The winners of the International Awards for Excellence 2023 will receive their recognition at a ceremony that only Klaus Flugge, this year’s LBF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will be able to attend.

The winners of the London Book Fair (LBF) International Excellence Awards have been announced, with companies from Turkey and the United States winning. The winners of the International Awards for Excellence 2023 will receive their recognition during a ceremony that only Klaus Flugge, this year’s LBF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will be able to attend.

Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) is the inaugural winner of the Sustainability Initiative Award, introduced this year. The judges recognized the organization’s «holistic approach…encompassing its operations and its influence among staff, suppliers and through the content it publishes.» The judges were also impressed by Bloomsbury Publishing’s solar-powered office and the passion of its staff, who seem keen to embrace the changes needed to achieve the net-zero goal.

Minoa (Turkey) is the winner of the coveted Bookshop of the Year Award, which the jury singled out for being an exemplary bookshop as well as a beautiful «must-see» tourist attraction in Istanbul. The jury agreed that Minoa is «a labor of love, serving its community through a team valued by both Minoa’s owners and its customers.» The bookstore, located in the Akaretler neighborhood, also received praise for its event space, coffee shop, and used book library.

Following its shortlisting for the 2022 International Awards for Excellence (where it received a special mention), Macmillan Audio (USA) has taken home the 2023 Audiobook Publisher of the Year Award. The judges were impressed by «the breadth of its publications and its commitment to diversity and new voices,» and singled out the U.S. company’s casting workshops and its dedication to developing the careers of audiobook narrators as particularly inspiring.

Returning to the UK, this year’s Inclusivity in Publishing Award went to Bonnier Books (UK), marking the second time the publisher has won the award, following its win in 2020. The jury noted that the UK publisher «has integrated inclusion into its values and has invested in making an impact across its organization.» The jury also praised Bonnier Book’s focus on «improving access to the sector for people from more disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, its efforts to remove financial barriers for those starting and to increase equity in family policies.»

Gareth Rapley, director of the London Book Fair, said, «We are proud to announce the winners of the International Excellence Awards 2023. Year after year, the book industry proves to be innovative and resilient in challenging times, and our 2023 winners represent an inspiring array of talent, from booksellers creating community centers to major publishers championing greener and more inclusive work environments to those pushing the boundaries of audio production. We look forward to highlighting our winners at London Book Fair 2023.»

The winners of the 2023 International Excellence Awards will receive their recognition during a ceremony that only Klaus Flugge, this year’s LBF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will be able to attend, which will be held at Olympia London on Wednesday, April 19.

Text and photo: London Book Fair