman’s Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, its Children’s Book of the Year, was a standout performer. “They are unique as booksellers in their ability to shake up the market and make authors’ dreams come true,” said one publisher.
Children's Publisher of the Year
Children’s publishing flourished during the pandemic, and it carried the momentum through 2022 with strong sales growth in categories from picture books to Young Adult fiction— and everything in between. This shortlist is notable for the dominance of independents and the success of publishers’ old as well as new books in 2022—thanks in large part, of course, to the TikTok phenomenon. All eight publishers made more good progress on the twin urgent issues of diversity and sustainability, too.
Winner
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books
After being shortlisted in each of the last two years, Simon & Schuster stepped up to the next level in 2022. It completes an exceptional one-two for the business, which is also the overall Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards.
S&S’ children’s division had a best-ever year of sales and profits, increasing its TCM turnover by a fifth—and by more than half since 2019. Picture books, fiction and audio were all in substantial double-digit growth, and international exports, rights and co-editions hit record highs. While brands like Supertato and Ben Miller were strong, the undoubted highlight was A F Steadman’s Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year and the top children’s début fiction title.
The year also saw S&S look outside its own business for ways to diversify its output and staffing, including via the Pathways Into Children’s Publishing programme. More than a quarter of its books—and a third of new acquisitions—came from underrepresented authors and illustrators. There was some excellent outreach and charitable work too, with BookTrust, libraries and Save the Children, among others, plus progress on sustainability initiatives.
Authors, illustrators, agents and booksellers admire the creativity and passion of the S&S team under managing director Rachel Denwood (pictured) and the distinctive personality of their list, which is backed up by superb design and energetic marketing and publicity. “They are not afraid to be bold and different—they are creating trends instead of following them,” one agent said. “Simon & Schuster is doing really great things in children’s books,” the judges added. “It was a strong performance right across the board... and the inclusion work is holistic and wide-ranging.”
The Shortlist
David Fickling Books
David Fickling’s eponymous publisher is shortlisted for this award for the first time. It secured by far the highest Total Consumer Market sales in its nine-year history, following the success of Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey series,which is reinvigorating the comic book genre. With Tyger by S F Said, David Fickling Books showed its eye for quality children’s fiction.
Farshore
It has been two years since Egmont rebranded as Farshore, but it seems as though it has been part of HarperCollins forever. The division grew by almost a fifth in a year in which the rest of the children’s market was largely flat. TikTok-powered Holly Jackson was the superstar, as was theYoung Adult imprint Electric Monkey, while its audio output stepped up a gear.
Hachette Children's Group
Hachette’s children’s lists combined to deliver a bestever year of sales in the TCM. Alice Oseman was the undisputed champion, with her four Heartstopper books all making the all-titles top 50 after a Netflix adaptation. Beyond that there was consistent success across the genres plus several big awards, including The YA Book Prize.
Nosy Crow
A two-time winner in this category, Nosy Crow continued its relentless growth in 2022 with another record year. It came from right across the age groups and formats, rather than from brand licences or TikTok bestsellers, and well over half of all sales are now derived from beyond the UK. The year also saw Nosy Crow take big steps forward on diversity and sustainability.
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
The 2022 Publisher of the Year had its best ever year in the children’s market, with TCM sales up by 50% from pre- Covid-19 levels. Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A F Steadman and Adam Silvera had a lot to do with that success, and exports, rights and audio sales all rose sharply too.
Sweet Cherry Publishing
Leicester-based Sweet Cherry, the 2021 Small Press of the Year, shows there is a lot of life in children’s publishing beyond London, and it worked hard in 2022 to reach young people who may not otherwise access
books. Licensed series such as Numberblocks remain its core, and there were partnerships with local schools, libraries, council services and charities.
Usborne
Usborne is 50 years young in 2023, and the consistency of its success is such that it has been shortlisted in 12 of this award’s 13 years. Even by its very high standards, 2022 was a standout, with TCM sales rising 4% to put it in the top 10 of all UK publishers by that metric. In-house titles from editorial director Fiona Watt and her team led the way yet again.
Wonderbly
Personalised kids’ publisher Wonderbly had another record year, despite weaknesses in consumer spending in its core gift market. Its end-to-end ownership of publishing, from content creation to direct fulfilment, gives it unique agility in the market. Growth in 2022 was strongest in the US, while new Your Big Brother / Sister titles became its fastest selling series yet.
Publicity Campaign of the Year
Supported by the Publishers’ Publicity Circle
The eight superb campaigns on this shortlist are already winners at the Publishers’ Publicity Circle’s annual awards, and now compete for the flagship title. They all displayed exceptional creativity, tenacity and in house teamwork to secure a huge volume of exposure via the media, events and bookshops, while taking good = care of their grateful authors. The passion of these publicists put the eight books at the heart of culture, children’s entertainment and some of 2022’s most important conversations.
Winner
Alison Barrow
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Transworld
The eight campaigns on this shortlist were all winners at the Publishers’ Publicity Circle’s annual awards. Alongside the title of Marketing Strategy of the Year, the award for Publicity Campaign of the Year completes a remarkable double for the most visible début of 2022, Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry.
It is also a second British Book Award in six years for Transworld’s Alison Barrow, following success for her work on The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. There were hallmarks of that publicity strategy in her campaign for Lessons in Chemistry, which began at the point of acquisition and has not abated since. It was clearly a passion project with endless creativity and innovation, first building a word-of-mouth buzz and an army of advocates, then achieving an exceptional level of media interest. There were acres of magazine, review and supplement coverage and successful pitches to key TV/radio slots, including “Between the Covers”, “Open Book”, “Woman’s Hour” and several book clubs.
A book that initially seemed tricky to position went through 11 reprints and stayed in the best- seller lists all year. Particularly impressive were the ways Barrow pivoted publicity around the world of Elizabeth Zott and nurtured Garmus—an author who had never even been interviewed— through a daunting round of events, including dozens of festivals and bookshop signings. “This was a PR masterclass... it feels like it successfully shepherded a snowball down a really, really long mountain,” said the judges. “Lessons in Chemistry seems an obvious hit now, but it was not at all a given. Alison Barrow has made making a début a bestseller look and sound so much easier than it is. The campaign was tireless and got the absolute best from the author... it is really inspiring”.
The Shortlist
Etty Eastwood
The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel
Cornerstone
The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel was far from a nailed-on bestseller, but Etty Eastwood’s campaign broke it out of the art market into the mainstream. Her work got booksellers onside early, made excellent use of the author in dozens of events, and generated another wave of publicity after the title was named Waterstones Book of the Year at the end of 2022.
