2023 PPC Annual Awards shortlist
We are delighted to announce the shortlists for the 2023 PPC Annual Awards, celebrating the best campaigns carried out between December 2022 and November 2023.
HUGE congratulations to all shortlisted publicists and a MASSIVE thank you to all who took the time to submit their impressive campaigns – the standard, as ever, was incredible.
The awards will be judged by a panel of book industry and media professionals consisting of:
Caroline Sanderson – Writer and Associate Editor at The Bookseller (Chair of Judges)
Nihal Arthanayake – Broadcaster and Author
Sam Baker – Writer, broadcaster and creator of the hit podcast, The Shift with Sam Baker
Selina Brown – Founder and CEO of the Black British Book Festival
Bea Carvalho – Head of Books at Waterstones
Farrah Serroukh – Research and Development Director at CLPE
We would like to invite shortlistees and PPC members to save the date for our annual awards dinner which will be held on Monday 4th March, please add the date to your calendars. Dinner booking for shortlisted publicists will open at 10am on Monday 5th February and for general admission at 10am on Wednesday 7th February.
PPC ANNUAL AWARDS SHORTLISTS – 2023 campaigns
The Waterstones Award for Hardback Fiction
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon – Philippa Cotton and Ben McCluskey, Bloomsbury
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld – Milly Reid, Transworld
The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan – Francesca Pearce, Frankie Banks and Elaine Egan, Orion
The List by Yomi Adegoke – Naomi Mantin, 4th Estate
The Maniac by Benjamín Labatut – Steven Cooper, Pushkin Press
Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang – Susanna Peden, HarperCollins
The Bookseller Award for Hardback Non-Fiction
Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett – Laura Nicol, Ebury
How to Read a Tree by Tristan Gooley – Rebecca Mundy, Hodder & Stoughton
Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart – Alison Davies and Ryn Gardner, Jonathan Cape
The Art of Explanation by Ros Atkins – Joe Thomas, Headline
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History by Peter Frankopan – Hayley Camis and Jonny Coward, Bloomsbury
The Plot: The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson by Nadine Dories – Isabel Prodger, Harper NonFiction
Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop? by Chris van Tulleken – Etty Eastwood, Cornerstone
The Connell MPA Award for Best Celebrity Campaign
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton – Ellie Auton, Ebury
My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand – Charlotte Bush, Cornerstone
Pageboy by Elliot Page – Becky Short, Transworld
Process: Finding My Way Through by Lucy Spraggan – Eleanor Stammeijer, Bonnier Books
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady – Hazel O’Brien, Matthew Grindon and Megan Brown, Octopus Books
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears – Polly Osborn, Sabah Khan and Jessica Barratt, Simon & Schuster
The Nielsen BookData Award for Best Debut Campaign
Bellies by Nicola Dinan – Milly Reid, Transworld
Maame by Jessica George – Rebecca Mundy, Ollie Martin, Hodder & Stoughter, and Rishma Dhaliwal, MediaHive
Open Throat by Henry Hoke – Kieran Sangha, Picador
Rosewater by Liv Little – Millie Seaward, Dialogue
The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore – Lucy Richardson and Sian Baldwin, HQ
The Rooster House by Victoria Belim – Katya Ellis, Little, Brown
Whips by Cleo Watson – Niamh Anderson, Corsair
The PPC Award for Best Children’s and YA Celebrity Campaign
The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas by Matt Lucas, illustrated by Forrest Burdett – Hannah Penny, Madeline Adeane and Rory Codd, Farshore
The Great Reindeer Rescue by Stephen Mangan, illustrated by Anita Mangan – Penelope Daukes, Scholastic
This is Me! by George Webster and Claire Taylor, illustrated by Tim Budgen – Rachel Phillipps, Scholastic
Welcome to Hinch Farm by Sophie Hinchcliffe – Sophia Smith, Ellen Grady and Aoifke McGuire-France, Puffin
With You Every Step: A Celebration of Friendship by Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield – Jo Hardacre and Bethan Thomas, Macmillan Children’s Books
You Grow Girl!: The Complete No Worries Guide to Growing Up by Dr Zoe Williams – Namishka Karia and Sarah Farmer, Hachette Children’s Group
The Children’s Book Campaign Award sponsored by Daily Mail
Brilliant Black British History by Atinuke – Grace Ball, Bloomsbury, and Sophie Stott, freelance
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell – Beatrice Cross, Bloomsbury
Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds – Emily Thomas and Anna Cole, Hachette Children’s Group
Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera – Lizz Skelly, Puffin, and Rishma Dhaliwal, MediaHive
The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die by Peter Lantos – Hannah Love, Scholastic
The Rescue of Ravenwood by Natasha Farrant – Bethany Carter, Faber
The PPC Award for Best YA Campaign
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid – Rachel Kennedy, Cornerstone
