Imprint of the Year
WINNER VIKING
Striking a balance of commercial success and critical acclaim is the ultimate aim of all literary-minded mainstream imprints—and none did it better in 2017 than Viking. Penguin General, of which Viking is the largest part, recorded its
highest ever sales, increasing TCM turnover by 21% in a market that rose only fractionally. Fiction was especially strong, led by John le Carré's A Legacy of Spies and Naomi Alderman’s The Power, which scooped the 2017 Baileys Prize and helped to set the feminist agenda throughout the year. Further literary awards included the Rathbones Folio Prize and Pulitzer Prize for Biography for Hisham Matar’s The Return. But Viking owed its stellar year not to a handful of books but a list that
ranged far and wide over genres and formats. Literary fiction successes included Colm Tóibín’s House of Names and Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, one of the most acclaimed débuts of 2017, while Jane Corry, Nuala Ellwood and Simon Lelic pushed it deeper into crime and thriller territory. Standouts on the non-fiction side included war-related titles by
Laurence Rees and Nick Lloyd, and the paperback of Ben Macintyre’s SAS—just three of 15 Viking titles to reach the Sunday Times bestseller lists last year. And by filling its pipeline with notable acquisitions, including books by Barack and Michelle Obama, it is set to sustain its momentum well beyond 2017. “It was a really big year for Viking,” said The Bookseller’s judges. “It had
hits on a lot of different fronts, and some books that became real talking points. It’s an imprint that is really in tune with its market . . . it taps into popular trends but pushes boundaries in every way.” Judges also liked its fusion of traditional publishing values with very modern sensibilities—or as one put it: “Old-school publishing at its most impactful.”
SHORTLIST
FOURTH ESTATE One of HarperCollins’ star performers in 2017, growing TCM sales by 14% and bagging a Costa double with the Novel and Biography awards.
BLINK PUBLISHING Launched by Bonnier in 2014, it sustained its early momentum with some big-name autobiographies and new imprints 535 and Lagom.
BOOKOUTURE Innovative e-led imprint that became part of the Hachette UK empire in 2017, adding print capabilities to its market-leading digital marketing.
HAMISH HAMILTON Thrived under THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS WINNERS 2018
Editor of the Year Simon Prosser, adding surprise hits including The Lost Words to a roster of star literary names.
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE UK AUDIO The first-ever audiobook list on this shortlist, it brought more than 500 PRH titles to life in 2017.
SPHERE A standout performer for the Little, Brown Book Group, with a clutch of bestsellers including Clare Mackintosh’s I See Y
ou.
VINTAGE A fourth Penguin Random House imprint on the shortlist, drawing on backlist riches as well as a frontlist packed with acclaimed paperbacks.
WITH THANKS TO: CLAYS
KEY STRENGTHS
TCM growth of 21% against 0.2% for the market as a whole
String of awards including the
Baileys and Rathbones Folio, plus many more shortlist places
Wide-ranging literary fiction and strengthening of its crime and thriller roster
Effective teamwork across editorial, production, sales, marketing and rights departments
Clays specialises in the manufacture of monochrome books, reacting quickly to its customers’ fast-moving needs, offering
digital services, book manufacture, pre-retail and streamlining the supply chain via inventory management and distribution.
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