This new British Book Industry Award, created in partnership with The London Book Fair, recognises the potential of an individual, aged between 25 and 35, working within a publishing house in any function (including owning one) to be a future leader of the sector in the UK and, indeed, internationally. Through character and drive this person will demonstrate entrepreneurship and the ability to promote publishing in the UK as well as a vision for the future of UK publishing.

The winner was announced at the British Book Industry Awards on the final night of The Booksellers Association conference in Harrogate on 1 May 2007. And the winner is:

Clare Christian from The Friday Project

The judges admired Clare’s focus and fluency; she shows a total commitment to her authors and gives individual attention to the needs of their books.

The names of the other finalists and the citations from the judges are given below:

Emma Barnes, Snowbooks
Emma impressed the judges by her professional, considered approach, and her commitment to building Snowbooks as a force in independent publishing.

Tom Chalmers, Legend Press
Tom brings enormous energy and freshness to publishing, combining this with drive and a rare attention to detail.

Emma Hayley, MetroMedia
The judges were greatly taken by Emma’s freshness of thinking and her refusal to be daunted by potential barriers.

Catherine Hunt, HarperCollins
Catherine combines an analytical approach with a commitment to putting the consumer at the centre of publishing.

Jon Wood, Orion
The judges were impressed by Jon’s grasp of the essentials of good publishing and his conscientious and persuasive approach.

The prize will include a six-week placement in January/February 2008 in India; see below for further information.

If you have any queries or comments please email literatureUK@britishcouncil.org.

Prize for the British Council/The London Book Fair UKYPY Nibbie: a six-week placement in Jan/Feb 2008 with Seagull Books, an independent publisher in Kolkata, culminating in the Kolkata Book Fair

Why Kolkata?

• The Bengali capital, home of reading, publishing, writing and above all ‘adda’ – the non-stop freewheeling conversations that feed the mind
• College Street, lined with booksellers whose major problems include damp and insects but whose irrepressible business skills will supply you with whatever you need at a price you can afford
• Home of the Kolkata book fair which in 2006 attracted 2.8m people over 12 days (every single inhabitant in the city has a view on this crucial event)
• Kolkata is seeking to join Edinburgh as a UNESCO City of Literature, and strong links are being developed between the two cities to support this shared aspiration
• The Indian Young Publisher of the Year 2007 award was run out of the British Council office in Kolkata, drawing 52 applications from publishers under 35, and providing access to a new peer network across India.

What is included?

• Visa
• Economy return flight
• Accommodation for six weeks in a self-catering apartment
• Subsistence at our standard India rates: £39 per day
• Placement with Seagull Books, a leading independent publisher

What is not included?

• Insurance – the winner will need to ensure s/he is covered for health, travel, unpaid work
• Salary – no pay will be given to the winner
• Innoculations/malaria tablets etc

What will the placement consist of?

Before the placement:

• The winner will meet Naveen Kishore of Seagull Books at the BBTA awards in Harrogate on 1 May 2007 for initial discussions
• The winner will be invited to the launch of the our 2007/08 young creative entrepreneur programme in London on 8 May 2007, with the opportunity to network with leading industry figures
• If s/he goes to the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2007 s/he will have a follow up meeting then
• We will provide two opportunities to meet in London people who have also done secondments with Seagull Books
• The winner will also meet in advance with Berg, the UK distributors for Seagull Books, to learn about the list
• The winner will discuss with their line manager, Naveen Kishore and British Council London/Kolkata what they expect to get from the secondment

During the placement:

• A chance to develop skills other than those which s/he uses in their current job
• Travel to other cities especially Delhi to meet publishers
• A chance to meet the Seagull Books distributor in India
• The opportunity to identify increased potential for their employer in the Indian market through eg better regional distribution
• The chance to learn about rights sales v. importing finished products, price differentials, mark ups etc
• A trip with sales reps to learn about the different pace and rhythm of Indian publishing/bookselling life
• A couple of days with a leading bookstore chain such as Crossword or Oxford, and with an independent bookstore
• A visit to a printing press
• The chance to meet Bengali publishers and writers
• The chance to meet with Indian professional organisations
• An opportunity to run a blog from Kolkata through the British Council’s www.creativeconomy.org.uk website.

After the placement:

• Participation in a British Council hosted event at London Book Fair 2008 to share your experience with other UK young publishers and to join the judges to select the 2008 UK Young Publisher of the Year
• The winner will be asked to complete an evaluation for the British Council (as well as Seagull Books) and articles for trade journals, eg Publishing News.