Around 200 guests attended the BPIF organised event at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. The glittering event, which was themed ‘Storytellers’, was hosted by illustrator and graphic designer Anita Mangan, who herself won a BBD&P award in 2011 with the first book she worked on: Leon: Naturally Fast Food.
She joked that not one of the 80-plus books she has worked on since had repeated the feat.
BPIF CEO Charles Jarrold used his welcoming address to celebrate the shortlisted companies, but also the importance of books in the modern world and how “words have the power to change us”.
“I think it’s worth reflecting how important books are in the world we live in… we live in a world that obviously has some challenges and I think, more than ever, your creativity, your passion and what you’re doing as photographers, illustrators designers, publishers and printers is so critically important.
“It's good as well that books remain as popular as ever. 2023 was a challenging for many, but was still the second-best year in the past 12 for consumer books, with 200m sold… and the Publishers Association reporting that publishing revenues were up around 4% last year, just under £7bn.”
According to the Publishers Association, the UK industry employs 29,000 people directly, supports more than 70,000 jobs in total and is largest exporter of books in the world – generating a £1.1bn trade surplus that reduces the UK trade deficit by 2.2%.
The UK industry’s dominance was evident in the evening’s roll call of winners, with Hurtwood Press winning the evening’s top two gongs; Book of the Year and Best British Book for Out in the Cold.
Produced entirely in the UK, with print by Pureprint and binding by Ludlow Bookbinders, the two-volume, £2,500 limited edition (100, numbered), collectors’ book was initially conceived as a personal project by writer, photographer and videographer Danie Ferreira. See the book here.
“It’s extremely gratifying to win, best British book and then book at the year at the awards last night. Especially so, since the standard of entries this year is so incredibly high,” said Hurtwood director Francis Atterbury.
“The win is an acknowledgement of the huge experience and skill supplied by the very wide range of talented people with whom we work. Books, as we all know, are a product of many people’s hard work, experience and good taste.”
Other big winners on the night included Generation Press, which took home four trophies: Brand/Series Identity; Exhibition Catalogues; Photographic Books; and the inaugural Sustainable Books award.
Kingsbury Press, part of Bluetree Group, closely followed with three awards: Art/Architecture Monographs; Literature; and Best Jacket/Cover Design.
While Empress Litho, Fujifilm, and Printsmith Productions were crowned winners in the Scholarly, Academic and Reference Book, Trade Illustrated, and Self-Published Books categories respectively.
As is tradition, the evening was rounded off with the presentation to attendees of a stunning awards book produced by sponsors Halstan and Diamond Print Services.
For the full run down of winners, high commendations and shortlisted entries, visit the BBD&P Awards website.
