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£19.992022 Booker shortlist, and that’s great news
A stunning three out of six books shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize this year were published by independent presses, which are driven to put forward books by underrepresented voices.
Originally set up by the publishers Jonathan Cape and the New Statesman in the wake of World War II, the Booker Prize is now one of the most influential literary awards in the English-speaking world, and winning it can be life-changing for authors.
With the sharp rise in blockbuster deals, it is harder than ever for independent presses to compete in the publishing industry. But this recognition by the Booker Prize is a reminder of the impact smaller publishers can have in championing diverse and innovative voices in literature.
In the words of Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other and joint-winner of the Booker Prize in 2019: “Indie presses care about literature in a way that corporate publishers don’t, mainly because they can’t afford to take risks on irrelevant or badly written work.”
Image: Mika Baumeister
