NEWS
Since the start of the 2009 BBIA campaign, we have been bringing you news, views and interviews in the build up to the British Book Industry Awards on June 1st, in conjunction with sponsors from the 13 award categories.
- Independent Bookshop of the Year sponsored by the Independent Alliance
BookScan ratings soar for the Independent Alliance
THE INDEPENDENT ALLIANCE continues to demonstrate strong sales with their highest market share ratings to date, according to May 2009 Bookscan figures. The Alliance now holds a market share of 4.7% compared to around 2% in the same period last year... - Diversity in Publishing Award, sponsored by Arts Council
Tamarind Books: Redressing the balance
Verna Wilkins, founder and Managing Director of Tamarind Books, recounts the challenges and occasional moments of inspiration that have seen her witness a gradual shift among booksellers and publishers, towards children's books with non-white characters.
PUBLISHING WAS NOT my chosen career, but just over twenty years ago I set up a publishing company. I did so without the faintest idea of the great difficulties and the intermittent pleasures I would encounter in my new way of life. I realised that although there was a great and exciting market in children's books, black children did not qualify for entry into that market. In the bookshops, there were hundreds of books with white children and books with animals. The painfully few with black characters were stereotypical and dealt with issues, mainly to do with race and colour. - Diversity in Publishing Award, sponsored by Arts Council
Promoting diversity in publishing
As part of a series of profiles of sponsors at the British Book Industry Awards (1 June), Nicholas Clee of BookBrunch talks to Shelina Permalloo, Development Manager of DiPNET
IN THE PAST few years, there have been some belated but significant steps to redress inequalities in the publishing industry. Arts Council England has been a driving force, with the decibel initiative - promoting diversity, particularly ethnic diversity, in all the arts - producing the reports (in association with the Bookseller) In Full Colour (2004) and Books for All (2007). Meanwhile, Alison Morrison of Walker (who has since left the industry) and Elise Dilsworth of Virago set up the Diversity in Publishing Network, which at first was an informal organisation, run in the founders' spare time, aimed at raising the profile of the issue and at providing industry-wide support for ethnically diverse employees. - Independent Bookshop of the Year sponsored by the Independent Alliance
A Nibbie Gives You Wings
Nic Bottomley, General Manager of Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath, reflects on the life since the shop was named Independent Bookseller of the Year at the British Book Industry Awards 2008
IF YOU ASK me to pinpoint the single most important gain for our business of being named Independent Bookseller of the Year, I'd go for confidence. We'd only been in bookselling for 23 months at the moment we were awarded the Nibbie... - Publicity Campaign of the Year sponsored by Publishers Publicity Circle
Barrow: meeting the challenges of celebrity
In the final review of PPC shortlisted publicity campaigns for the Book Industry Awards, Alison Barrow, Publicity Director at Transworld, recounts the unique challenge of conducting a publicity campaign for a high-profile celebrity author, in a market already heaving with celebrity memoirs
THE KEY AIMS of the PR campaign for Paul O'Grady's memoir At My Mother's Knee was to ensure high visibility; to drive sales and to claim not only the No. 1 HB Non-fiction slot, but to maintain the energy of the campaign throughout an autumn blessed with an array of major celebrity memoirs, including those from Dawn French; Julie Walters; Michael Parkinson; Alan Carr and Cliff Richard. - Diversity Award in Literature sponsored by Arts Council England
Year In The Life Of A 'Positive Action Trainee'
OVER THE PAST six weeks, leading up to the BBIAs and the announcement of this year's Diversity in Literature Award, Rukhsana Yasmin has been blogging about her experiences as an Arts Council England (ACE) positive action trainee, set up by ACE to encourage diversity in publishing, which she completed in 2008. Read her final report... - Independent Publisher of the Year Award, sponsored by Lightning
Source
Lightning Source's David Taylor on the present and future of PoD
Continuing the BookBrunch focus on the British Book Industry Awards, Liz Thomson talks to David Taylor, President of Lightning Source, who have been at the creation of Print on Demand and are acutely aware of its future
OPEN A NEWSPAPER or magazine any day of the week and someone somewhere is speculating on the future of the book. Or more particularly whether the book as we have long known it actually has a future. Following the recent launch of the Kindle 2, in print and on TV pundits pondered whether this, at last, was print's iPod moment. To the general public, "digital" means ebooks and ebooks are what publishing CEOs are fixated on. But there's much more to the d-word than mere ebooks and, while the iPod moment may still be some way off, in terms of print the digital revolution is gathering pace. David Taylor, President of Lightning Source, part of the Nashville-based Ingram Content Group, believes that far from the being dead, "or even slightly wounded", digital technology is powering a genuine revolution in so-called traditional publishing.
- Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, sponsored by The
Independent Alliance
Faber's Sebastian Barry claims Irish Book Awards double
SEBASTIAN BARRY'S WIN win at last week's Irish Book Awards, held at Mansion House in Dublin, adds to sustained critical acclaim for Barry, whose alternative history of Ireland in The Secret Scripture - as told through the life of aging protagonist Roseanne McNulty - continues to enjoy considerable sales success in the UK & Irish book charts.
