The oscars of the publishing world were presented in London
last night.
Ned Sherrin, doyen of gravel- wielders, was master of ceremonies
last night as the luminaries of the publishing industry packed the London Hilton's vast ballroom to recieve the British Book
Awards- or "Nibbies", as they are known. Prizewinning authors such as jilly cooper and Helen Fielding mixed with prizewinning
publishers, booksellers and sponsors to create a star-studded, friendly and well established event. Yet the Nibbies are relatively
new.
The noise made by the publishing industry has always been in inverse
proportion to the number of people employed in it. To outsiders, the industry is perceived as glamorous.
Strange then, that just ten years ago there were no awards to mark
the achievements of those who worked within the book world. The Booker, the Whitbread, the Smarties, the late lamented NCR
- all of these recognise and reward literary excellence.
For publishing houses and their hard-working editors, or the bookshops
staff, there were no accolades: no Oscars, "Tonys" or Brits.
In the late 1980s, Fred Newman, publisher and Editor of Publishing
News, the industry weekly, egan seriously to consider how a book trade Academy Awards-style evening might shape up. What,
precisely, would be the categories? Who would vote? Equally important, who would support it through sponsorship?
"I'd long wanted the trade to be able to celebrate itself, to honour
the talents and achievements of more than just a handful of big-name authors," Newman recalls "Literary excellence is all
well and good but what I felt was needed in addition was acknowledgement of publishing's commercial success stories and of
those people who worked hard behind the scenes."
The late 1980s was not a good time for the industry, which
made headlines as much for its economies as for its literary excellence. "The job losses were on an unprecedented scale and
everywhere was belt - tightening," continues Newman, "So it seemed to me even more important for the industry to remind itself
of the talent therein."
Inevitably, enthusiasm mixed with scepticism as Newman, together
with his then business partner the late Clive Labovitch, Martyn Goff of Book Trust and former publisher Graham C. Greene announced
the date for the first British Book Awards. The event took place on January 18, 1990at the Park Lane Hotel, with Lord Lichfield
as Master of Ceremonies. Tickets were soon sold out and guests including P.D. James, Jeffrey Archer, A.S. Byatt and
Jilly Cooper saw the very first "Nibbies" (as the large, golden, nib-shaped awards were christened) presented to Peter
Mayle, Roald Dahl and HRH The Prince of Whales, named Author of the Year for A Vision of Britain, his controversial book
on architecture. Robert McCrum, accepting the laurels for Publisher of the Year on behalf of Faber & Faber, lambasted
the decision, declaring that only the embattled Salman Rushdie was entitled to be named Author of the Year. Rushdie eventually
won in 1995.
In the years since, both the evening itself and the awards have
been fine-tuned. Nomination forms are printed in both Publishing News and The Bookseller. Anyone in the trade is allowed to
nominate in any or all of the dozen or so categories. From these nominations, shortlists are drawn up and an "Academy " of
more than 100 publishers, agents and booksellers votes to determine the winners, the only proviso being that they may not
vote for any individual or company in whom they have a vested interest.
In nine years, the British Book Awards have become a fixture in
the publishing year . A "Nibbie" carries increasing cachet, and none more so than the coverted Publisher of the Year Award.
Recipients include Dorling Kindersley, Headline, Little Brown and Transworld who, in 1995 made it a hat trick.
Individual awards have gone to Bill Bryson, Delia Smith, Sebastian
Faulks, Roddy Doyle, Jung Chang, Andrew Morton and Alan Bennett.
"Were it not for the British Book Awards, the contributions of
many people to the health of our industry would have gone unsung" says Newman "You might not approve of Andrew Morton or his
work, but there is no denying that his biography of the Princess of Whales made a huge impact, socially and commercially.
Without the Services to Bookselling Award - sponsored, incidentally, by Publishing News's rival, The Bookseller - the contribution
of the philanthropist Paul Hamlyn would have gone unmarked by the industry to which he has contributed much. And without the
Nibbies for Editor of the Year or Bookseller of the Year and, this year Rep of the year, those at the sharp end of publishing
might go unsung.
"if the British Book Awards demonstrate to the public just how
much goes into the books the buy at their bookshop - not just the writing, but the editing and design, the production
and promotion, the selling - then I'm delighted."
THE WINNERS
The BCA Illustrated Book of the Year Award: The Lost Gardens of
Heligan. Tim Smit (Gollancz)
The Bookseller Services to Bookselling Award: Dick Francis
The Butler and Tanner Book of the Year Award : Bridget Jones's
Diary. Helen Fielding (Picador)
The Children's Book of the Year Award : Harry Potter and
the Philosopher's Stone. J.K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
The David & Charles Independant Bookseller of the Year Award:
Fred Hanna's Bookshop, Dublin
The Display Creations In-store Marketing Award: Bookends, Christchurch
The Editor of the Year Award, sponsored by Ken Follett
: Liz Calder (Bloomsbury)
The Enso Group Design and Production Award: Anchor imprint ( Transworld)
Exel Logistics Newcomer of the Year Award: Daisy and Tom
The Expert Books Marketing Campaign of the Year Award: The Waterstone's
marketing teamand Colman Getty for the Books of the Century promotion
The KPMG Publisher of the Year Award: Random House
The Lifetime Achievement Award: Jilly Cooper
The Reader's Digest Chain Bookseller of the Year Award: Waterstone's
Glasgow
The Securior Omega Express Author of the Year Award: Louis
de Bernieres
The Vista Computer Service Distributor of the Year Award: Littlehampton
Book Services
The Representative of the Year Award, sponsored by Waterstone's:
Tina Miller (Walker Books)
