The BPIF-supported event was held earlier this week at the De Vere Connaught Rooms in London.
The theme was ‘Finish’ to mark the final stages of book production when all the work involved comes together in a finished product.
BPIF CEO Charles Jarrold opened the evening and lauded the enduring appeal of printed books: “I’m delighted to say in an age where digital content surrounds us, the printed book not only endures, but it really does thrive.
“While we miss the royal saga of Spare last year, UK book publishers saw printed book sales of 1.8bn, reflecting the unique engagement and experience we all have when we hold, we own, we read and cherish books.
He said that every shortlisted book represented “an intricate dance of creativity and craftsmanship.”
“Standing out is difficult, and that’s why the incredible creativity in designing and producing books is so vital.”
The awards were hosted by graphic designer and book illustrator Anita Mangan for the second year running, who quipped “it does put a bit of pressure on me as it’s sequel territory”.
She picked up on the current hot topic of AI and showed a series of hilarious AI-generated images based on the titles of the shortlisted books.
Best British Book was won by a special edition of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, published by The Folio Society and printed by Bluetree Group subsidiary Kingsbury Press, with binding by Smith Settle.
The volume also won Book of the Year.
Sponsors Halstan and Diamond Print Services handled the printing and binding of the casebound winners’ book, with paper from Fedrigoni.
Continental and Far East printers also featured among the winning production houses, as publishers continue to opt to print overseas despite the flurry of pandemic-related reshoring activity.
Winners took to the stage at the end of the night
The other category winners were:
Brand/Series Identity
Little People, Big Dreams Series
Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, Quarto UK. Printed by CBC Offset Printing Hong Kong.
Fine Binding & Limited Edition
The Starless Sea
Published by Book Illustrated. Printed by Short Run Press and Nomad Letterpress, bound by Ludlow Bookbinders.
Self-Published Books
Alta – A Human Atlas of a City of Angels
Published by Lyon. Printed by Verona Libri Italy.
Exhibition Catalogues
Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection
Published by V&A Publishing. Printed by Conti Tipocolour, Italy.
Photographic Books
The Planets
Published by The Folio Society. Printed by L.E.G.O. Italy.
Art/Architecture Monographs
An Atlas of ES Devlin
Published by Thames & Hudson, printed by Toppan Leefung Printing, China.
Graphic Novels
Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces
Published by Flying Eye Books, printed by Toppan Leefung Printing, China.
Trade Illustrated
The Animal Mind
Published by Abrams Books, printed by Shenzhen Fusheng Printing, China.
Lifestyle Illustrated
Bold: Big Flavour Twists To Classic Dishes
Published by Nourish Books, printed by Imago Group China.
Literature
Caliban’s War
Published by Little, Brown Book Group. Printed and bound by Clays with typesetting by Palimpsest Book Production.
Educational Books
Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica
Published by Britannica Books. Printed by GPS Group Europe. Typeset by Dave Barrett at Cheshire Typesetting.
Scholarly, Academic and Reference Books
On the Origin of Species
Published by The Folio Society. Printed by Pureprint Group, bound by Smith Settle
Children’s Trade 0 to 8 Years
Dinosaur’s Wobbly Bottom
Published by Farshore. Printed by Starlite Development International China.
Children’s Trade 9 to 16 Years
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm
Published by Hachette Children’s Group. Printed and bound by Clays. Typeset by Avon DataSet.
Best Jacket/Cover Design
The Underground Railroad
Published by The Folio Society. Printed by L.E.G.O. Italy.
Best Student Book
You Have Just Been Diagnosed with ADHD by Róisín Scott, National College of Art & Design.
Printed and bound by Plus Print