Susanna Peden
Babel: An Arcane History by R F Kuang
HarperFiction
In her campaign for Babel: An Arcane History, HarperFiction publicity manager Susanna Peden moved author R F Kuang from the fantasy niche to the literary mainstream. She made good use of TikTok to build word of mouth, organised an author tour and overcame media hesitation to get widespread reviews. BookScan sales are now well past 50,000 units.
Emily Marples
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
Bloomsbury Children's Books
Emily Marples’ campaign for As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh—the first YA novel by a Syrian to be published in the UK—deftly used pre-publication buzz, events and reading champions to generate word-ofmouth. “Her work exemplified ambition, authenticity, creative thinking and sensitivity,” said one testimonial.
Hayley Camis and Zoe Hood
Love Marriage by Monica Ali
Virago
Publicity for Monica Ali’s Love Marriage by the Virago duo successfully re-established a literary name after a 10-year hiatus. It secured several dozen national reviews and a tour of the festival circuit, while showing sensitive author care. Publicity sustained interest right through to the end of the year to tee up the paperback.
Virginia Woolstencroft
Murder Before Evensong by Reverend Richard Coles
Orion
With her campaign for Murder Before Evensong, Orion’s head of publicity slotted Richard Coles neatly into the “cosy crime” genre. She controlled media coverage very well and steered the book to the top of the hardback fiction chart, setting up Coles as more than a celebrity, a serious name in fiction and a big brand for the future.
Ciara Berry
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith
Penguin Michael Joseph
Ciara Berry’s publicity for Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? leveraged Dr Julie Smith’s social media profile to establish her as a household name in mental health. Some major national profiles broke Smith out beyond her TikTok following, but this has been a slow burner of a campaign that sustained sales through the year, passing 300,000 by the end of 2022.
Alison Barrow
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Transworld
Alison Barrow’s campaign for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus catapulted the book into the bestseller lists, where it stayed for much of 2022 after numerous reprints. It created a remarkable level of buzz for a début and cultivated numerous champions in bookselling circles—especially at Waterstones, which named Garmus as its Author of the Year.
Kirsten Cozens
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell
Walker Books
Kirsten Cozens showed great collaboration with Walker’s marketing team on her campaign for Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good, which has established Louie Stowell as a name to follow in middle-grade books. Mail-outs, engagement with booksellers, librarians and teachers, an exhaustive tour and a focus on children’s media helped to push TCM sales past 60,000 in 2022.
Editor of the Year
Proudly sponsored by YMU
For the second year in a row, every editor on this shortlist appears at the British Book Awards for the first time—testament to the depth of editorial talent in UK publishing. The all-female list spans children’s books, speculative fiction, romance, non-fiction and more, and showcases the ability of editors to balance passion, taste, commercial nous and author care. What they also have in common is the very high regard in which they are held by authors, agents and colleagues alike.
The Winner
Natasha Bardon
HarperVoyager
From work experience to publishing director, it has been an impressive rise through the ranks for Natasha Bardon—and it is no coincidence that her HarperVoyager list has also earned a British Book Award for Imprint of the Year.
Bardon led a dramatic rise in HarperVoyager’s sales in 2022, steering nine books into the Sunday Times’ top 10 lists and two to the pinnacle— including Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, the first fantasy number one from a trans author. Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire delivered the year’s top-selling fantasy hardback, and R F Kuang’s Babel was Blackwell’s Book of the Year. While diversifying the frontlist she did great branding work on HarperVoyager’s stable of brand names, including George R R Martin and Robin Hobb.
Bardon has taken on much more than the day-to-day running of the list. She has moved into YA publishing with the launch of Magpie Books, running in parallel with HarperVoyager with fantasy, sci-fi, speculative romance and horror. She has led the launch of a Locked Library subscription box and been instrumental in the development of a TikTok creator house, and has even found time to commission authors for other HarperCollins lists.
Bardon is a collaborative colleague and a support to other rising and aspiring publishers. She is clearly adored by authors: “Her creativity and leadership may appear effortless, but she is the most singularly dedicated in publishing I have ever worked with,” said one of them.
“She is energetic, great at spotting opportunities and achieving great results,” said the judges. “Babel was published beautifully and she has done impressive work reinvigorating the backlist while acquiring diverse new talent... She has helped bring a niche list to the mainstream.”
The Shortlist
Bella Pagan
Tor
Bella Pagan, publisher at Pan Macmillan’s Tor UK, has been at the heart of speculative fiction for 20 years. She more than doubled the imprint’s TCM sales in 2022 and audio, e-book and rights sales soared too. Four of her books, including two by Olivie Blake, hit The Bookseller’s bestseller lists, and she did more good work to diversify the sci-fi and fantasy author roster.
Eleanor Russell
Piatkus Constable Robinson
Little, Brown Book Group
Piatkus’ editorial director gave parent group Little, Brown a stellar 2022 in romance fiction. Her highlights included Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books and the Twisted series by Ana Huang, both of which shifted around a million copies last year. She has harnessed the power of TikTok in romance and established Piatkus as a go-to imprint for authors in the genre.
Jasmine Richards
Storymix
As founder and editorial director of kids’ fiction development studio Storymix—winner of the 2022 FutureBook Start-up Award—Jasmine Richards is a reminder of the value of editing in the packaged sector. Her concept development has helped publishers increase the characters of colour in their lists, and she has nurtured creatives from underrepresented backgrounds, too.
Molly Crawford
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster’s senior commissioning editor is the publisher steering megaselling author Colleen Hoover. While Hoover’s backlist landed at her feet, she plucked out another TikTok sensation in Elena Armas. With a good eye for books that have global as well as domestic appeal, she has also diversified the range of voices on S&S’ flourishing fiction list.
Natasha Bardon
HarperVoyager
HarperCollins Publishers
From intern to publisher, Natasha Bardon has moved rapidly up the HarperCollins ranks. She is the editor behind stars of the HarperVoyager sci-fi and fantasy list, including Jay Kristoff and Blackwell’s Book of the Year winner R F Kuang, and in 2022 she launched YA list Magpie Books. She is also the brains behind new subscription service The Locked Library.
Rachel Wade
Hachette Children's Group
As editorial director at Hachette Children’s Group’s fiction list, Rachel Wade is the engine behind the phenomenal success of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series. Her wideranging titles have ramped up Hachette’s illustrated sales and she is a superb collaborator with creators and colleagues. “A shining star who makes the editing process a joy,” said one author.
Shadi Doostdar
Rock the Boat
Oneworld Publications
Oneworld had its best ever year in 2022, thanks in large part to a doubling of sales at children’s imprint Rock the Boat. Under editorial director Shadi Doostdar and her small team, it has become a distinctive and diverse list, taking punts on books that larger publishers would not. Kathleen Glasgow’s TikTok-powered Girl in Pieces was the standout performer last year.
