Dr Br Ambedkar Community Centre Derby

[Nicol Allphin]

Partnershipwork with key stakeholders in these communities has allowed us to diversify our reach and set up unique events. These have included a Pop-Up Barber Shop aimed at increasing knowledge around prostate cancer, working with taxi firms to provide body MOTs for their drivers and launching exercise classes within community centres.

It affirms, connects and energises the world of reading by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers.

The British Book Awards, aka The Nibbies, is a celebration of books: it affirms, connects and energises the world of reading by showcasing those who create stories and everyone who plays a role in bringing those stories to life.

The Books of the Year spotlight the titles that have stirred imaginations, started conversations, been part of book clubs and bestseller lists - books whose pages have been well-thumbed, well-worn and well-loved, whose ideas have formed that thread of inescapable connection between one reader and the next. The shortlists and winners all demonstrate the combination of unforgettable writing, exceptional sales, and an outstanding approach to publishing which make the book business the original creative sector, and the go-to home of storytelling.

Tell Us A Story. Our judges are primed to read your detailed entries, including all of the facts and figures behind your successful years. But they, like you, love a narrative - try to go beyond chronology and the day-to-day to show us something extraordinary.

Define the Difference. We know you had your choice of which titles to enter. What did you do differently for this one? Where did you take a risk, innovate or depart from the norm? Show us why the whole publishing process behind this title sets it apart, not just from the rest of the industry but from the other titles you work on.

5pm on 1st February is not a good time to upload. Our website is amazing, but if/when everyone uploads at that exact time, it will fall over. Then we will be sad, and you will be anxious, and nobody wins.

Put Your Photos Forward. From the print magazine to social media shoutouts, we want to do everything we can to make your work shine. Help us do this as well as possible by sending us a selection of sharp, hi-res images that we can use to represent you.

In this episode of The Nibbies Podcast, host Hannah MacInnes chats to Nathan Anthony, author of Bored of Lunch, about the rollercoaster ride that took him from his kitchen in Northern Ireland to the bestseller charts.

In this episode, Hannah MacInnes talks to Chloe about the first-time publishing experience, what it feels like to be edited and how the road to promote the book can lead to strange and interesting places.

In the inaugural episode of The Nibbies Podcast, Hannah MacInnes interviews A.F. Steadman, author of the bestselling series of enormously well received dragon novels for children, Skandar and the Phantom Rider.

By any measure, Jamie Smart had a remarkable 12 months. Sales of his books grew 84% in 2023, making Smart one of the biggest-selling graphic novelists, outpacing (in growth terms) even last year's Illustrator of the Year, Alice Oseman. Sales of his breakthrough series, Bunny vs Monkey - first published a decade ago - rose 81% year on year.

Bunny vs Monkey 7: Multiverse Mix-up! (the Children's Illustrated Book of the Year) marked a step change too; it sold a third more than its predecessor. It topped the indie bookshop charts in the UK, and in Ireland. Published by David Fickling Books for 10 years, Smart's work contributed 3.5m of DFB's 4.3m coffers.

But is it not just about the numbers. Smart has been working in the weeds of this sector for more than two decades, his first weekly children's comic was in the Sunday Times' children's supplement the Funday Times, before spending a decade at the Dandy. He developed his work at DFB's weekly The Phoenix and continues to draw for it, viewing it as the heartbeat of the UK comics scene, holding events and workshops at the annual sold-out Phoenix Fest.In an interview with The Bookseller, Smart said: "There's a kind of renaissance happening... I really hope it grows even more and that publishers put their faith in comic creators." They seem to be: of the six titles shortlisted for the Children's Illustrated award in 2024, three were comics.

Sweet Cherry is a small independent publisher with a great, big mission! Based in Leicester, where one in 10 children live in poverty, we aim to bring fantastic stories within reach of every child. Our mission is to make books fun and accessible for all children, everywhere.

The final judging panel crowned the Non-Fiction Lifestyle & Illustrated Book of the Year winner, Murdle, as the Overall Book of the Year. They "loved the whole concept", praising the book as a "really clever idea done really well" and agreed this "genius" book had expanded the market.

Our judges "admired" GT Karber for creating a "truly special" book that captivated a broad readership of all ages, from puzzle lovers to crime enthusiasts. Souvenir Press actioned an all-year round campaign to feed the word-of-mouth frenzy. Everything from bookseller-led "Murdle nights" and bespoke merchandise to a week-long author tour meant this book was the word on everyone's lips, and the imprint's work helped Murdle top the charts as the Christmas Number One.

