An independent bookstore, Minoa from Istanbul, is shortlisted for a prize the International Excellence Awards at the 2023 London Book Fair, where publishers and printing houses from Türkiye will also participate.
Many events related to books and authors are organised in London, which is considered one of the creative capitals of the world. The London Book Fair is, undoubtedly, the most important of all these.
The three-day fair is the largest spring book trade and publishing event in the world, and one of the biggest international literary events, bringing together publishers, authors, rights agencies, agents, translators, illustrators. Many attending will be looking to make new book deals, network with the industry and discover what’s new in publishing.
Under the motto ‘Defining the future of creative content’, this year’s London Book Fair will take place from April 18-20 at Olympia London.
The line-up features best-selling authors Kate Mosse, Colson Whitehead, Ann Cleeves, Leila Slimani, Juno Dawson, Janice Hallett, Katy Brent, Elle McNicholl, Harriet Evans, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, and more.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will also be present, talking about his new book, Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency.
Stands from Türkiye
There will be plenty of figures and publishers from Türkiye’s literary industry. Their stands, organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Istanbul Chamber of Commerc will see publishers such as Alfa Yayın Grubu, Bilgeoguz Publishing House, Büyük Doğu, Destek Medya Grubu, Doğan Yayınları, Epsilon Yayınevi, Fom Kitap, Kalem Vakfı, Sev Yayıncılık, Sigma-Yeşil Dinazor, and Tüdem Yayın participate.
Also attending are Kalem Literary Agnecy and printing houses Özlem Matbaacılık, Pelikan Basım Matbaa, Matsis Global, Levent Ofset, Kültür Sanat Printing House, Promat Basım Yayın, Mega Basım Yayın, and Elma Basım Yayın.
Istanbul’s Minoa shortlisted for Excellence Awards
An independent bookstore, Minoa from Istanbul, is shortlisted for the International Excellence Awards 2023 in the Bookstore of the Year category.
Initially just located in Beşiktaş’s Akaretler district, Minoa first opened its doors in 2014. It boasts an 80-seater cafe-brasserie section, helping it to become a firm local favourite and popular destination for booklovers in the city. Minoa has since expanded with new branches across Istanbul, include in Nişantaşı and Levent.
Minoa states on its website that they bring “over 45,000 books written in Turkish and English to our customers, from literature to art, from photography to graphic design, from gardening to food and beverage culture, from children’s books to comics.” The store added an online bookshop in 2020, helping to reach many more customers.
Minoa is competing against four other book shops from around the world: Dukagjini Bookstore (Kosovo), Strandläufer Verlagsbuchhandlung (Germany), and Rovingheights (Nigeria), which are all in the running for Bookstore of the Year.
About the International Excellence Awards
The International Excellence Awards (IEAs) states that it recognises “publishing achievement across four categories, championing those organisations and individuals from around the world demonstrating passion, creativity, and ingenuity.”
The shortlist for each award category is selected by a judging panel comprised of experts within that sector.
Gareth Rapley, the director of the London Book Fair, said: “Excellence in publishing lies at the heart of everything the London Book Fair champions, and 2023’s International Excellence Awards shortlist is a timely reminder of the many inspirational companies working hard to make publishing a more inclusive and accessible place.
“LBF is especially proud to welcome the new Sustainability category, in recognition of its growing importance within the industry. We congratulate our shortlistees, and look forward to uniting, and spotlighting, our global colleagues at The London Book Fair 2023.”
The winners of the International Excellence Awards, alongside the recipient of the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award, will be celebrated at a public ceremony at Olympia London on Wednesday 19 April.
The London Book Fair is a global marketplace for books across all platforms
Ukraine is the Market Focus for London Book Fair 2023.
The annual event is billed as “the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. It is a unique opportunity to explore, understand and capitalise on the innovations shaping the publishing world of the future.”
The event is a trade fair aimed at the industry, so anyone attending to purchase books will be disappointed.
What visitors can enjoy are talks, conferences and sessions with expert publishers, award-winning authors, illustrators, translators and more during three days of events.
Main image, top, of The London Book Fair 2022, via Facebook / The London Book Fair