Susannah Otter
Blink
Bonnier Books UK
Blink’s publishing director had an impressive hit rate in 2022, with Tom Bower’s Revenge one of several Sunday Times bestsellers helmed by Susannah Otter. Work on that and posthumous memoirs by Tom Parker and Sarah Hughes showed her care. “Susannah’s commercial nous is unrivalled in non-fiction publishing and matched by her sensitivity,” said one agent.
Individual Bookseller of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Penguin Random House
Booksellers have had a lot to contend with over the past few years, and they happily embraced the return to normal bookselling in 2022. These eight professionals—seven of them from indie bookshops, and six nominated for the award for the first time—all impressed with their knowledge, service, collaborative approach and huge impact on their stores’ sales and reputations. Above all, they showed incredible passion for what is clearly not just a job ut a vocation.
Winner
Carolynn Bain
Afrori Books
Carolynn Bain’s remarkable work serves as a reminder of how bookselling is not just a commercial enterprise but a powerful force for social justice and good.
The founding of her Afrori Books shop in Brighton was motivated by the lack of representa- tion of people like her and her children in books in Britain, and fuelled by anger at the murder of George Floyd. After crowdfunding and opening the shop in the teeth of a pandemic, Bain has been a genuine pioneer of bookselling. Many great independent bookshops sit right at the heart of their communities, but few have been so sorely needed and welcome as Afrori. As one customer testimonial put it: “The first time I entered Afrori Books I nearly cried. At last, a whole bookshop—not a shelf hidden away—that embraces and celebrates Black authors.”
But Bain and her small team have created much more than a bookshop. Afrori is a safe space and a cultural hub for people to gather and buy books. An astonishing range of initia- tives has included a variety of book clubs and workshops, films and exhibitions with local cinemas and galleries, and a new Brighton Book Festival. Partnerships with charities, comm- unity groups and universities have led to more activities, and a pay-it-forward scheme opens access to books and events for refugees and others in need. There has even been a supper club to connect authors and readers.
The judges were humbled by Bain’s exceptional achievements. “Carolynn has done life-affirming and absolutely essential work,” they said. “She saw a situation and was not just a voice: she acted. She so clearly believes in how books can influence society... What she has achieved and continues to do just blows you away.”
The Shortlist
Aude Bolechala
Nomad Books
Nomad Books’ manager has turned around the flagging fortunes of her shop on London’s Fulham Road in recent years, and she helped it bounce back from Covid-19 by putting on nearly 100 events last year. She is a superb handseller of books and a knowledgeable children’s specialist, encouraging reluctant or hesitant younger readers in particular.
Carolynn Bain
Afrori Books
Carolynn Bain’s remarkable story grew out of a stark lack of books by and for Black people in Britain. She conceived and crowdfunded Brighton’s Afrori Books, which has become as much a cultural and community space as a bookshop, with clubs, festivals, exhibitions, films and more. “Carolynn has created an incredible space for positive representations… a rare gem,” said one customer.
Gráinne O'Brien
O'Mahony's Booksellers
As head of the children’s department at O’Mahony’s in Limerick, Ireland’s biggest indie bookshop, Gráinne O’Brien has been on a mission to inspire all young people to read for pleasure. She is a champion of local and underrepresented writing talent and her work has inspired a book of her own, A Limerick Fairytale, to be published by The O’Brien Press in May.
Helen Tamblyn-Saville
Wonderland Bookshop
The owner and manager of the Wonderland and Neverland Bookshops in Nottinghamshire is nominated in this category for the second year in a row. She has taken Wonderland from the edge of closure to a destination shop for families, and is an indefatigable crusader for children’s books. In 2022 she was a big champion of graphic novels in particular.
John Avery
Waterstones
Waterstones’ senior commercial expert John Avery shows the amount of thinking that goes into selling books. His planning of store layouts, sections, décor, lighting and more creates the environments for which the chain is renowned, and he raises the commercial nous of its teams in the south-west. “A joy to work with and a huge inspiration to others,” said one colleague.
Megan Rees
Book-ish
Manager at Crickhowell’s Book-ish, 2020’s Independent Bookshop of the Year, Megan Rees has cemented its renown for great service and events. She led the shop’s schools outreach, ramped up social media and led Publisher of the Month and other promos. “A consummate bookseller whose passion, commitment and enthusiasm is seemingly without limit,” said one author.
Nayya Raza
bookhaus
Despite joining with no bookselling experience, Nayya Raza was promoted to deputy manager at Bristol indie bookhaus within a few months. An enthusiastic curator of an inclusive children’s department and instrumental in building bookhaus’ reputation for radical bookselling and amplifying marginalised voices, she also hosts events and a political reading group.
Sophie Pitches
the bound
Sophie Pitches is one of the generation of booksellers who started out amid Covid-19 lockdowns. Since the end of restrictions she has helped put Whitley Bay’s the bound at the heart of its community, with great work on events, social media, window displays, Young Adult book clubs and more. As one testimonial said: “She throws herself into everything she does.”
Literary Agent of the Year
Proudly sponsored by The London Book Fair
This shortlist is notable for the impressive diversification of agenting in recent years. The efforts of both established and new agents to recruit and champion more people from underrepresented backgrounds and
communities have been vital steps towards proper representation in publishing. Beyond that, the eight agents on this all-female shortlist—six of them nominated for the first time—all gave outstanding service to their fortunate clients in 2022, balancing sensitive care with tenacious deal-making.
The Shortlist
Abi Fellows
The Good Literary Agency
Abi Fellows, senior agent at The Good Literary Agency, has been on the frontline of publishing’s efforts to be more inclusive. As well as striking good deals, she provides outstanding client care and helps authors find safe spaces in publishing. One author commented: “Abi’s dedication to promoting and representing marginalised writers is unparalleled in publishing.”
Amanda Harris
YMU Literary
Publisher turned agent Amanda Harris, global managing director at the YMU agency, had no fewer than 16 Sunday Times bestsellers in 2022, with an eclectic range of non-fiction names, from Ant Middleton to Davina McCall to the Hairy Bikers. She set up YMU’s New York office too, and founded the agency’s new diversity and inclusion internship programme.
Anwen Hooson
Bird Literary Agency
Anwen Hooson worked in comms and PR before setting up the Bird Literary Agency, and her experience has served her clients very well. In 2022 she brought Welsh-language writer Caryl Lewis into the mainstream and had other successes from Kirsty Capes and Jodie Lancet-Grant. While securing good deals, she always ensures her authors’ wellbeing comes first.
Claire Wilson
RCW Literary Agency
The head of RCW’s children’s department had a 2022 to remember, with the remarkable success of the UK’s sixthbiggest- selling author, Alice Oseman. Hannah Gold, Anna James and Katherine Rundell delivered more six-figure sales and awards. Wilson also found time to advocate on inclusivity, sustainability and copyright as vice-president of the Association of Authors’ Agents.