The discussion was chaired by The Bookseller books editor Alice O'Keeffe and the judges comprised Anita Singh, arts and entertainment editor at the Telegraph; Lorraine Kelly, TV presenter and author; Adrian Chiles, writer and broadcaster; Sarah Gwonyoma, book critic; Claire Walker, co-chief executive of the Society of London Theatre; and Kate Skipper, chief operating officer of Waterstones. Our panel felt Murdle stands as the book of 2023, with "phenomenal" sales of more than 360,000 copies.

The past 12 months has confirmed Katherine Rundell as the pre-eminent children's author of her generation. On publication of her middle-grade title Impossible Creatures (named Children's Fiction Book of the Year), author Michael Morpurgo asserted: "There was Tolkien, there is Pullman, and now there is Katherine Rundell."

The award-winning John Donne biographer, essayist, St Catherine's College fellow, tightrope walker, rooftop climber and screenwriter is also a campaigning voice for the importance of books for children, and a powerful cultural figure whose unique mix of brain power, eloquence and ferocious imagination have delivered dazzling results.

Rundell's is the kind of story publishers dream of. Her first book was published in her early twenties, her second won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Blue Peter Award, her fourth a Costa. She's an author with a huge imagination, an encyclopedic knowledge, vital and vibrant storytelling, and the ability to infuse any subject matter with warmth, wit and curiosity.

Last year saw the paperback of her Donne biography Super-Infinite, picture book The Zebra's Great Escape and non-fiction title The Golden Mole. Impossible Creatures has sold more than five times her previous children's hardback book: this really has been the year of Katherine Rundell - undoubtedly the first of many.

The Children's Bookshop in Muswell Hill adds this prestigious award to the trophy for Children's Bookseller of the Year. In the 11 years of the Book Retailer of the Year prize in its current format, it is only the second independent to win.

The shop, SO years young in 2024, is revered by generations of children, parents, grandparents and teachers. It does the fundamentals of bookselling brilliantly, with five in-store book clubs, free storytime sessions, sreat window displays and lively social media, and estimates that four in five books are handsold by owner Sanchita Basu De Sarkar and her exceptional team. It is a priority stop on signing tours for just about every big children's author and illustrator.

But it is the array of activity beyond the shop that really sets The Children's Bookshop apart from other book retailers. World Book Day encapsulated its energy, with 35 external events in five days and, when teacher strikes threatened to scupper school activity, it held a free party of its own for 400 children.

The emphasis is always on engaging not just keen readers but children of all abilities and backgrounds. That. and a growing awareness of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. led the shop to give away hundreds of books to local schools, charities, shelters, prisons and refusee centres, and work with an autism centre to develop a learning library for children with additional needs.

Testimonials highlight the passion of The Children's Bookshop. "Its dedication to making sure that children have a joyful, inspirational experience of reading for fun is so impressive," said one. As the British Book Awards judges put it: "It's a simply amazing shop and team ... you just can't fault it."

Online retailer Books2Door is shortlisted for the third year in a row. Orders surged by a fifth in 2023 after it embraced two big trends in bookselling: TikTok, where it already averages 50,000 of sales a month and has struck partnerships and live streams with top BookTokkers; and book boxes, where it introduced new Box2Door subscription deals.

Memoirs from stalwarts of British media and royalty, alongside histories and self-development titles, make up this eclectic shortlist. What all the titles have in common is premium author care and innovative campaigns championing the audiobook genre.

Comedian Fern Brady's "honest" and "heartfelt" memoir Strong Female Character resonated with our panel of judges, who called the audio edition "fascinating and beautiful". Voiced by the author, Brady's "profoundly impactful" account of her life as a woman living with autism was called "eye-opening" by our panel.

Brazen knew it had something special with Strong Female Character and utilised Brady's existing audience to promote awareness of neurodiversity and help the audiobook find the listeners who needed it most. Brady's tour audiences were also offered a voucher for the audio edition, which was recognised as one of Apple and Audible's audio books of the year. Our judges agreed Strong Female Character was an "intimate" and "raw" listening experience which "achieved a deep-to the-bone honesty", making it a clear stand-out in this category.

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