Exclusive Books and Open Book up for international awards

The shortlist for The London Book Fair International Excellence Awards 2017 has been announced and South Africa has a few nominees. The new and much touted Exclusive Books Hyde Park store has been shortlisted for the Bookstore of the year and is competing against old timer Shakespeare and Company in Paris, France and New Zealand’s Time Out Bookstore in Auckland for the title.
The awards, which are held in partnership with the UK Publishers Association celebrate excellence in sixteen categories, including international publishing, academic and scholarly publishing, children’s publishing, literary translation and digital innovation.
The second South African contester, in for the second year in a row, is the Open Book Festival run by SA Booksellers Association member The Book Lounge. Open Book is up against the Krakow festival in Poland and Brazillian festivals Flupp and FLIP (Festa Literaria Internacional de Paraty).
Jacks Thomas, Director, The London Book Fair, said how delighted he was with the global representation of the list, with all five continents represented. “The strength and breadth of the entrants on this list is impressive, and is a testament to the passion, commitment and creativity of all those involved in publishing, selling and bringing books to a wider audience.”
Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive, the Publishers Association, took the opportunity to mention the importance of diversity in publishing yet again. “We are especially delighted to see the introduction of the Inclusivity in Publishing award for publishers who are excelling in their efforts to improve inclusivity in the publishing supply chain,” he said.