Ella Diamond Kahn
Diamond Kahn & Woods Literary Agency
The Diamond Kahn & Woods Literary Agency punches above its weight in the trade, and genre fiction authors
benefiting from its boutique approach have included Chris Lloyd, Sharon Gosling and Jayne Cowie. Diamond Kahn is also active on industry bodies including the Association of Authors’ Agents’ EDI working group and the Stationers’ Foundation.
Felicity Blunt
Curtis Brown Group
Curtis Brown’s Felicity Blunt was the steady hand behind some of 2022’s most talked-about fiction authors, including Waterstones Author of the Year Bonnie Garmus, multi-award-winning Claire Keegan and Gillian McAllister. Authors value her editorial flair, attention to detail and kindness, among many other qualities. “Felicity Blunt has changed my life,” said one.
Jane Graham Maw
Graham Maw Christie
Jane Graham Maw’s agency had one of its best ever years in 2022, with good deals and sales across areas of nonfiction, led by social media sensation Vex King (pictured). Just as impressive was her investment in people from communities poorly served by publishing. One publisher noted: “Jane is an incredible advocate for her authors and her passion is infectious.”
Laura Macdougall
United Agents
United Agents’ Laura Macdougall delivered deals for authors including Margot Douaihy—the first name signed to Gillian Flynn’s new imprint— and did good work for Jeremy Atherton Lin, Joelle Taylor, Sophie Ward and other LGBTQ+ writers. “She’s diligent, smart and supportive, approaching everything with professionalism and a much-needed dose of humour,” said one author.
Designer of the Year
Proudly sponsored by The Folio Society
In a competitive market where books have just seconds to capture the attention of browsers, designers’ work can make all the difference between success and failure. This British Book Award, now in its third year, celebrates the originality and success of creatives whose achievements in covers and marketing assets often goes unrecognised. These eight brilliant in-house and freelance designers—seven of whom have not been shortlisted before— display the breadth of talent at work in publishing design today.
Winner
Suzanne Dean
Vintage’s creative director Suzanne Dean has been behind some of the most iconic covers in publishing over more than two decades at Penguin Random House, and 2022 saw her at the very top of her game.
Dean’s highlights included a memorable, era-evoking cover for Ian McEwan’s Lessons and bright and powerful designs for newer voices like Megan Nolan and NoViolet Bulawayo. Her impact went way beyond the frontlist though, and she proved herself the best in the business at reimagining and reinvigorating the backlists of established literary heavyweights like Haruki Murakami, for whom she produced vivid and enticing Japanese-inspired designs. She also has a flair for series like Vintage Earth, where she combined distinctive and resonant artwork for each title, with the coherence of a collection.
As well as being an exceptional creative she is a superb collaborator with authors, editorial teams and external designers, typographers, illustrators and photographers. Correlating design and sales is tricky, but in Dean’s case there is no doubt that the visual impact and collectability of her work consistently pushes sales beyond expectations. As one top agent put it: “Readers buy the books because they love the author— but they also buy the books because they love the design.” Judges said her work showed emotion, depth and warmth, and balanced heritage with modernity, and commercial appeal with literary sensibilities. “If you were an author paired with Suzanne, you would be overjoyed,” said the judges. “She has a backlist of iconic cover after iconic cover, but with each new one she innovates and takes risks. She reaches into stories to bring them to life through design... it raises the bar for what book design can and should be.”
The Shortlist
Bekki Guyatt
Little, Brown Book Group
Little, Brown’s senior designer is a versatile creative across multiple genres. Her highlights in 2022 included a bright cover and marketing assets for Daisy Buchanan, and work for Rebecca Humphries’ Why Did You Stay? that balanced sensitivity and inspiration. One editor’s testimonial said: “She’s a fantastic translator from brief to visual… open and collaborative.”
Charlotte Abrams-Simpson
Orion
After time at PRH, S&S, Bonnier, Head of Zeus and HarperCollins, Abrams- Simpson is now art director at Orion. Her work there has been instrumental in strong sales of commercial fiction from authors including Veronica Henry and Anton du Beke. “Charlotte radiates passion and joy for her work,” says one Orion colleague.
Jasmine Aurora
Moonflower Publishing
Moonflower Publishing’s Jasmine Aurora shows how top-class design can set a new indie publisher apart. A published photographer and designer, she turns her hand to covers, typesetting, website and social media collateral and, yes, photography. She gives books a slick look that belies Moonflower’s modest resources, with finishes that make them covetable objects.
Jo Thomson
Fouth Estate & William Collins
As deputy art director at HarperCollins’ Fourth Estate and William Collins lists, Thomson has shown great commercial nous and a flair for débuts. Elizabeth Day’s Magpie, Coco Mellor’s Cleopatra & Frankenstein and the Collins Modern Classic series all showed how she swerves copycat design to craft fresh and memorable looks. “Jo created the cover of my dreams,” said one author.
Luke Bird
Freelance
Freelance Luke Bird is shortlisted for the second time. His wide range of work includes covers and interiors for numerous publishers and genres, from commercial fiction to cookery. He has a flair for visual hooks that convey the essence and appeal of novels—especially hard-to-pitch literary and translated ones, such as Hiroko Oyamada’s unexpected hit Weasels in the Attic.
Mark Ecob
Freelance
Through both his own Mecob studio and as associate art director at Unbound, Mark Ecob pushes design boundaries and departs from safe and obvious covers. Wide-ranging results in 2022 included arresting looks for Patrick McCabe’s Poguemahone and Daniel Konstantski’s The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks. He is a valued tutor and mentor to aspiring designers, too.
Nico Taylor
Little, Brown Book Group
The Little, Brown Book Group literary art director’s best work lately includes eye-catching covers for Monica Ali’s Love Marriage, Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House and Gayl Jones’ The Birdcatcher. He is also an active champion of his craft through outreach, including support and mentoring of students and interns to help make publishing design a more accessible field.
Suzanne Dean
Vintage
Vintage’s creative director has directed countless iconic covers in 22 years at PRH. Recent work includes refreshes of top literary names including Ian McEwan, Toni Morrison and Haruki Murakami, plus arresting covers for breakouts such as Megan Nolan. “Suzanne is an extraordinary designer who brings to life the whole sense and meaning of a book,” said one grateful agent.
The British Book Award for Export
Proudly sponsored by Times Publishing Group - Pansing
Despite the aftershocks of Covid-19, shipping issues, post-Brexit trading headaches and soaring costs, British publishers’ export sales boomed again in 2022. These eight teams all enjoyed getting back on the road after two years of on-off travel, and found creative ways to overcome the major logistical challenges and get their books to retailers and readers. Also conspicuous were their efforts throughout the year to reduce the carbon footprint of book exports, especially through more localised printing strategies.
