2020 Trailblazer Awards

Posted on April 3, 2020 in Uncategorized

Since 2016, the Trailblazer Awards have celebrated publishing professionals under the age of 30 who have demonstrated ambition, innovation and creativity in the book industry. The 2020 winners — Beth Farrell, Gauthier Van Malderen, Ellie Pilcher, Magdalene Abraha and Harriet Egleton — come from all corners of the industry and prove that anyone, no matter their seniority, can push the boundaries of what it means to be a young person in the industry and have an impact. Whether that be innovating in key areas of the book industry, championing inclusivity, improving access to books or discovering and promoting new voices, these five rising stars are certainly ‘roaring through their 20s’. I was delighted to speak with our 2020 Trailblazers and pose some questions to them about the industry, who motivates them, and what we can all do to push the boundaries and make a difference.

Interview by Beth Wentworth

Why is innovation so important in the book industry?

Beth: The book industry is constantly changing; in order to keep things fresh and engaging, we need to strive for fantastic, new and interesting moves. The introduction of digital media in the last decade has meant that the ways in which consumers engage with media is altering and the book industry must keep up to ensure it thrives. We also need to look at sustainability and the ways in which we can work towards a more environmentally friendly industry.

Ellie: Within the industry, we need to be innovative to stay on-top of trends and produce books that are informative as well as captivating to readers. We need innovative trailblazers who can bring about change, from publishing unique and genuinely interesting reads to individually championing change within the work place in areas such as inclusivity, gender equality and mental health.

Gauthier: The internet prompted a huge change and the book industry reacted with impressive innovation that serves not only publishers but authors and readers as well. However, we need to continue innovating if we wish to stay current and viable. In Higher Education publishing, publishers are losing revenue to the increasing impact of issues like academic piracy and the second-hand book market. To put it simply, if they don’t innovate they’ll continue to suffer.

Magdalene: The book industry is a bearer of stories, both fact and fiction. Innovation in such a crucial industry is more than important, it’s necessary; the more inclusive, the more forward thinking, the more experimental an industry like this one can be, the better. Innovation has the ability to make the book industry an active participant in pushing progress and new ideas to the forefront.

Harriet: As in most industries, innovation in publishing is essential in order to stay relevant, as well as compete with other forms of media. Over the last few years there has been a huge boom in the audio market and traditional publishers have had to adapt to this demand, as print publishing, propped up by steady backlist sales, declines. But innovation doesn’t only mean digital — publishing has, over the last few years, begun to drive diversity initiatives and taken some tentative steps towards making publishing less London-centric. These moves are essential, lest the book industry finds itself stuck in the past, no longer reflecting the current cultural landscape, as literature is supposed to do.

What motivates you to want to make change in the industry?

Beth: I am fiercely passionate about diversity. Growing up, I never saw kids who looked like me represented in fiction and I don’t want any child to not see themselves represented in the books they read. I think Knights Of are doing incredible things, and when I was working in the Children’s Department, it was incredibly inspiring to see these books being read and enjoyed.

I am also incredibly conscious of the death of the high street and the tyranny of Amazon. Independent bookshops are suffering, with many people choosing to shop on Amazon rather than at their local bookshops due to convenience. The presence of independent bookshops in our towns, cities and communities is paramount to the continuation of diverse and excellent literature being put into readers’ hands. But this vital retainment of indie bookshops needs to be a joint effort, from readers, booksellers and publishers alike.

Magdalene: I am motivated by a passion for change and a desire to see what that change could look like. There are very clear shifts the industry needs to make to catch up to where we are societally, and there are even more changes the industry needs to adopt if it wants to push society and ideas forward.  For me, there is so much potential for the industry to be more daring and futuristic than it already is.

Ellie: Seeing the struggles of fellow publishers to climb the ladder, or even get on the ladder of publishing, has informed my decisions and motivations. Publishing can be somewhat closed, not to mention competitive, particularly for entry-levels roles. I choose to mentor others and offer workshops to help job-seekers that aren’t necessarily as privileged as I was, to get the skills they need to work in this amazing industry. I’m not blind to the issues that the industry has, or that many are battling to change them, but I’m most motivated to change the industry by making sure that there is as much fresh blood in the workforce regardless of background, location or education as possible.

Gauthier: When I was studying (both in Italy and the UK) I found myself paying hundreds for textbooks, which I would then sometimes only use for a chapter or two. I knew there had to be a better way and instead of waiting for someone else to come up with a solution, I decided to do so myself. Perlego is a subscription service for academic textbooks and non-fiction titles, the first of its kind and sorely needed. I’m not here to run traditional publishers out of town or stop people from buying paper books, I just want to offer students another viable choice – and one that doesn’t involve doing something illegal!

Harriet: As a literary scout, it is my job to find the best books, primarily coming out of the UK market, to recommend to our international clients to translate and publish into their own markets. This cultural exchange of ideas and literature has never been more important, as we’re currently living through a time of seismic change and deep political division. To me, this continued cooperation with our European partners is incredibly motivational. Through my role, I also have the opportunity to champion emerging, trailblazing writing talent from the UK and see that their voices are heard across the globe, not just in Europe, but in China and Latin America too, where we also have clients. This global way of thinking and working is something I find incredibly important and motivating, as is learning what stories and ideas travel and what is of interest to particular markets and why. It helps us gain crucial insight and understanding into different cultures’ concerns.

