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INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
OVERVIEW In another year of of independence in publishing were clearer than ever. These eight indies— shortlist and half new shortlistees—pivoted nimbly to remote working and beat retail and supply disruption to establish new routes to readers. With both acclaimed trade publishers and specialists, centuries- old names and digital-led start-ups, the list shows the superb variety and drive of indies.
CANELO Canelo has more than doubled in size since 2019. Born as a digital company, it is now making waves in print, and it tilted focus towards the frontlist and moved into non- fiction for the first time in 2021. The acquisition of Hera Books was part of concerted efforts to make its output more diverse.
ON THE NIGHT
THE SMALL PRESS OF THE YEAR WINNER WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THIS SHORTLIST. TO SEE THE CONTENDERS FOR THAT PRIZE, SEE PAGE 49.
JOFFE BOOKS Shortlisted for the third year in a row, Joffe Books again punched above its weight to become the sixth-biggest seller of e-books on Amazon. It grew total sales by a fifth, doubled its staff and increased output. Good work on diversity included the launch of its prize for crime writers of colour.
PUSHKIN PRESS Pushkin celebrates 25 years of translated publishing in 2022, after a record year in all its markets. It doubled TCM sales from pre-Covid levels, thanks to The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz right and David Diop’s International Booker Prize-winner, At Night All Blood is Black.
SPCK In 2021, Christian publisher SPCK, 300-plus years strong, continued its renaissance with record TCM sales, scored its first Sunday Times bestseller (Living His Story byHannah Steele right) and drove several established authors’ sales. The acquisition of Lion Hudson last spring showed its ambition.
THAMES & HUDSON Thames & Hudson is short- listed here for the first time. It diversified its list and got closer to booksellers to compensate for closures of museums and galleries. David Hockney’s Spring Cannot be Cancelled and the Catwalk fashion series led the way, and it launched online publishing platform Volume.
THE FOLIO SOCIETY The Folio Society is back on the shortlist after 10 years. It has gone through big changes in that time, pushing into new genres and expanding its limited editions programme. Excellent marketing fuelled its direct-to-consumer sales, and late in the year it became an Employee Ownership Trust.
JUDGES VERDICT
WITH BOTH ACCLAIMED TRADE PUBLISHERS AND SPECIALISTS, THE SHORTLIST SHOWS THE SUPERB VARIETY AND DRIVE OF INDIES
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CANONGATE The reigning Independent Publisher champ, Canongate had another record year in 2021. TCM sales climbed by a third despite a trimming of the frontlist, and it topped the overall charts for the first time with The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. “It’s the indie of the times,” said one of its authors.
FABER Faber enjoyed the best commercial year in its near- century history. Sally Rooney and Kazuo Ishiguro were two of the publishing events of 2021, exports and the Faber Academy reached new highs, and its Independent Alliance thrived. Three of its titles were Booker Prize-longlisted.
DAVID DIOP WON
THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE FOR PUSHKIN PRESS
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