10 small presses committed to diversifying publishing crowned regional and country winners
From small presses established in the 1980s to publishers launched since the pandemic, ten small presses across the UK and Ireland were honoured today as regional and country winners for The British Book Awards 2025 Small Press of the Year.
Selected by the judges from 46 finalists announced last month, the award, which is sponsored by CPI Books, celebrates the independent presses committed to driving diversity within publishing, including establishing writers from working class backgrounds, celebrating British South Asian writers and furthering accessibility for children’s books.
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges for The British Book Awards, says: ‘These 10 Small Press winners, ranging from new players Bedford Square and VERVE Books to established publishers Seren Books and Bluemoose Books, are at the heart of today’s re-shaped publishing business. Regional but with a national focus, commercial yet value-led, intentional but flexible, these businesses do the hard-yards on behalf of their writers, while building brands and recruiting readers for the future.’
2021’s Overall Small Press winner Sweet Cherry Publishing wins the Midlands regional award once more, taking one step further to reclaiming the Overall crown. The Leicester based publisher is on a mission to break down barriers surrounding children’s publishing, ensuring children of all backgrounds can enjoy the magic of great stories.
Two creative presses have successfully reclaimed their crowns, with radical female-owned press 404 Ink and literary publisher Banshee Press winning the Scotland and Island of Ireland country awards respectively for a second year in a row.
Joint winners in the North England region Dead Ink Books and Bluemoose Books celebrate award-winning and commercial success with their titles. The Liverpudlian press Dead Ink saw Adam Leslie’s Lost in the Garden win the 2024 Nero Book for Fiction. Meanwhile, Bluemoose Books have seen its titles converted to the screen, with two books in the midst of film adaptations and serialised on TV, all whilst prioritising working class authors.
Harpenden’s VERVE Books similarly continues its award-winning and commercial success with the East England win, with debuts Blue Hour by Tiffany Clarke Harrison appearing in Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List and Human, Animal by Seth Insua being a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick.
Isle of Wight’s Author In Me scoops the South-East England award for the first time, the press committed to improving diversity amongst publishing, particularly with regard to the British South Asian community. As well as their publishing strategy, the team curate the AIM Literary Festival, a week-long celebration of literature that promotes South Asian stories, global storytellers and emerging young authors. Meanwhile, Bedford Square Publishers converts its multiple finalist shortlists to become the London winner for the first time. Created and based in Bloomsbury, the publisher continues the great literary tradition in the streets of Bedford Square, publishing a range of fiction and non-fiction.
The South-West England award goes to Bath’s From Me To You, a family run business providing unique and memorable gifts. Meanwhile, the Welsh winner is awarded to the oldest press on the list, with Seren Books specialising in English-language writing from Wales for over forty years. Since its conception in 1981, Seren has published a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, with 2024 seeing the publication of Stereophonic’s star Jamie Morrison’s debut, Wonderboy: and The Life & Times of Drewford Alabama.
The overall regional and country winner of the Small Press of the Year award will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House on Monday 12th May 2024, and go on to compete to be named Independent Publisher of the Year.
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