by Rosie Stewart, Editorial and Pre-Press Director, River Editorial
IPG awards 2022 – Oxo Tower Restaurant, London – 27th April 2022
Even as we queued for the lifts to take us to the top of the Oxo Tower in central London, there was already a party atmosphere among the clusters of people waiting nearby. It was fantastic to hear old friends and colleagues greeting each other and discussing the joys of being back at in-person events after such a long break.
As the lift doors opened to reveal panoramic views over London, we were immediately hit with a buzz of excitement. We were greeted with a glass of fizz and a vibrant crowd; this year’s awards were extremely popular, with the IPG arranging extra seating for all the additional bookings.
We were delighted to bring the whole UK team together for the first time, with all seven members of the team plus three guests on our table. After a delicious three-course lunch, we settled in for the main event – fifteen awards celebrating independent publishing in the UK. The awards were hosted by radio presenter Elle Osili-Wood, who brought warmth and passion to her welcoming notes as she spoke of the many challenges faced – and overcome – by the industry over the past few years.
The awards covered a whole range of achievements, from children’s publishing to marketing, diversity to metadata. Our highlight was of course the Westchester Education Services ‘Education Publisher of the Year’, which was awarded to Bloomsbury Publishing by our CEO Tim Davies. Special mention also goes to Emerald Publishing, winner of the overall ‘Independent Publisher of the Year’ award.
It is fantastic to see in-person events returning and publishers and publishing services growing and thriving even in this difficult economy. We are very much looking forward to the next major awards event of 2022, which will be the British Book Awards at the end of May.