Jacaranda Shortlisted for #Nibbies Small Press of the Year 2020

For a second consecutive year, award-winning publisher Jacaranda Books has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards Small Press of the Year.

London based independent publishing house Jacaranda Books was announced in the Regional Shortlists on February 21st with fellow London publishers Boldwood Books, Henningham Family Press, Hera Books, Penned in the Margins, Tiny Owl Publishing, Out-Spoken Press and Scallywag Press.

In the announcement Philip Jones, chair of the judges and editor of The Bookseller, said: “For a second year, this shortlist shows how publishing is thriving across the regions and countries of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The shortlist shows companies every bit as dedicated to their authors as the bigger publishers and with some notable success stories contained in their submissions. It is our pleasure to platform their hard work once again.”

Founded by Valerie Brandes and run by a team of talented women of colour, Jacaranda is dedicated to publishing outstanding, diverse literature across adult fiction, non-fiction and, more recently, poetry and YA. They have published award-winning works by writers including Bernice L. McFadden, Fiston Mwanza Mujila, Masande Ntshanga, Irenosen Okojie,  Anietie Isong, Ali Zamir and Venus Khoury-Ghata.

In 2018 Jacaranda announced the #TwentyIn2020 project to publish twenty works by twenty Black British writers this year, across fiction, non-fiction and poetry. In 2019, Editorial Manager for Non-Fiction, Magdalene Abraha, announced A Quick Ting On, a new, groundbreaking non-fiction series exploring issues related to black British popular culture by young Black British writers at the top of their respective fields. The first of its kind, the series will include topics including Bamboo Earrings, Afrobeats, Grime music, Black British Business, and Plantain.

The British Book Awards regional and country winners will be announced on 20th March. The overall winner will be announced at The British Book Awards on 18th May 2020. Follow #Nibbies for more news.