- Publicity Campaign of the Year sponsored by Publishers Publicity
Circle
Geri Halliwell: a writer as well as a Spice Girl
IN THE FOURTH account of PPC shortlisted publicity campaigns for the Book Industry Awards, Kate Wright-Morris at Colman Getty and Dominic Kingston at Macmillan talk about turning Geri Halliwell into the bestselling female celebrity children's author of 2008<
- Diversity Award in Literature sponsored by Arts Council England
Year In The Life Of A 'Positive Action Trainee'
OVER SIX WEEKS leading up to the BBIAs and the announcement of this year's Diversity in Literature Award, Rukhsana Yasmin will be blogging on her experiences as an Arts Council England (ACE) positive action trainee, set up by ACE to encourage diversity in publishing, which she completed in 2008. Week 5 - Fairy Godmother<
- Book Design and Production Award, sponsored by Stora
Enso
Gordon Kerr: British Best at Design
THERE HAVE BEEN some eminent winners of the Stora Enso Book Design and Production Award in the last 10 years: the late, lamented Anchor Books in 1998, for example, or Anna Pavord's gorgeous The Tulip (Bloomsbury), winner in 2000; the beautiful Moro: The Cookbook (Ebury Press), or Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries, Fourth Estate's gorgeously produced winner in 2006. In Britain we excel at the art of book design and production and these books demonstrate that fact. <
- Imprint and Editor of the Year, sponsored by Baker Tilly
Baker Tilly's 2009 Finance Director Perceptions Survey
DESPITE THE CURRENT economic downturn, around half of all respondents in this year's Baker Tilly 2009 Business Perception Survey feel the recession will benefit their businesses in the long term. Those that have reacted quickly to market conditions will be leaner and fitter and better placed to take advantage of new markets and products and less efficient rivals. <
- Sue Butterworth Award for Young Bookseller of the Year, sponsored by
HarperCollins
HCUK honours independent bookselling
CONTINUING THE BOOKBRUNCH focus on the British Book Industry Awards, Liz Thomson talks to Belinda Budge, MD and Publisher of HarperCollins Non-Fiction, about the publisher's sponsorship of the Sue Butterworth Award for Young Bookseller of the Year
- Publicity Campaign of the Year sponsored by Publishers Publicity
Circle
Preena Gadher: The Shock Doctrine
IN THE SECOND of a series of articles following the PPC shortlisted publicity campaigns for the Book Industry Awards, Preena Gadher, Director at Riot Communications, discusses her successful approach to the challenges faced during the paperback campaign for Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine
- Diversity Award in Literature sponsored by Arts Council England
Year In The Life Of A 'Positive Action Trainee'
OVER SIX WEEKS leading up to the BBIAs and the announcement of this year's Diversity in Literature Award, Rukhsana Yasmin is blogging about her experiences as an Arts Council England (ACE) positive action trainee, set up by ACE to encourage diversity in publishing, which she completed in 2008. Week 4- Facebook and Fatimas
- Imprint and Editor of the Year sponsored by Baker Tilly
2009 Budget: Helping publishing business through the recession
IN LESS THAN sixty minutes Chancellor Darling delivered his second Budget. He introduced this as a Budget to help the United Kingdom through a global recession, get people back to work, keep people in work, invest in the key public services and rebuild financial services. Follow Baker Tilly's full analysis of the Chancellor's 2009 Budget statement on our microsite, where we will keep you updated on how this year's Budget affects you and your business.
- Publicity Campaign of the Year sponsored by Publishers Publicity
Circle
Lucy Chavasse and Jill Cotton: Bringing Bond back to page
IN THE THIRD of a series of articles following the PPC shortlisted campaigns for the Book Industry Awards, Lucy Chavasse and Jill Cotton of Colman Getty PR, discuss the strategy behind bringing one of literature's most famous characters back to life in Devil May Care.
- Publicity Campaign of the Year sponsored by Publishers Publicity
Circle
Louise Rhind-Tutt: The Campaign Behind the Outcast
IN THE FIRST of a series of articles following the Book Industry Awards shortlist announcement, Louise Rhind-Tutt, Publicity Manager at CCV, Random House, discuss the challenges and rewards involved in her shortlisted publicity campaign with first-time author of The Outcast, Sadie Jones
- Chain Bookseller of the Year sponsored by BDS / ehaus
BDS: From small beginnings to major player
FOR OVER 14 years BDS has specialised in supplying the highest quality, information-rich data on books and home entertainment releases to libraries. Now this successful Dumfries-based company aims to attract booksellers to its services. Nicholas Clee of BookBrunch talks to Lesley Whyte, Managing Director of BDS
- Diversity Award in Literature sponsored by Arts Council England
Year In The Life Of A 'Positive Action Trainee'
OVER SIX WEEKS leading up to the BBIAs and the announcement of this year's Diversity in Literature Award, Rukhsana Yasmin will be blogging on her experiences as an Arts Council England (ACE) positive action trainee, set up by ACE to encourage diversity in publishing, which she completed in 2008. Here's this week's blog...
