The 2015 shortlist was:
- Brianna Corbett – Production Archivist, Taylor & Francis Group
- Rebecca Lewis-Oakes – Editor, Puffin Books
- Anna James – Books News and Media Editor, The Bookseller
- Nisha Doshi – Senior Commissioning Editor, Cambridge University Press
- Jo Unwin – Literary Agent, Jo Unwin Literary Agency
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Winner: Rebecca Lewis-Oakes
The judges said:
‘Rebecca joined Scholastic as a junior desk editor at 22, and was selected for The British Council’s Future Leaders in the Creative Industries programme, which took her to China on a cultural leadership exchange in 2009. She joined Faber Children’s Books in 2010, and was one of the first editors to approach a YouTube star, Sprinkle of Glitter, before vloggers became the rage. She has looked after the children’s books for the major estates at Faber, including T S Eliot, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, which as she says ‘requires no less diplomacy and author care than with a living author’. As a member of the Faber Technology committee, she has been instrumental in many of Faber’s digital initiatives across the company, recognizing that systems and training are as vital to the publisher’s success as the more glamorous publishing activity. She is held in great esteem by her colleagues and authors alike, and will clearly be a driving force in the future of our publishing industry.’
Rebecca says:
I am surprised and delighted to be shortlisted for the 2015 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize alongside such a diverse group of talented women. Ever since I joined the SYP on my MA Publishing I have admired the winners and nominees of this prestigious award and I feel honoured now to be named among them. Hearing about the shortlisting on my second day in my new job at Puffin Books is a huge boost as I embark on a new chapter in my career, thank you!
_________________________________________________________________About the shortlist
- Brianna Corbett – Production Archivist, Taylor & Francis Group
- Rebecca Lewis-Oakes – Editor, Puffin Books
- Anna James – Books News and Media Editor, The Bookseller
- Nisha Doshi – Senior Commissioning Editor, Cambridge University Press
- Jo Unwin – Literary Agent, Jo Unwin Literary Agency
Brianna Corbett
The judges said:
‘Brianna has impressed with the passion and resourcefulness she shows in her role as Production Archivist. In this newly created role, Brianna’s clear enthusiasm for organisation has resulted in a carefully managed archive system. But more impressively, Brianna’s tenacity for detail has had a direct impact on workflow for the company – Brianna evidently understands the important role metadata plays in the modern publishing process. In some part, Brianna’s passion for quality control has enabled her company’s publishing to run more efficiently, and it’s for such dedication to detail that Brianna has made the shortlist for the prize. Much like Kim herself did, she shows fantastic potential and clearly thinks beyond the requirements of her role.’
Briana says:
I can’t describe the excitement I felt after opening my inbox and unexpectedly seeing my name on the shortlist for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize! I am proud to help represent women publishing working within the technical and production sector, which contains more opportunities for creativity and innovation than is often considered. The support and trust received from colleagues and friends in the industry is the greatest help to growing any career and this prize is a huge building block in supporting the careers of women in publishing. It is an honour to be part of it.
Best of luck to all of the talented women on the shortlist this year and many thanks to the judges!
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Rebecca Lewis-Oakes
The judges said:
‘Rebecca joined Scholastic as a junior desk editor at 22, and was selected for The British Council’s Future Leaders in the Creative Industries programme, which took her to China on a cultural leadership exchange in 2009. She joined Faber Children’s Books in 2010, and was one of the first editors to approach a YouTube star, Sprinkle of Glitter, before vloggers became the rage. She has looked after the children’s books for the major estates at Faber, including T S Eliot, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, which as she says ‘requires no less diplomacy and author care than with a living author’. As a member of the Faber Technology committee, she has been instrumental in many of Faber’s digital initiatives across the company, recognizing that systems and training are as vital to the publisher’s success as the more glamorous publishing activity. She is held in great esteem by her colleagues and authors alike, and will clearly be a driving force in the future of our publishing industry.’
