The Bookseller.com

29th August 2008

Tom Tivnan is the features editor of The Bookseller. He will be blogging about the magazine's in depth coverage.

Judgement day

18.07.08

Last Thursday I was at über-trendy Shoreditch House: a Banksy graffito on a wall outside, the upstairs bar chock full of Nathan Barley-esque, Russell Brand wannabes, all skinny jeans and tousled hair with pork pie hats you just want to smack off their heads.

I was there for serious business, though, as one of the judges for the 2008 instalment of The Bookseller Retail Awards. I went, quite frankly, thinking it would be a bit doddle. I had assiduously gone through my shortlist judging pack and picked the winners of each category; I thought they were patently obvious.

But the other judges had prepared just as assiduously and came with their own well-thought out opinions. It was an enlivening, enriching process as we haggled and cajoled and even resorted to a little bit of arm twisting, to come up with a winner. It perhaps it is a testimony to the depth of talent in the trade that there was no clear cut victor in any category; almost all shortlisted candidates had their champions.

Still, we had to come up with winners and The Bookseller editor Neill Denny deserves some credit for keeping us on track. And credit to the judges, industry players and observers Alan Giles, Jo Howard, Paul Smiddy and Damian Horner for giving up their time. We also have a mystery guest judge whose identity will be revealed on the night. I could tell you who it was, but I would have to kill you. Still, another reason to book your table if you haven't yet.

It should be another good night, and I'm sure you have lots of questions: Will Blackwell retain its overall Headline Bookselling Company of the year crown? Can the Richard & Judy Book Club make it three in a row in the HarperCollins Award for Expanding the Retail Market? Who will be tops in the hotly contested BetramsTHE Independent Bookseller of the Year? Will I not remember anything of the after-party just like last year?
 
My answers are: not telling, not telling, not telling and most probably.