Ten Small Press of the Year winners revealed, with record six further companies highly commended

From art books and children’s titles to the first publisher of dyslexic-friendly fiction for adults, 10 small presses across the UK and Ireland have been unveiled as the regional and country winners for The British Book Awards 2024 Small Press of the Year, with a record six further companies highly commended. 

Selected by the judges from 55 finalists announced last month, the award, which is sponsored by CPI Books, celebrates the independent presses “delivering imaginative, forward-looking and diverse publishing”. 

Two creative and visionary children’s and YA presses have successfully reclaimed their crowns, with Firefly Press and David Fickling Books winning the Wales and South-East regions respectively for a second year in a row. 

Joint winners in the London region Elliott & Thompson and Magic Cat Publishing both celebrate a bumper year for sales, with Elliott & Thompson publishing the third instalment of Tim Marshall’s best-selling series, The Future of Geography, this year. Meanwhile, children’s and YA’s publisher, Magic Cat Publishing, continues with phenomenal growth, with the press on target to exceed £5m in 2024, only five years after its conception in July 2019. 

Scotland winner is 404 Ink, the press dedicated to supporting new and emerging writers whose sales have soared by 70% from 2022. An equal force for social change, Fly on the Wall Press is crowned North England winners, whose revenue has grown by a third in 2023, further raising funds for charity partners.

3dtotal Publishing has successfully converted its first-time finalist status into becoming first-time regional winners in the Midlands. The philanthropic publisher pledges half of all net profits to humanitarian and environmental causes, leading to over £1m donated to charities and non-profits. Meanwhile, Scorpius Books wins the East England region, the first trade publisher of dyslexic-friendly fiction for adults in the UK which picks up rights for special editions and raises awareness of the learning difficulty. 

Literary publisher Banshee Press scooped the Island of Ireland prize, with titles such as the Guardian book of the day, Penelope Unbound, helping to boost sales with revenue up an exceptional 46% from 2022. Finally, the South-West winner and literary translation publisher Peirene Press continues to succeed, as its frontlist has doubled and bookshop sales trebled.

Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges for The British Book Awards, said: “Small presses are the hidden lifeblood of the book trade, publishing books and authors that would otherwise go missing from our cultural landscape. From David Fickling Books in South-East England to Banshee Press in Ireland to our two London Winners Magic Cat and Elliott & Thompson, to 404 Ink in Scotland, these Regional and Country Winners represent the best in breed from the 55 presses that were named finalists in February. What unites all these publishers is the sheer amount of hard work they put into their authors’ books, and how vital it is that these titles are put before readers.” 

CPI Books’ m.d. Tanya Dunbar added: “CPI is proud to sponsor the small press award again this year. The small publishers are an essential and creative part of the publishing ecosystem, and we are delighted to be part of their continuing success story.”  

The overall regional and country winner of the Small Press of the Year award will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House on Monday 13th May 2024, and go on to compete to be named Independent Publisher of the Year.