Winner
HarperCollins
HarperCollins shrugged off all the supply, distribution and inflation issues of 2022 to scoop this award from a notably strong shortlist.
It follows double-digit sales growth from its energetic international team, who were back travelling the world after Covid lockdowns and put exports at the heart of everything HC acquires and sells.
Some of the team’s biggest exports came from bankable brands such as David Walliams, Jeffrey Archer and Minecraft, but there were plenty of new voices too, including Nita Prose and Coco Mellors, while other authors like Bella Mackie and R F Kuang moved to the next level. The latter rose through HarperVoyager, the 2023 Imprint of the Year and the source of an exceptional international year for HC in sci-fi, fantasy and horror fiction. TikTok powered several of its other big hits, including from Alice Oseman, Holly Jackson and Tahereh Mafi—a trio who accumulated export sales of more than two million copies between them in 2022, and capped a stellar year for Young Adult imprint Electric Monkey.
Region-wise, Europe was the standout, yet Asia and the Middle East were strong too. Wherever it sold, there was exceptional promotional work with booksellers—in stores, through online events and via a revamp of the HarperReach website for international customers. HC’s global outreach was further enhanced midway through last year when it acquired (and took over international sales for) illustrated list Pavilion Books.
The judges were impressed by the breadth of HC’s exports and the determination of its team to leave no stone unturned. “It is fantastic growth in all formats and in all territories... to boost sales by this level at such a large publisher is hard to do. The list, revenue, territory coverage, marketing and digital activity were all outstanding.”
The Shortlist
Atlantic Books
Under managing director Will Atkinson, Atlantic has been transformed from a struggling domestic publisher into a strong global one. It worked hard to tackle shipping delays and achieved particularly good growth in India and the Far East. Atlantic also breathed new life into various titles from its backlist, including solid sales for André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name.
Bloomsbury Publishing
The 2021 winner of this award thrived again last year, capitalising on the 25th anniversary of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series while breaking out new international authors such as Korea’s Baek Sehee and Syrian-Canadian Zoulfa Katouh. “The Bloomsbury team is the international standard for export sales,” said one partner.
Bonnier Books UK
Last year, Bonnier Books UK surged past £5m in export sales for the first time. Standout performers included the Hot Key Books children’s imprint, which harnessed the power of TikTok to drive Holly Black and E Lockhart into new territories. On the adult side, big-brand authors such as Wilbur Smith, Lynda La Plante and Tom Bower rolled on with solid returns.
Canongate Books
Canongate had another record-breaking year of global sales, which have doubled from pre-Covid-19 levels. Matt Haig dominated again and international e-book sales through Amazon and Apple rocketed. It capitalised on its independence to stay close to retailers, distributors and wholesalers. “Canongate is a wonderfully collaborative and proactive partner,” said one customer.
DK
DK was another publisher with a best ever year of export sales in 2022. Its huge range of non-fiction sold into around 140 countries, with impressive growth in mature European markets, and travel guides did particularly well as Covid-19 restrictions wound down. DK also dramatically increased its third-party distribution sales with US publisher Sourcebooks.
HarperCollins
Double-digit export sales growth at HC was fuelled by TikTok’s influence on the likes of Alice Oseman and Holly Jackson and imprints Electric Monkey and HarperVoyager. Big brands David Walliams, Jeffrey Archer and J R R Tolkien flourished and, like all good export departments, HC’s team was active elsewhere in the business, influencing acquisitions and marketing too.
Pan Macmillan
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold was Pan Macmillan’s top export title in 2022, shifting a quarter of a million copies. Other hits came from TikTok-powered authors including Dustin Thao and Casey McQuiston; from backlist stalwarts such s Rod Campbell; and from sci-fi imprint Tor. It added up to a ninth consecutive year of export growth for Pan Mac.
Simon & Schuster
The reigning British Book Awards Publisher of the Year rode the wave of its domestic success into global markets in 2022. Colleen Hoover’s It Starts With Us became the biggest open market edition in Simon & Schuster’s history, and its small export team of five also achieved six-figure sales on books from Taylor Jenkins Reid, Elena Armas and Adam Silvera.
Rights Professional of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Sharjah Book Authority
While publishers’ rights teams coped brilliantly with all the challenges of Covid-19, they were pleased to swap virtual meetings and book fairs with real-world ones in 2022. Not that everything was suddenly easier: high inflation, currency fluctuations, production and shipping issues and difficulties in some key markets all caused headaches. Rights pros overcame all this to deliver more record sales, and the eight nominees for this award—four individuals, two agency sellers and two teams—were the best of the best.
Winner
Richard King
Ten years on from launch, five years into life at Hachette, and two years after the arrival of Richard King, Bookouture evolved into a global force in 2022.
King’s behind-the-scenes work on transforming the way translation, film and TV rights are handled at Bookouture paid off handsomely, with a near trebling of sales. Several dozen deals, including for a film adaptation, were inked for Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, and among other standouts were Triona Walsh and Soraya Lane—who was so grateful that she dedicated her second book to King.
He also maintained the rights momentum of Bookouture’s brand authors who publish prolifically in series, like Angela Marsons. He squeezes the last drop out of the sizeable archive—a third of his deals in 2022 were for backlist books—and has become a key player in acquisitions and in-house intellectual property development too. While the value of deals at Bookouture don’t hit the heights of some rights pros, they show how relatively small contracts quickly add up to become a major source of income at a publisher.
King’s engagement with customers and scouts is excellent, including through lively newsletters, and he has a handselling-style approach to deals. “Richard has done an amazing job in repre- senting a dynamic, rich and very substantial rights list in a new way. He knows his markets really well and has the greatest patience and a sharp business sense,” said one partner.
The judges agreed. “Richard is an exceptional rights person who has driven and grown the Bookouture business with some serious deals... he has lifted the list to international signifi- cance. It is great to see the collaboration with authors and editors, and his commitment to his clients.”
Highly Commended
Alexandra Cliff
Rachel Mills Literary
The Shortlist
Alexandra Cliff
Rachel Mills Literary
Rachel Mills Literary rights director Alexandra Cliff has built a seven-figure international business in less than three years, and notched up several hundred deals in 2022, including dozens for Julie Smith’s Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? She has also created a substantial subagenting operation. “One of the most naturally gifted people in publishing,” said one partner.
Alice Latham
Atlantic Books
Atlantic Books’ rights director gave the independent publisher by far the biggest rights year in its history. As well as selling new titles, a large part of its success was down to Latham’s determination to squeeze the most out of translation opportunities in Atlantic’s backlist. Domestic serialisation deals and audio sub-licensing were other big growth areas.
