Daunt, Rankin and Harris recognised in Queen’s birthday honours list

Waterstones m.d. James Daunt, Ian Rankin and Joanne Harris are some of the publishing names recognised in this year’s Queen’s birthday honours list.

Other authors and illustrators named were Sir Quentin Blake, Sir Salman Rushdie and Michael Foreman, as well as Dame Marina Warner, Arts Council England chief executive Dr Darren Henley, poet Gwyneth Lewis and Matthew Littleford, chair of The Reading Agency. 

Rankin, who won this year’s British Book Award for Fiction: Crime and Thriller for The Dark Remains (Canongate) with the late William McIlvanney, was honoured with a knighthood for services to literature and to charity. The author, best known for his Rebus novels, said: "It is amazing to be honoured in this way as we celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

"It may not make writing my next book any easier but it is gratifying to be recognised both for my crime novels and the work I do for charity. I’m not sure what Detective Inspector John Rebus would make of it - he’d almost certainly tell me not to get too big-headed. I’ll do my best, while pouring a glass of something refreshing."

Also picking up a knighthood was Nicholas Coleridge, chairman of the Victoria and Albert Museum, for services to publishing, museums and the creative industries. 

Daunt, who alongside his role at Waterstones is the founder of Daunt Books and c.e.o. of US chain Barnes & Noble, was made a CBE for services to publishing. Arts Council chief Henley has also been awarded the same honour.

Author and illustrator Blake joins the Companions of Honour, whose members are limited to only 65 people who have made a longstanding contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government. He said: "It is an enormous privilege to be appointed a Companion of Honour, but it is also of special interest to me because it is not, unlike so many awards, just a medal that is pinned on you.”

Writers Rushdie and Warner also joined the 65 members, with the former saying: “It was with great surprise and delight that I learned of this extraordinary honour. It’s a privilege to be included in such illustrious company, both past and present.”

Harris, the bestselling author of books including Chocolat and A Narrow Door (Orion), was named an OBE for services to literature. The writer, who has spent recent times undergoing chemotherapy following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2020, is also chair of the Society of Authors.

Foreman, illustrator and author of children’s books such as Stubby (Andersen Press), has also been named OBE for services to literature. Receiving the same honour was Littleford and Lewis, who was the inaugural National Poet of Wales in 2005.

Caroline Norbury, chief executive of Creative UK, has been given the same honour. She said: “I am incredibly grateful to receive this honour, which recognises the efforts of so many of my colleagues to continually champion the UK’s world-leading Creative Industries. The past few years have been difficult for creative and cultural organisations, but I am optimistic that investing in the UK’s talent and creative ingenuity will build a fairer, more prosperous future for us all.”

Also honoured with an OBE was Nicholas Capaldi, chief executive of the Arts Council of Wales. There were MBEs for Dr Deborah Bullivant, founder and chief executive of Grimm & Co, for services to children and young people’s literacy in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and Virginia Williams-Ellis, founder of Read Easy UK, a national charity which provides free, confidential one-to-one reading coaching for adults from trained volunteers.

Among library workers, Catherine Mann, head of libraries and arts at Staffordshire County Council, and Christine May, head of libraries at Bradford, were honoured for services to the sector.