Who, or what, inspires you?

Beth: I was extraordinarily lucky to work at Blackwell’s Broad Street as a Bookseller. The sheer passion and creativity which each individual bookseller has in that shop is simply incredible. I have been so fortunate to have worked and be guided by such superheroes as Zool Verjee, Rebecca MacAlister, Zoe Chatfield, Ray Mattison and David Kelly, who have pushed me to work hard, be creative and be passionate about the promotion of our bookshop and fantastic books. Looking around at the publishing industry at the moment and the steps being taken to improve diversity is inspiring in itself. I am lucky enough to work with some incredibly conscientious people, and I look at my colleagues and the wonderful things they are achieving in their work and I am simply inspired.

Ellie: I’m particularly inspired by the women I’ve worked with in this industry. Probably 80%, if not more, of the workforce in trade publishing is female but few are in leadership roles. The women that most inspire me are leaders, and for good reasons: they’re brilliant at their jobs! I would say the Sales Director at Canelo, Francesca Riccardi was/is an extremely important mentor to me, not to mention Phoebe Morgan, Helen Huthwaite and Hannah O’Brien at HarperCollins. But also the women of past publishing, in particular Dame Carmen Calil who founded Virago as an independent feminist publisher in the 1970s – now an important imprint of Hachette – and broke all the rules within a stringently male publishing industry to publish books by women for women. I think that was a huge turning point in publishing as a whole and one that continues to inspire me greatly on a day-to-day basis.

Magdalene: Lots of different people, but mainly my parents.

Gauthier: Those that inspire me the most are, honestly, the people I spend my time around every day — my colleagues at Perlego. Some of my employees have been with me since the very beginning and I’m lucky to be surrounded by such a hard-working group of people. Witnessing their dedication never fails to inspire me to keep pushing myself. But it’s not only the work and daily grind that matters; the amazing company culture we’ve developed makes me realise that this is a company the employees genuinely love. It’s great to take a step back sometimes to see how much we all matter to each other.

Harriet: Women who have risen to the upper echelons within publishing, or have set up their own agencies, imprints, publishing houses or initiatives, are incredibly inspiring and are paving the way for others to follow in their footsteps. Additionally, I am encouraged by those who are working to showcase the inspirational work women do within the industry, such as The FLIP, and those who champion inclusivity through seeking to diversify the publishing workforce, as well as opening up what has been a historically privileged industry to those of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Do you have any advice for people hoping to make a difference?

Beth: Working in bookselling is not  as idyllic as it appears in film and media — in reality there’s a lot of graft and you do have to work hard to get good results. I have got some horrifically entertaining anecdotes of my time in bookselling, but it can be incredibly rewarding and the results are often tremendous. Bookshops and booksellers are an integral part of the book industry and without them, publishing would be a lot blander, so treat booksellers with the same kindness that you would extend to others. Social media is also an incredible tool for reaching out to people, connecting and networking. Always be kind, there are some truly wonderful people working in the industry and it’s definitely one of the friendliest industries that I’ve come across! Focus on your passion — strive towards it and you will be successful.

Ellie: Don’t worry so much about work experience, instead focus on your skills. Decide which area of publishing you want to go in and then pinpoint what you’ll need. If you want to be an editor, find a proof-reading course or contact publishers with open submissions and volunteer as a reader. If you want to get into marketing, hone your social media skills, and if you want to get into publicity attend events and build up a network. If you want to work in sales get some bookshop experience or volunteer at your library. Sign up for temp roles at publishing recruitment agencies and join communities of other young publishers via Twitter or the SYP. The best way to get into the industry is to ingratiate yourself into the industry, and it’s so much fun when you get started!

Gauthier: There’s no easy way, because there’s always a multitude of different things at play. I would say you first need to put in the time to think about what it is in the book industry that needs changing and what ideas you have that can do just that. It’s rare that someone will just have a spontaneous lightbulb-moment that leads to a brilliant idea. Alongside that, you also need motivation and dedication to continue with your idea for what may be very little reward in the beginning. My first ‘office’ was the Pret near Paddington because I could hole-up there all day with 99p coffees — definitely not a glamorous CEO lifestyle! Finally, I suggest that those starting out in the industry (whether young or old) surround themselves with the right people — those who are as dedicated and hard-working as you, but also those that can bring something different to the table, because at the end of the day there is only so much you can do by yourself.

Harriet: Anyone can make a difference to the industry and it’s often a matter of identifying what you believe the core issues are that you’d like to help address and getting creative from there. Whether it’s engaging in schemes like Spare Room Project; getting involved with WiP, PiP or BAME in Publishing events; commissioning thoughtfully and providing a platform for underrepresented or marginalised groups; supporting local bookshops and libraries; mentoring writers or simply taking the time to give advice and guidance to those hoping to get a foot in the door – supporting and showing kindness to others who wish to climb the publishing ladder is invaluable.

Magdalene: Talk to people, attend talks, learn from other people’s journeys –so much happens in publishing and at times it can be overwhelming, but sending someone an email to pick their brains works more often than not (try it!).

The Trailblazer Awards are run by The London Book Fair in partnership with the Publishers Association, and are supported by the Society of Young Publishers and BookBrunch. Thank you and congratulations to the 2020 Trailblazer Award Winners.