Carine Delagrave
Magic Cat Publishing
Foreign rights director Carine Delagrave has been at the heart of children’s list Magic Cat Publishing’s remarkable start. Rights and co-edition sales—a key driver of the indie list—have reached around £4m in just three Covid-19-hit years and Magic Cat is already globally renowned for itsquality, creativity and excellent branding of its books and other content.
Jemma McDonagh
The Marsh Agency
The Marsh Agency’s Jemma McDonagh claimed a personal best year in rights, substantially increasing advances for her clients. Among the beneficiaries were Tess Gunty, Min Jin Lee and Julia Quinn. She was also active beyond her day job, helping to launch the cross-industry OpenBooks project to attract more people from underrepresented backgrounds into publishing.
Joséphine Seblon
Thames & Hudson
Thames & Hudson’s senior rights manager was an integral part of the illustrated publisher’s stellar year in international markets. She doubled her French-language deals and was very successful in her other core market of South Korea, while also helping to launch T&H’s Skittledog imprint globally. Seblon even found time to write her own children’s book, Mini Artists.
Richard King
Bookouture
Bookouture’s head of rights is shortlisted for the second consecutive year. He trebled the value of deals in his second year at Hachette, having transformed the way translation, film and TV rights are handled at the firm. He has capitalised on big Bookouture titles from Freida McFadden and Soraya Lane, and done great work with established brands such as Angela Marsons.
Simon & Schuster Rights Team
This collective nomination is recognition of a stunning year for S&S around the world. Its team of seven struck more than a thousand deals, and while adult fiction was the standout, children’s was very profitable too. Rights partners value its bespoke approach to deal-making. “They’re professional, efficient and passionate,” said one testimonial.
Usborne Rights Team
International sales have been integral to Usborne’s inexorable growth ever since it started 50 years ago. Its rights team of 10 scored double-digit increases in co-edition revenue in 2022 and the fiction list grew too. Long-term partnerships were key and Asia was a particularly hot market, but Usborne also found yet more new territories to sell into.
Academic, Educational and Professional Publisher of the Year
Proudly sponsored by The Publishers Association
It was another year of change and challenge in academic, educational and professional publishing in 2022. Budget pressures, Open Access and the after-shocks of Brexit and Covid-19 all kept publishers on their toes, but these six showed there is still plenty of money to be made in the sectors. The shortlist is dominated by independents, whose adaptability and responsiveness were key advantages in spotting and capitalising on opportunities in the UK and overseas.
Winner
Edinburgh University Press
This is the inaugural British Book Award for Edinburgh University Press, the academic stalwart which has been trading for over seven decades.
Several years of modernisation and digital investment culminated in 2022 with record sales, despite another year of policy and budgetary pressures across the academic sector and a post- Covid paring down of its publishing programme. Highlights included best-ever revenue from e-books following a new partnership with De Gruyter. Internationally, North America was the best-performing territory—the result of sustained efforts on local commissioning. In print, revenues bucked the general downward trend with stability. Beyond its academic communities, the press raised its profile in trade channels, with David Alston’s Slaves and Highlanders named Book of the Year at Scotland’s National Book Awards and becoming its biggest-selling title of 2022.
The British Book Awards judges liked EUP’s strong collaboration with publishing partners and institutions, its smart long-term investment in business systems and analytics, and the way it responded nimbly to fill gaps in its academic fields. “They consistently make sensible invest- ment and publishing decisions.”
The judges also admired EUP’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, including an overhaul of recruitment practices, a mentoring scheme and sessions on neurodiversity. It made strides on reducing its environmental impact by developing a Sustainability Plan and took excellent care of its teams and authors. “This was my best publishing experience ever—perfect from start to finish,” said one grateful academic.
Judges echoed the admiration of this long- standing but thoroughly modern academic publisher. “There is a clear and genuine commit- ment to its ethos and the wellbeing of its staff.”
The Shortlist
Bloomsbury Publishing
The 2021 winner of this award continued its relentless growth last year. It has been achieved not just via acquisitions—such as its purchase of ABC-Clio and Red Globe Press—but through further smart multi-media leverage of its vast content that has been well-suited to the new era of hybrid studying and working patterns. Bloomsbury’s academic and professional division now accounts for nearly a third of the company’s sales, and it has also been at the heart of the company’s efforts to diversify output.
Class Publishing
Independent publisher Class appears on this shortlist for the first time, after a best-ever year of sales and profits. The number of subscribers to its apps nearly doubled and its content—the firm specialises in pre-hospital resources for paramedics and other professionals—made further significant contributions to public health. Its family law publishing continued to flourish and it broadened into new areas too, including mental health. Its care of customers, authors and staff was exemplary.
Edinburgh University Press
Edinburgh was another university press marking record sales, despite trimming its publishing programme. Print revenues were resilient but e-books and journals had the strongest growth, especially in= North America, where local commissioning and partnerships with De Gruyter and Ingram hit their stride. Internally, its investment in systems, discoverability and analytics, plus new diversity and inclusivity, sustainability and staff wellbeing projects, helped to keep this 70-plusyear- old publisher right up to date.
Emerald Publishing
Standouts at the 2019 Academic, Educational & Professional Publisher of the Year included e-book collections, which have proved popular at a time of uncertain budgets for libraries. Emerald remains one of the country’s most socially conscious large publishers, including through its Are You In? initiative to promote equitable approaches to research; a new Emerald Submit scheme to quash barriers to publication; and the appointment of an inclusion lead. Sustainability was another core focus in 2022.
PG Online
PG Online flies the flag for the schools sector on this shortlist. Its resources for teachers and students pushed new boundaries in 2022—not least through the incorporation of augmented reality elements in its revision books, which won it several top industry awards. Despite having a full-time team of just five staffers, G Online estimates that its books reached three million students and saved teachers 50,000 evenings that would otherwise have been given over to lesson planning.
Princeton University Press
Princeton’s UK operation enjoyed a bounceback in exports and rights after the disruption of Covid-19, especially sales to Australia and India. Through accessible titles such as Jim Al-Khalili’s The Joy of Science, it had success through Blackwell’s and other non-academic trade channels, backed by excellent marketing. It also launched a new direct-to-consumer sales platform. By producing several titles in audio format, Princeton also showed that audiobooks need not be the preserve of trade publishing.
Independent Publisher of the Year
Proudly sponsored by Firsty Group - Glassboxx
Indie publishers may have been disproportionately affected by big challenges, including soaring costs and supply chain chaos, but what they lack in resources they more than compensate for in adaptability and agility. These eight came out of Covid-19 in better shape than ever and carried their momentum through 2022, producing some of the boldest and most critically acclaimed publishing of the year, all backed up by superb marketing and a can-do spirit. This shortlist will also include the winner of the Small Press of the Year.