- Sue Butterworth Award for Young Bookseller of the Year, sponsored by
HarperCollins
HarperCollins - 'CSR at the heart of our business'
HARPERCOLLINS, WHO HAVE made considerable progress in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), highlight the efforts so far made to improve their global publishing impact.
- Direct Bookselling Company of the Year sponsored by Harlequin Mills
& Boon
Mira: Building Careers
In the first of a series of profiles of sponsors at the British Book Industry Awards, Nicholas Clee talks to Catherine Burke, Senior Editor at Mira, about the growth of the Harlequin Mills & Boon imprint
PUBLISHING, FASHION AND social mores may change, but romance endures, as Mills & Boon's unique brand of series publishing has demonstrated. Nevertheless, M&B has recognised that even a company with a perennially successful formula requires diversity. Hence the launch, in the 1990s, of Mira: a mass market list of full- length romantic novels and thrillers. The more Mira has differentiated itself from the main M&B list, the more successful it has become.
- Diversity Award in Literature sponsored by Arts Council England
Year In The Life Of A 'Positive Action Trainee' - Rukshana Yasmin
Over six weeks leading up to the BBIAs and the announcement of this year's Diversity in Literature Award, Rukhsana Yasmin will be blogging on her experiences as an Arts Council England (ACE) positive action trainee, set up by ACE to encourage diversity in publishing, which she completed in 2008.
Week 2 - Theme Parks and Cornershops
First Interview:
I switch to and fro between a black shirt-dress and a black skirt with mustard knitted top. I know I should be Googling the books I've been reading recently for interesting insights that I can pretend are my own, but somehow my choice of dress seems more pertinent.
- Rights Professional of the Year sponsored by Frankfurt Book Fair
Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honour: China
THE GUEST OF Honour was introduced at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1976 and initially it was held every two years, alternating with subject-based themes. Since 1988 a different country has been presented annually at Frankfurt and now the spectrum of 'Guests' range from entire cultural regions such as the Arab World or Catalan Culture, to small countries like Lithuania, and bigger countries such as Brazil or India. In 2009 it is the turn of China to be the Guest of Honour and, with the motto 'Tradition and Innovation', a wide-ranging programme will present Chinese culture and literature through this coming year.
- Diversity Award in Literature sponsored by Arts Council England
The Decibel Anthologies - A Review
Vivian Archer, Manager of the East London's Newham Bookshop and former judge of Penguin's decibel prize, an Arts Council England initiative created to celebrate unique and diverse multicultural writing, revisits the series and calls for more efforts to encourage writing reflective of today's Britain.
THE DECIBEL ANTHOLOGIES portray different aspects of displacement, of living in two places at once or between two places. There is a lawyer, Charmaine Joshua, who is a third-generation South African Indian on a scholarship to study at Cambridge. She leaves Britain determined never to come back. "Why did I choose to return to the UK? Because at the law firm where I worked in Johannesburg, I was still sometimes mistaken for a tea-lady. Because my father, who used to call white men 'boss', had died in a third-rate hospital reserved for Indians. Because you can abolish a law, but you cannot change how people think or erase the prejudice behind it. Because the belonging I felt in the country of my birth had turned to displacement, and in my heart I was restless and angry and searching for some comfort for my sorrow."
- Independent Alliance takes three Nibbies at the Galaxy Book Awards
THREE BOOKS FROM The Independent Alliance, the UK umbrella group of 10 independent publishers, were among those named as winners at this year's Galaxy British Book Awards, held last Friday April 3rd at London's Grosvenor House. Among an array of famous faces from the worlds of books and screen, the Alliance were fielding no fewer than nine nominations from writers who have already received significant literary recognition.
- Diane Spivey - 2008 Rights Professional of the Year
DIANE SPIVEY, RIGHTS & Contracts Director, Little, Brown, talks about her award. "It is an honour to receive any award, but the Frankfurt Book Fair Rights Professional of the Year Award is particularly welcome. It's a relative newcomer among the book trade awards, and it is gratifying that nowadays the work of rights sellers, who bring in valuable but often largely invisible income to their companies, is being recognised..."
- Year In The Life Of A "Positive Action Trainee"
OVER THE NEXT six weeks leading up to the BBIAs and the announcement of this year's Diversity in Literature Award, Rukhsana Yasmin, a former Arts Council England graduate trainee, will be recalling her experiences as an Arts Council England (ACE) positive action trainee, a scheme set up by ACE to encourage diversity in publishing, which she completed in 2008.
- What it takes to win Publicity Campaign of the Year
HELENA TOWERS, JOINT Publishers Publicity Circle Chair, outlines the judging process for the award, and what makes a winning publicity campaign...