OUP and Blackwell’s triumph at Academic Book Trade Conference Awards

Oxford University Press (OUP) has been crowned Publisher of the Year for the ninth year running, while Blackwell’s also triumphed at this year’s Academic Book Trade Conference Awards (ABTC).

Voted for by academic publishers, Blackwell’s celebrated as it scooped the Chain Bookseller of the Year Award for the second year as its South Bridge, Edinburgh store was named Academic Bookshop of the Year while Clare Pepper from Blackwell University of Kent, Canterbury, won Academic Bookseller of the Year.

Rep of the Year went to Lucy Pink from Taylor & Francis and Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (Vintage) was named Academic Book Week Book of the Year.

In a surprise for host Tim Godfray, he took home the Outstanding Contribution award ahead of his retirement in October.

Alan Staton, director of marketing and communications at the Booksellers Association, said: “It’s always great to see excellence rewarded when it comes to both booksellers and publishers. It’s also wonderful to be able to recognise the individuals whose hard work helps make these organisations so successful.”

The winners were revealed at a ceremony during the ABTC conference at Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth. Executive chair of the Booksellers Association Group Tim Godfray presented the awards to the winners.

Earlier at the conference, Lynn O'Neill, chair of the Booksellers Association Academic Booksellers Group, urged the academic book trade to "work together in these turbulent times."

The 2019 Academic Book Trade Conference Awards winners in full are:

·     Ingram Publisher of the Year: Oxford University Press

·     Ingram Rep of the Year: Lucy Pink, Taylor & Francis

·     Macmillan Study Skills Chain Bookseller of the Year: Blackwell

·     Macmillan Study Skills Academic Bookshop of the Year: Blackwell, South Bridge, Edinburgh

·     Academic Book Week Book of the Year: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (Vintage)

·     Macmillan Study Skills Academic Bookseller of the Year: Clare Pepper, Blackwell University of Kent (Canterbury)