Bloomsbury wins inaugural sustainability prize at LBF International Excellence Awards

The four winners of the London Book Fair (LBF) International Excellence Awards (IEAs) have been announced, with Bloomsbury taking home the inaugural Sustainability Initiative Award.

Entering their 10th anniversary year, the IEAs recognise publishing achievement across four categories, championing organisations and individuals demonstrating “passion, creativity and ingenuity”.

The sustainability category was introduced this year to recognise the “growing importance of sustainability measures within publishing”, with Bloomsbury winning out against Penguin Random House UK and New Society Publishers (Canada), which were shortlisted.

Bloomsbury’s “holistic approach… which covers their operations and their influence within staff, suppliers and through the content they publish” was recognised by the judges, who were also impressed by the publisher’s solar-powered office and “passionate staff who appear eager to embrace the changes needed to achieve net zero".

Bonnier Books (UK) has won the Inclusivity in Publishing Award for the second time after previously winning in 2020. It was up against Springer Nature and Bloomsbury. The judges noted that the publisher “embedded inclusivity in their values and genuinely invested in making an impact across their organisation".

The panel also commended Bonnier Books’ focus on “improving access to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to the sector, their efforts to remove financial barriers for those starting out and to increasing equity in family policies".

The Bookstore of the Year Award has gone to Minoa in Turkey, which the judges highlighted for being "an exemplary bookstore, as well as a beautiful ’must-see’ tourist attraction in Istanbul". The panel agreed Minoa is “a labour of love, serving their community through a team that is valued by both Minoa’s owners and its customers".

The bookstore, located in the Akaretler district, was also praised for its event space, café and used-book library.

Macmillan Audio (US), which received a special commendation in 2022, has this year taken home the Audiobook Publisher Award for the “breadth of their publishing and their commitment to diversity and new voices”. The judges also highlighted the US company’s casting workshops and dedication to building careers for audiobook narrators as particularly inspiring.

Gareth Rapley, director of the London Book Fair, said: “We are proud to announce the winners of the International Excellence Awards 2023. Year after year, the book industry proves itself to be innovative and resilient during challenging times, and our 2023 winners represent an inspiring array of talent, from bookstores creating community hubs to major publishers advocating for more inclusive working environments to those advancing the limits of audio production. We look forward to spotlighting our winners at the London Book Fair 2023.”

The winners of the International Excellence Awards 2023 will be acknowledged during an invitation-only ceremony for Klaus Flugge, the recipient of this year’s LBF Lifetime Achievement Award, at Olympia London on Wednesday 19th April.