From diverse children’s presses to climate-positive companies to publishers of Nobel Prize winners, ten small presses across the UK and Ireland were honoured today as regional and country winners for The British Book Awards 2023 Small Press of the Year.
Selected by the judges from 48 finalists announced last month, the award, which is sponsored by CPI Books and in its fifth year, celebrates the independent presses delivering diverse, innovative and risk-taking publishing.
Celebrating its 30th year anniversary in 2022, Island of Ireland winner is New Island Books, renowned for spotting award-winning debut authors. Climate-positive publisher SRLPublishing is winner in the East England region for a second year in a row.
Joint winners in the London region, Fitzcarraldo Editions had a tremendous year, publishing the 2022 NobelPrize in Literature winner Annie Ernaux. Boldwood Books is also London joint winner, who in only four years has published over 400titles and sold over 11 million books worldwide, with 2022 a barnstorming year of sales and profit growth.
2021’s overall Small Press of the Year winner Sweet Cherry is this year’s Midlands winner, growing its UK trade89% in autumn 2022. Meanwhile, Bluemoose Books is the winner in the North England region, following a stringof prize nominations in recent years and a series of strong years that has enabled it to build up a considerable backlist.
Scotland winner is Scottish Mountaineering Press, an award- winning publisher that exists to promote andshare Scotland’s natural wonders. In South-East England children’s publisher David Fickling Books is the winner. DFB, whichbecame independent in 2013, had a breakout year thanks in part to success with illustrator Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey series.
Devoted to reviving forgotten and classic books about nature and rural life in the British Isles, Little Toller Books is winner in South-West England. And award-winning Firefly Press, past winner in Wales, takes the crown again with turnover doubling after winning an order from the Welsh Books Council, as part of ascheme to provide a book for every primary school child in Wales.
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges for The British Book Awards, says: “Weare delighted by the ten Small Press winners, selected for their excellence, their vision and theirtenaciousness in the face of some really tricky trading conditions. It is often said that independent publishers aredoing the heavy-lifting for the bigger publishers: discovering new authors and finding new routes tocustomers. But that implies they are somehow subordinate. What is not said enough is how thesepresses are also out-competing their bigger brethren, publishing ahead of the market, sustaining and growing sales, and taking homeplenty of book prizes to boot. This is a thriving sector of the book business and one we should all look toand celebrate. Congratulations all.”
The regional and country winners are now in contention for the overall Small Press of the Year Award, announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 15th May 2023. The overall Small Press winner will also compete to be crowned Independent Publisher of the Year.