Rebecca says:
I am surprised and delighted to be shortlisted for the 2015 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize alongside such a diverse group of talented women. Ever since I joined the SYP on my MA Publishing I have admired the winners and nominees of this prestigious award and I feel honoured now to be named among them. Hearing about the shortlisting on my second day in my new job at Puffin Books is a huge boost as I embark on a new chapter in my career, thank you!
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Anna James
The judges said:
‘Anna James is the Book News and Media Editor at The Bookseller and all-round champion of books. The judges were impressed not only with her 9-5 work: building a YouTube presence, launching the YA Book Prize and consistently and creatively reporting on the weekly industry book news, but also, her personal blog “Go Book Yourself” and contributing editorial work for both Elle UK and Soho House Magazine. She takes to initiative to get involved and go above and beyond her remit and this year she was asked to judge the Blue Peter Book Awards.’
Anna says:
I’ve been aware of and a big fan of the prize for the last couple of years. Last year’s prize ceremony was actually one of the first events I attended after joining The Bookseller and I was hugely inspired and impressed by all the women on the shortlist. It’s such a special prize to be involved with and such an honour to be on this year’s shortlist alongside a group of such brilliant and diverse women with such a variety of roles within the industry. To be professionally recognised for being good at recommending books is really a dream come true.
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Nisha Doshi
The judges said:
‘Following an impressive student career at Cambridge, both as an undergraduate and then as an MPhil student in archaeology, Nisha quickly established an exciting reputation on the forefront of not just academic publishing but publishing in general, working tirelessly to not only modernise medical and academic publishing but to push it into the future. Since becoming a commissioning editor in pathology in 2011, she rebuilt Cambridge University Press’ dormant pathology list, despite having no background in the field, and consistently surpassed her commissioning targets. Nisha has been an innovator in the digital publishing field, as well; her work developing apps and a self-assessment website studying for certification exams are only part of her ongoing efforts to replace out-of-date DVDs and CDs – still too often seen as a critical component of academic publishing – with dynamic online solutions, and she created the Cambridge Medicine blog, which has since become a model for other academic marketing teams at Cambridge University Press. Although she has only worked in the publishing industry for a few years, Nisha is clearly a publisher with a remarkable career ahead of her.’
Nisha says:
I am very excited and deeply honoured to have been short-listed for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize. I’m particularly grateful to my colleagues for encouraging and supporting my application. The best publishing is always founded in great teamwork and I’m inspired by the amazing work of both my colleagues and my authors on a daily basis; it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate our work in this way. I am also extremely flattered to be included alongside former and current short-listed candidates for this prize and I’m very much looking forward to meeting this year’s other finalists next month.
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Jo Unwin
The judges said:
‘Changing your career is never easy, but Jo has certainly made it seem so. We were very impressed with Jo’s achievements in the last six years; particularly the rostrum of clients she has built and the relationships she has developed in such a short space of time. We echo Patrick Walsh in saying that Jo has taken to the industry incredibly well – the fact that she has managed to successfully set up her own agency, as well as a prestigious client list, is a fantastic achievement. We have no doubt that she will become one of the industry’s agents to watch, if she hasn’t already.’
Jo says:
I am delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. There are so many brilliant young women starting their careers and it’s fantastic to be shortlisted alongside the very best. But it’s especially great to be recognised for work that has given me so much satisfaction just when I thought it was too late. My mum had a fridge magnet that said ‘Life begins at 40’ – for me it was 45!
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This year’s judges are:
- Denise Johnstone-Burt – Publisher, Walker Books (Co-chair of judges)
- Catherine Clarke – Literary Agent and Managing Director, Felicity Bryan Associates (Co-chair of judges)
- Nicki Crossley – SYP Vice-chair 2010 and Commissioning Editor for Coronet, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton
- Professor Dame Hermione Lee CBE – biographer and President of Wolfson College, Oxford
- Anne Perry – KSW Prize 2014 winner, Editor at Hodder & Stoughton and Founder of The Kitschies
- Helen Youngs – SYP Chair 2014 and Publishing Recruitment Consultant (Trade), Inspired Selection
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Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 