Five Survive by Holly Jackson – Pippa Poole, Farshore, and Dusty Miller, freelance
Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald – Harriet Venn and Sarah Doyle, Penguin Random House Children’s
HappyHead by Josh Silver – Liz Scott, Freelance for Rock the Boat
Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman – Emily Thomas, Hachette Children’s Group
The Read Media Award for Best Crime and Thriller Campaign
In The Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan – Jess Barratt, Simon & Schuster
Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh – Joe Thomas and Elaine Egan, Headline
Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly – Ellen Turner and Sandra Taylor, Orion
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett – Drew Jerrison, Profile Books
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron – Charlotte Hutchinson, John Murray Press
The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Rosie Friis, Pan Macmillan
The PPC Award for Best Academic Campaign
Fool: In Search of Henry VIII’s Closest Man by Peter Andersson – Charlotte Coyne, Princeton University Press
Life Unseen: A Story of Blindness by Selina Mills – Mollie Broad, Bloomsbury
My Shakespeare: A Director’s Journey through the First Folio by Greg Doran – Mollie Broad, Bloomsbury
Penning Poison by Emily Cockayne – Amy Stewart and Catrin Lawrence, Oxford University Press
The Wife of Bath: A Biography by Marion Turner – Carmen Jimenez, Princeton University Press
Virtuous Bankers: A Day in the Life of the Eighteenth-Century Bank of England by Anne Murphy – Charlotte Coyne, Princeton University Press
The Award for Best Lifestyle, Gift and Humour Campaign sponsored by Books Are My Bag
Craft Your Year with Sara Davies by Sara Davies – Chloe Rose, Transworld
Hack Your Hormones by Davinia Taylor – Ellen Turner, Orion
Murdle: Solve 100 Devilishly Devious Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles by G.T. Karber – Lily Evans, Profile Books
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin – Anna Frame, Canongate
Walk Yourself Happy by Julia Bradbury – Matthew Crossey, Niamh Anderson and Lucy Martin, Little, Brown
You Are Not Alone by Cariad Lloyd – Anna Massardi and Philippa Cotton, Bloomsbury
Edinburgh International Book Festival Award for Best Generic Campaign
A Year of Elly Griffiths – Ella Patel and Joe Christie, Quercus
Bored of Lunch brand Campaign – Alice King, Ebury
ESEA Lit Fest – Maria Garbutt-Lucero, Hodder & Stoughton
The Yoto Carnegies – Emma Draude, Annabelle Wright and Sabina Maharjan, EDPR
Virago 50th Anniversary Campaign – Jane Acton, Jane Acton PR for Virago
Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho’s ‘Library Marathon’ – Hannah McMillan, Emily Laidlaw and Tina Mories, Midas
The PPC Award for Best Cookery Book Campaign
A Slice of Fried Gold: Taste My Memories by Nick Frost – Isabel Smith and Eleanor Stammeijer, Bonnier Books
Bitter by Alexina Anatole – Lucie Cuthbertson-Twiggs, Vintage
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen by Imad Alarnab – Sarah Lundy, HQ
Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook by Poppy O’Toole – Ellen Williams and Isobel Turton, Bloomsbury
Pub Kitchen by Tom Kerridge – Ellen Williams and Helen Upton, Bloomsbury
The Farm Table by Julius Roberts – Alice King, Ebury
The PPC Award for Best Sports Book Campaign
Broadly Speaking by Stuart Broad – Rebecca Mundy, Hodder & Stoughton
Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women by Louise Minchin – Katherine Macpherson, Bloomsbury
Kammy: My Unbelievable Life by Chris Kamara – Josie Turner, Pan Macmillan
The Race To Be Myself by Caster Semenya – Alice Dewing, Cornerstone
What It Takes: My Playbook on Life and Leadership by Sarina Weigman – Isabel Prodger, Harper NonFiction
Who Am I? by Danny Cipriani – Hetty Touquet, Harper NonFiction
The PPC Award for Paperback Original Campaign
Sounds Like Fun by Bryan Moriarty – Ollie Martin, Hodder & Stoughton
The Real Happy Valley by Alice Vinten – Chloe Rose, Transworld
The Road to London Bridge by Steve Gallant – Ellen Turner, Orion
The Sky at Night: The Art of Stargazing by Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock – Morgana Chess, Ebury
The Sunrise Sisterhood by Cathy Bramley – Frankie Banks and Becca Bryant, Orion
Best Newcomer Award sponsored by Jo James
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton – Ellie Auton, Ebury Press
Cecil Beaton by Claudia Acott Williams – Imelda Loakes, Thomas & Hudson
For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain by Victoria MacKenzie – Grace Nzita-Kiki, Bloomsbury
Let the Light Pour In by Lemn Sissay – Aisling Holling, Canongate
Murdle: Solve 100 Devilishly Devious Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles by G.T. Karber – Lily Evans, Profile Books
Open Throat by Henry Hoke – Kieran Sangha, Pan Macmillan
The Maiden by Kate Foster – Chloe Davies, Pan Macmillan
The Stickleback Catchers by Lisette Auton – Sarah Doyle, Penguin Random House Children’s
THE SUBMISSION DATES FOR THE PPC QUARTERLY AWARDS 2024 WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER IN THE YEAR