Trevor Noah wins Booksellers Choice Award in SA

The Nielsen Booksellers Choice Award is bestowed upon a local author for a South African published book that booksellers most enjoyed selling or that sold so well that it made a difference to the bottom line of booksellers across the country.

The prize this year went to Trevor Noah for his book Born a Crime and other stories published by Pan Macmillan in South Africa. Noah was not present to receive the prize at the convivial awards evening on the 22 August, however his publishers were there, bursting with pride. Andrea Nattrass, Noah’s publisher at Pan Macmillan had arranged for Noah to record a short acceptance speech, which was shared with the audience at the awards. Noah thanked booksellers, publishers and the sponsors Nielsen Book for the award, along with his English teacher who inspired him to read.

Once a year the booksellers and publishers of South Africa gather at co-joined Annual General Meetings to discuss the industry at large.

“By bringing booksellers from around the country together annually to discuss matters pertinent to the business of bookselling, we are able to identify many concerns in the industry and work together towards solutions,” explains Guru Redhi, President of the SA Booksellers Association, which organizes the AGM with the Publishers’ Association of South Africa (PASA).

The AGM’s are designed so that while booksellers meet to discuss getting high quality South African books into the hands of book buyers, the Publishers are meeting to discuss the creation of these books just next door.

“The SA Booksellers Association strives toward working with PASA to encourage healthy trade relations recognising the respective roles within the book value chain, of the publishers as creators and wholesale distributors, and booksellers as the retailers of books,” says Redhi.

“The AGMS are co-located to encourage PASA and SABA members to have closer networking opportunities and share ideas. This process happens in formal and informal settings to foster deeper discussions on issues that affect the business operations of these two important stakeholders in the book value chain,” says Mpuka Radinku of PASA.

On the evening of the 22nd members of both associations congregate for the Sefika and Nielsen Booksellers Choice awards evening to celebrate the roles they all play in promoting literacy and a culture of reading by producing and selling quality books in South Africa.

The following booksellers were awarded:

• Academic bookseller of the year: Van Schaik Bookstore
• Education bookseller of the year: Adams Bookshop
• Library supplier of the year: Hadeda Library Suppliers
• Trade bookseller of the year (chain stores): Bargain Books
• Trade bookseller of the year (independent) The Book Lounge

Publisher’s awards went to:

• Trade Publisher: Penguin Random House
• Education Publisher (Large): Pearson Education SA
• Education Publisher (Small): The Answer Series
• Academic Publisher: Juta & Company

Shortlisted titles for the Nielsen Booksellers Choice Award 2017 were:

• Born a crime and other stories by Trevor Noah Published by Pan Macmillan
• Emily Hobhouse Geliefde verraaier by Elsabe Brits Published by Tafelberg
• JAN A breath of French Air by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen Published by Struik
• Kook saam Kaaps by Koelsoem Kamalie and Flori Schrikker Published by Lapa Uitgewers
• Koors by Deon Meyer Published by Human & Rousseau
• My own liberator by Dikgang Moseneke Published by Picador Africa.