The Winner
Oneworld
From an exceptionally strong shortlist, Oneworld wins the title of Independent Publisher of the Year for a second time.
Its first trophy came in 2016, the year it won the second of two consecutive Booker Prizes. That kind of recognition can unbalance a small publisher, but after several years of consolidation Oneworld moved up a gear in 2022, with zeitgeist-capturing literary publishing and best-ever sales and profits.
It was reward for bold new commissioning and loyalty to long-term authors, and a decision to publish fewer books better. Non-fiction standouts included William MacAskill’s What We Owe the Future and Peter App’s Show Me the Bodies, urgent books that won the Blackwell’s Non-Fiction Book of the Year and Orwell Prize respectively. Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch added the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, and with the launch of Magpie, a new imprint for titles with book-club appeal, Oneworld showed its ambition to make books like this commercial as well as critical hits.
The most impressive growth came from children’s and Young Adult list Rock the Boat, a contender for Imprint of the Year thanks to Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces, which sold a quarter of a million copies in 2022. Marketing was outstanding on both the kids’ and adult sides, especially via TikTok and other social media.
The British Book Awards judges hailed the passion and diversity of the publishing and the willingness to take a risk on books that other publishers would swerve. “Oneworld’s eye for publishing underrepresented authors for under-represented readers makes for an impressive list, published with bravura. It is publishing with a proper independent spirit and breaking out commercially... it is having a real moment.”
The Shortlist
Canongate
Canongate’s strategy of publishing fewer books better paid off in spades in 2022. Alan Rickman, Nick Cave, the evergreen Matt Haig and The Fire People anthology were among the standout successes while rights, exports and special sales excelled. There were 40 prize shortlist places and wins, including the Women’s Prize for Fiction for Ruth Ozeki’s The Book of Form and Emptiness.
Faber
Faber scored its highest ever Total Consumer Market sales and 12 Sunday Times bestsellers last year, led by fiction heavyweights Kazuo Ishiguro and Sally Rooney and the usual crop of prize nominations. Non-fiction, direct-to-consumer sales and the Faber Editions, Members and Academy brands were strong, and the Faber-led Independent Alliance had a record year.
Hardie Grant Publishing
Hardie Grant had several UK bestsellers in the illustrated sector, notably from the Quadrille cookery imprint, though its real strengths lie in its deep backlist and international markets. The books stand out for their high design and production values and it excelled in marketing and publicity, including through brand partnerships.
Harriman House
In 2022, business and finance specialist Harriman House had its best results in more than 20 years of publishing. There were several successful new releases but most of the growth came from the extensive back catalogue, especially Morgan Housel’s seven-figure seller The Psychology of Money. Income from rights, licensing and audiobooks all rose sharply as well.
Joffe Books
Joffe Books generated record revenue from around 300 new books in 2022, nearly half of which hit the Kindle Top 100—the result of outstanding data-driven digital marketing. It also acquired classic crime publisher Ostara and paired up with fellow indie publishers on digital rights. Authors are intensely loyal; “Joffe Books stand out from the crowd in every respect,” said one.
Nosy Crow
The 2020 winner—and twotime Children’s Publisher of the Year—had yet another stellar 12 months, and can now claim to be the UK’s sixth-biggest indie in TCM terms—not bad after just 12 years in business. It made substantial investments to secure more growth, including launching a US business and a move to new London digs. Sustainability was a key focus.
Oneworld
Oneworld’s record year was reward for sustained investment in diverse voices and bold acquisitions. There were important books from Will MacAskill, Peter App and Narges Mohammadi, while Tess Gunty won the Waterstones Début Fiction Prize. Yet Imprint of the Year contender Rock the Boat delivered its bestseller: Kathleen Glasgow’s Girl in Pieces.
The Folio Society
The Folio Society turned 75 last year, and its model of publishing beautifully crafted, exclusive editions is timeless. But this is also a very modern business, with excellent digital marketing and forward-thinking diversity and sustainability policies. Its books won a stack of design and production awards and it launched the Folio Book Illustration Awards to encourage new talent.
Imprint of the Year
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This shortlist highlights the value of distinctive, close-knit imprints in generating commercial and critical success. It is notable that only two of the nine appeared here last year, which shows how quickly the fortunes of imprints can change. While many venerable imprints endure, new ones can quickly establish themselves as well, and six of these names are just 10 years old or younger. Large and small, young and old, they shared many of the biggest books of 2022.
Winner
HarperVoyager
HarperCollins
After Gollancz’s triumph in 2021, HarperVoyager’s success is a second Imprint of the Year Award in three years for a science fiction and fantasy list. It is deserved reward for the work of this year’s Editor of the Year Natasha Bardon and publishing director Jane Johnson, who has been championing these genres for nearly 40 years.
Some of the stellar sales growth in 2022 came from established brand authors such as George R R Martin, but there were hits from début authors, including Sue Lynn Tan and Saara El-Arifi, and others hit the mainstream, including R F Kuang with Babel, which was named Blackwell’s Book of the Year.
Perhaps most impressive was the way the HarperVoyager team broadened the appeal of its publishing, especially to young female readers. It also led an overdue diversification of speculative fiction creators, signing more Black authors and publishing the first title by a UK trans author to top the Sunday Times bestseller lists, Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.
There were many more signs that HarperVoyager is expanding the horizons of its publishing. It created a subscription box called The Locked Library, teed up new Young Adult list Magpie Books, and launched a TikTok creator house—all firsts in the sci-fi and fantasy space. Dozens of special editions were part of efforts to get chain and indie booksellers on board. “Their dedication is singular, their creativity is boundless and their ability to innovate in an ever-changing market is extraordinary,” said one HarperVoyager author. “
It is great to see such an established list adapting and changing,” the judges added. “Even without George R R Martin, the growth figures are very strong... it is a lively list with an exciting future.”
The Shortlist
Blink Publishing
Bonnier Books UK
Since it started out in 2014, Bonnier’s Blink has evolved from a YouTuber-led imprint into a diverse, sustainable nonfiction list. Its team of just four lifted nearly half of their new titles into the bestseller lists, and Tom Bower’s Revenge was one of the most talked about books of 2022.
Bookouture
Hachette
Bookouture's 10th year was its best by a long chalk. While most publishers’ e-book sales fell, Bookouture bucked the trend with big brands Angela Marsons and Lisa Regan, and breakout hit The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. It also launched speculative fiction list Second Sky.
Doubleday
Transworld
It is well into its fourth decade, but Doubleday shows no signs of slowing. Renewed investment in fresh talent led to big sales for Waterstones’ Author of the Year Bonnie Garmus, while Kate Atkinson and John Boyne returned. The imprint generates huge loyalty from its authors.
