Atwood, Connolly and Carty-Williams campaigns win at PPC awards

Campaigns for The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, Tall Tales & Wee Stories by Billy Connolly and Candice Carty-Williams' debut novel Queenie have been named winners at the Publishers’ Publicity Circle (PPC) Annual Awards 2019.

Celebrating the best book publicity campaigns delivered over the past year, Tin Can Cook by Jack Monroe, Elmer’s 30th Anniversary by David McKee and War Doctor by David Nott were also recognised.

Stuart Evers, chair of the judges, said: “The judges had a hugely difficult time choosing between such high-quality campaigns. It was a joy to see such creativity, tenacity and intelligence, and we wish we could have given more awards.”

Evers was joined on the judging panel by The Bookseller's Caroline Sanderson, Zoe Steadman-Milne from Bristol Festival of Ideas, Bea Carvahlo from Waterstones, Sally Morris from the Daily Mail, the BA's Emma Bradshaw, Rachel Fox from Edinburgh International Book Festival and Philip Stone from Nielsen BookScan for the awards, which took place in London on 2nd March.

Sophie Calder, publicity director at HQ and chair of the PPC, added: “Year-on-year, publicity campaigns across the industry are progressively more inventive, strategic, and tangibly effective. I would like to congratulate my colleagues on their dynamic, relentless, and awe-inspiring work in 2019. This year, a place on the PPC shortlist was incredibly hard-won, notably for the Best Newcomer award where there was an abundance of new talent.”

Calder now steps down as PPC chair and Little, Brown deputy publicity director Stephanie Melrose will become chair for 2020 with Becky Short, head of publicity, commercial, at Transworld, acting as her deputy.

THE WINNERS

THE BOOKSELLER AWARD FOR HARDBACK NON-FICTION

Winner: Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez – Lucie Cuthbertson-Twiggs, Vintage
Highly Commended: Lowborn by Kerry Hudson – Anna Redman Aylward, Vintage

THE WATERSTONES HARDBACK FICTION AWARD

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – Fran Owen, Mari Yamazaki and Alison Davies, Vintage

BEST CELEBRITY CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY CONNELL MPA

Tall Tales & Wee Stories by Billy Connolly – Alice Herbert and Yassine Belkacemi, John Murray Press

THE MO SIEWCHARRAN AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CAMPAIGN

Winner: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams – Maura Wilding and Leanne Oliver, Orion
Highly Commended: Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor – Grace Harrison, Pan Macmillan

THE AWARD FOR BEST LIFESTYLE, GIFT & HUMOUR CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY BOOKS ARE MY BAG

Period Power by Maisie Hill – Katherine Macpherson, Bloomsbury

THE NETGALLEY AWARD FOR PAPERBACK ORIGINAL: FICTION OR NON-FICTION

The Prison Doctor by Dr. Amanda Brown – Joe Thomas, HQ

THE BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF IDEAS AWARD FOR BEST ACADEMIC CAMPAIGN

Chaucer: A European Life by Marion Turner – Katie Lewis, Princeton University Press

THE DELICIOUS. COOKERY BOOK AWARD

Tin Can Cook by Jack Monroe – Jessica Duffy, Pan Macmillan

THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD SPONSORED BY THE DAILY MAIL

Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola ‚Äì Chloe Parkinson, PRH Children’s

THE YALC AWARD FOR BEST YA CAMPAIGN

The Places I’ve Cried in Public by Holly Bourne ‚Äì Katarina Jovanovic, Usborne

THE EDINBURGH BOOK FESTIVAL AWARD FOR BEST GENERIC CAMPAIGN

Elmer’s 30th Anniversary by David McKee ‚Äì Paul Black and Shona Abhyankar, Andersen Press and EDPR

BEST SPORTS BOOK CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY THE SUN

The Great Romantic by Duncan Hamilton – Karen Geary, Hodder

BEST NEWCOMER AWARD SPONSORED BY JO JAMES

War Doctor by David Nott – Gabriela Quattromini, Pan Macmillan

PPC JOURNALIST/ EVENTS MANAGER/ LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR
PPC members were also asked to vote for an events manager, journalist and librarian of the year. The 2019 winners are:
Events Manager: Rosie Beaumont-Thomas, Waterstones Gower Street
Journalist: Susie Dowdall, Daily Mail
Librarian: Susanna Thomas, Cardiff Libraries