US, China shine at LBF International Excellence Awards

Companies from the US and China led the pack at the London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards, with both countries claiming two prizes at last night’s (12th April) ceremony. In total, 11 countries shared the evening’s 19 awards.

For the US, Words without Borders - a magazine and book publisher that promotes international writing - took home the Publishers Weekly Literary Translation Initiative Award, while New York-based Barbara J Zitwer Agency won the Global Rights 365 Literary Agent gong. Chinese publishers took home the Children’s and Young Adult Trade Publisher Award (Jieli Publishing House) and the Market Focus Achievement Award, accepted by China National Publications Import & Export.

The coveted The Bookseller Adult Trade Publisher Award was won by French publisher Actes Sud, which was commended by the judges for its “depth and breadth of publishing, second-to-none design and production values, and groundbreaking list”.

Two awards were given to titans of the UK book trade: PRH chair Dame Gail Rebuck was awarded the LBF Lifetime Achievement Award; while Souvenir Press founder Ernest Hecht was given the LBF Simon Master Chairman’s Award, just days after the indie publisher’s 65th anniversary.

LBF director Jacks Thomas said: “We were delighted to see winners from countries as far afield as Sudan, France, Poland, New Zealand and Brazil -  meeting and celebrating these publishers’ hard work, dedication and talent is a fundamental part of LBF.”