Electric Monkey
Farshore
Farshore’s Young Adult list Electric Monkey was another imprint turning 10 in 2022. Holly Jackson delivered it three of the top 10 YA sellers of the year and BookTok also gave more momentum to Tahereh Mafi’s titles. Electric Monkey launched its own TikTok channel, too.
HarperVoyager
HarperCollins
HarperCollins’ imprint was at the heart of an exceptionally good year for SFF. It drove R F Kuang’s Babel into the literary mainstream and had acclaimed débuts from Sue Lynn Tan and Saara el-Arifi. HarperVoyager also launched YA list Magpie Books and subscription service The Locked Library.
HQ
HarperCollins
HarperCollins’ HQ imprint grew Total Consumer Market salesby nearly a third. Bestsellers were led by Davina McCall’s Menopausing, and it had hits from authors poached from rivals: Joe Wicks, Erica James and Carrie Hope Fletcher. “A nimble publisher with extraordinary passion,” said one agent.
Raven Books
Bloomsbury Publishing
Bloomsbury’s Raven Books enjoyed a 44% uplift in TCM sales, despite trimming its list to focus on just seven new hardbacks—including two of the year’s biggest débuts, Rosie Andrews’ The Leviathan and Katherine Faulkner’s Greenwich Park. “Classy, clever and cool,” said one agent.
Rock the Boat
Oneworld Publications
Oneworld’s kids’ imprint Rock the Boat punched way above its weight in 2022, doubling sales year on year. Much of that was down to TikTok sensation Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow, which topped 250,000 copies. Other hits came from Angeline Boulley and Xiran Jay Zhao.
Tor
Pan Macmillan
Under Bella Pagan, Pan Macmillan’s speculative fiction imprint more than doubled sales in 2022. It made bestsellers of two Olivie Blake books, broke new names including Travis Baldree and brought in more authors from backgrounds too long underrepresented in SFF.
Publisher of the Year
Proudly sponsored by International Literary Properties (ILP)
Last year opened with doubts about whether publishers could sustain the stellar sales of locked-down 2020 and 2021, especially as costs soared and supply problems intensified—but it ended with the best print performance in Nielsen BookScan’s (non-lockdown) history. These eight publishers had exceptional years across the board, though most notably in TikTok-driven Adult Fiction. After years of talk, they all took big steps towards making publishing more diverse and sustainable as well.
Winner
Simon & Schuster
After a stellar 2022, even by the high standards of the flourishing books market, Simon & Schuster wins this award for the second year a row.
Its sales through the TCM leapt by 21% in comparable terms to hit a record high. Much of the growth was generated by Colleen Hoover, who had the year’s biggest-selling title, It Ends With Us, and two more books in the top 15. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo added another top-15 hit to S&S’ ranks.
These and more bestsellers were powered by the TikTok phenomenon, from which S&S has benefitted more than anyone. But its 214 appearances on the Sunday Times bestseller lists in 2022 included a healthy crop of new titles from the frontlist—most notably Bob Mortimer’s The Satsuma Complex.
Export, rights and co-edition sales were all at best-ever levels. There was more double-digit growth across picture books and Young Adult, and it had the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year in A F Steadman’s Skandar and the Unicorn Thief—all of which earns Simon & Schuster the title of Children’s Publisher of the Year, too.
The business was to the fore on urgent industry issues, substantially diversifying its output and staffing, and taking big strides on sustainability. Care of team members, authors and retailers—especially indies—was exemplary. “Being published by S&S is the perfect combination of passion, ambition and kindness,” said one grateful author.
“In the last few years S&S has turned into something really special, and not just because of Colleen Hoover,” said the judges. “Its commitment and action around diversity and inclusivity is impressive... It is such a well-oiled machine and it has got so many books into people’s hands and minds.”
The Shortlist
Bloomsbury Publishing
Bloomsbury is shortlisted for the fifth time in six years, after a sharp rise in its revenue and share price. It launched two lists—Bloomsbury Tonic for wellbeing and Bloomsbury Poetry, which won the T S Eliot Prize with Anthony Joseph—and bucked e-book trends by growing sales. Its DEI work was among the best in the business.
DK
DK once again flew under the radar in the trade, rarely troubling the bestseller lists but recording its best ever year and adding more than 500 books to its vast archive. It took the biggest share of a number of non-fiction Total Consumer Market (TCM) categories such as gardening and cookery, while travel books bounced back from a Covid-19 slump and DK’s rights sales boomed.
HarperCollins
HarperCollins grew its TCM share and was powered by Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family, the fifth-biggest sellerof 2022—and a Pageturner Nibbies contender. HarperVoyager, HQ and Farshore, all in the running for Imprint of the Year, excelled and made genre publishing more mainstream. There were well over 100 Sunday Times top-10 places in all.
Headline Publishing Group
Headline had its biggest TCM sales for a decade, plus international and audio growth. It was down to a powerful fusion of literary stars such as Maggie O’Farrell, big brands including Jill Mansell and celebs, led by Matthew Perry. Bobby Palmer and Bolu Babalola were among many rising stars, while marketing and publicity were consistently excellent.
Little, Brown Book Group
Little, Brown was yet again a star performer for Hachette in 2022, with double-digit TCM growth. It delivered Hachette’s three biggest books—from Colleen Hoover, Robert Galbraith and Delia Owens— and 28 different Sunday Times bestsellers across six imprints, of which Orbit and Sphere were standouts. TikTok was pivotal in many more hits.
The Orion Publishing Group
Orion, winner of this award in 2021, turned 30 last year. It took five books to the top of the Sunday Times lists, led by Adam Kay’s Undoctored and Richard Coles’ Murder Before Evensong, while stalwart brands such as Ian Rankin and the Hairy Bikers delivered again. There were several good new initiatives on diversity and staff wellbeing.
Usborne
Usborne celebrates its 50th birthday in 2023 after yet more TCM growth for its huge catalogue. Editorial director Fiona Watt moved closer to the £100m milestone through the TCM, and the See Inside series thrived. Another highlight was a CBE for founder Peter Usborne, whose independence and values remain as strong today as they were on founding the list in 1973.
Simon and Schuster
The 2022 Publisher of the Year had another remarkable 12 months, with TCM sales up by a fifth to by far its highest point yet. It had three Colleen Hoover books in the overall chart’s top 15 and Taylor Jenkins Reid, Bob Mortimer, Elena Armas and Adam Silvera were among others to crest 100,000 units. S&S’ author, staff and retailer care were all excellent.
Book of the Shortlists
With 72 titles across 12 categories, this year’s shortlists are proof that publishing, writing and illustration all remain in excellent health.
British Books Awards 2023 - Live Video Stream
Watch the live stream of the 2023 Nibbies on Monday, 15 May 2023 from 7pm
