Instituted by Publishing Next – which promotes discussions and networking within the book publishing sector – the annual Publishing Next Industry Awards have been announced. The awards celebrate innovation and leadership in the pan-Indian book trade.
Eklavya Foundation from Bhopal has won Publisher of the Year. The judges said about the 42-year-old institution, “Eklavya’s dedication to language accessibility and to keeping books affordably priced underscores their mission to ensure knowledge and storytelling are within reach for a broader audience. Their collaborations with organisations and experimentation with various formats reflect an understanding of the power of publishing as a tool for social impact.”
For the first time, a Mising language (a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Assam) book, Rinjang Jang, has made it to the award list. Runner-up in the Printed Book of the Year (Indian Languages) category, the book has been illustrated by the children of Hummingbird School in Assam’s Majuli island and published by Eklavya Foundation.
The awards for the Bookstore of the Year category could not be announced for the second year owing to an insufficient number of entries.
Leonard Fernandes, co-founder of Publishing Next, said, “The shortlisted books are themselves a testament to the diversity of Indian publishing and we commend the publishers of these books for constantly pushing the boundaries of what printed books can achieve. The editors and illustrators have brought to the fore new ideas and voices, and ways in which those ideas are presented.
Here is the list of the winners and the runners-up:
Publisher of the year
Winner: Eklavya Foundation
Runner-up: Vani Prakashan
Editor of the year
Winner: Chirag Thakkar, Bloomsbury Publishing
Runner-up: Rudra Narayan Sharma, Rupa Publications
Illustrator of the year
Winner: Ruchi Shah, Pickle Yolk Books
Runner-up: Upamanyu Bhattacharyya, HarperCollins India
Cover of the year (children’s book)
Winner: When Fairyland Lost Its Magic, designed by Maithili Doshi, HarperCollins India
Runner-up: The Hoopoe on the Lawn, designed by Priya Kurian, Aleph Book Company
Cover of the year (Indian languages)
Winner: Chot, designed by Unnati Chaudhary, Rajkamal Prakashan
Runner-up: Dharug, designed by Harisankar, woodcut artwork by Vijay Pichuman, Kalachuvadu
Cover of the year (English language)
Winner: The Mad Sisters of Esi, designed by Upamanyu Bhattacharyya, HarperCollins India
Runner-up: Art is a Voice, designed by Rohina Thapar, Art1st and Cheenti
Runner-up: A Firestorm in Paradise, designed by Shadab Khan, Penguin India
Printed book of the year (children’s book ages 0-8)
Winner: Mommies, Richa Jha, illustrated by Priya Sebastian, Pickle Yolk Books
Runner-up: Taaron Ki Chhaon Mein Sair, illustrated by Emiri Hayashi, translated by Madhuri Tiwari, Eklavya Foundation
Printed book of the year (children’s book ages 8+)
Winner: Akela, Richa Jha, illustrated by Ruchi Shah, Pickle Yolk Books
Runner-up: Ganesh Pyne’s Twilight Dreams, Vaishali Shroff, illustrated by Priya Kurian, Ar1st and KNMA
Printed book of the year (art, illustration, and photography)
Winner: Shahajahanabad: Mapping a Mughal City, Swapna Liddle, Roli Books
Runner-up: A Pottery Story: The Work of Ira Chaudhuri, Itu Chaudhuri, Tulika Books
Printed book of the year (Indian languages)
Winner: Satrarigi Dastarkhwan, edited by Sumana Roy and Kunal Ray, translated by Vandana Rag and Geet Chaturvedi, Rajkamal Prakashan
Runner-up: Rinjang Jang, compiled by the book development team of Hummingbird School and Ayang Trust, illustrated by the children of The Hummingbird School, Eklavya Foundation
Printed book of the year (English language)
Winner: Food Journeys: Stories from the Heart, edited by Dolly Nikon and Joel Rodrigues, Zubaan Books
Runner-up: Another Lens: Photography and the Emergence of Image Culture, edited by Rahaab Allana, designed by Kinshuk Rawat and Gauri Nagpal, Tulika Books
