LBF international Book Industry awards 2014: Winners announced

The winners of The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards, in association with The Publishers Association, have been announced at a prestigious Awards ceremony held on the first day of The London Book Fair. The Awards provide recognition from the UK for the best companies and individuals from across the international publishing industry, as such UK companies are not eligible for the majority of categories.The line-up of winners was truly global with Belorussia, Pakistan, India, Denmark, Australia, Malaysia, the US and China all coming up trumps.

The US publishing industry led the pack with three winners including the University of Chicago Press in the Academic and Professional category, The Best Translated Book Award won in Literary Translation Initiatives category and Robert Kirkman who created Walking Dead won for the best use of IP. The evening saw a real coup for Fixi, the Malaysian publisher, who picked up The Bookseller International Adult Trade Publisher Award despite having set up only three years ago. They have gained a great reputation at breakneck speed including snapping up huge authors for their translation list.

Jacks Thomas, Director, The London Book Fair, said: “In the course of our preparation for The London Book Fair, my team and I are lucky enough to meet so many inspirational individuals and learn about fascinating initiatives from publishing companies around the world. So it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate the best international talent at our Awards. From new companies like Fixi in Malaysia to publishing stalwarts like renowned Danish agent, Anneli Høier, the winners tonight provide a fascinating showcase for international publishing.”

Richard Mollet, Chief Executive, The UK Publishers Association, said:
“The London Book Fair is the perfect location to celebrate the achievements of international publishing and the range of talent on display across the industry. Around the world, publishers are innovating and developing new ideas of how and what publishing could and will look like in the future and these awards are a great opportunity to demonstrate our success as an industry.”

Cortina Butler, Director Literature, British Council, said: “We are delighted that the winning organisations and individuals in this inaugural awards demonstrate the exciting creative entrepreneurship in today’s international publishing industry and the continuing impact of The London Book Fair Market Focus programme.”
The winners of the LBF International Book Industry Excellence Awards are:

· IPA Freedom to Publish Award : Ihar Lohvinau, Belarus
· Korea Market Focus Outstanding Contribution Award: Eric Yang Agency
· The Bookseller International Adult Trade Publisher Award: Fixi, Malaysia
· The Crossmedia Award for Best Use of IP: Robert Kirkman, Skybound, US
· The International Academic and Professional Publisher Award: University of Chicago Press, US
· The International Education Initiatives Award: Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Australia
· The International Educational Learning Resources Award: Penguin Australia
· The International Literary Agent Award: Anneli Høier, Leonhardt & Høier Literary Agency, Denmark
· The International Literary Translation Initiative Award: Best Translated Book Award, US
· The International Trade Children’s and Young Adult Publisher Award: Tara Books, India
· The UK Publishers Association Copyright Protection Award: Oxford University Press, Pakistan
· The Market Focus Achievement Award: Motilal Books of India
· The Publishers Weekly International Book Industry Technology Supplier Award: Publishing Technology, China
· The Publishing for Digital Minds Innovation Award: Bookmate (Russia)
· British Council International Digital Publishing Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Ricardo Almeida, president of Clube de Autores

The London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Deborah Rogers of Rogers, Coleridge and White.

The Awards which celebrate international excellence in the book industry, cover all aspects of the business of international publishing, including academic publishing, the supply chain, education, children’s publishing and digital innovation. A panel of UK judges, with international or discipline-specific expertise, have judged the individual award categories.

www.londonbookfair.co.uk