Kalachuvadu Publications has won ‘Publisher of the Year’ of the Publishing Next Industry Awards 2023, announced on Sunday, 31 March 2024. 

Based in Nagercoil, India, Kalachuvadu, a noted publisher of Tamil books, emerged first “...[for] the fearlessness with which Kalachuvadu seems to publish: books with incendiary topics, subversive yet progressive. Their books, their ideas, and their commitment to quality are truly heartening and inspiring. There’s no disputing the fact that Kalachuvadu is trying something new and something intrepid, and also socially relevant.”

This is the second time that Kalachuvadu has won ‘Publisher of the Year at the Publishing Next Industry Awards; the first was in 2018.

The annual Publishing Next Industry Awards (PNIA) recognises and rewards talent, initiative, entrepreneurship and quality in book publishing, across publishers of all sizes and in all Indian languages. Instituted by the Margoa (Goa)-based platform, Publishing Next – which promotes discussion and networking within the book publishing sector – the Publishing Next Industry Awards celebrate innovation and leadership in the pan-Indian book trade. 

The 2023 awards also rewarded excellence in editing, illustration, cover design and book production. The Publishing Next Industry Award for Bookstore of the Year – the only prize in the country for independent bookshops – was not announced this year due to an insufficient number of entries in the award category. 

Leonard Fernandes, co-founder of Publishing Next, said, “The fact that these Awards have been presented consecutively for 10 years now, and in a wide array of categories, speaks to both, the respect the Awards have garnered from the publishing community as well as its commitment towards continuously encouraging publishing excellence.”

Winners and runners-up of Publishing Next Industry Awards 2023:

Editor of the Year

Winner: Sayantan Ghosh, Simon & Schuster India

Runner-Up: Ishita Gupta, Yoda Press

Illustrator of the Year

Winner: Shubham Lakhera, Nominated by Room to Read India

Runner-Up: Suha Riyaz Khopatkar, Nominated by People Place Project

Book Cover of the Year (Children's Books) 

Winner: The Vanguards of Azad Hind. Designed by Samar Bansal, illustrator: Mohith O. Published by Penguin Random House India

Runner-Up: Abanindranath’s House of Stories. Designed by Rohina Thapar. Published by Art1st and KNMA

Book Cover of the Year (Indian Languages)

Winner: Kere Dada (Kannada). Designed by Sudhakar Darbe. Published by Bahuroopi

Runner-Up: Krantikari: Bharat ke Swatantrata Sangram Ki Ek Alag Kahani (Hindi). Designed by Wasim Helal Calligraphy: Nikheel Aphale. Published by HarperCollins Publishers India

Book Cover of the Year (English)

Winner: The Keepers of Knowledge: Writings from Mizoram. Designed by Nori Norbhu. Published by Zubaan Books

Runner-Up: Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India. Designed by Akila Seshasayee. Published by Navayana

Children's Book of the Year (for ages 0-8) 

Winner: Who’s Afraid of Z? Not Me! by Lubaina Bandukwala. Illustrator: Allen Shaw. Published by HarperCollins Publishers India

Runner-Up: The Girl Who Loved Words: Mahesweta Devi by Lavanya Karthik. Published by Penguin Random House India

Children’s Book of the Year (for ages 8+)

Winner: Our Beautiful World by Bibek Bhattacharya. Illustrator: Joanna Davala. Published by Pratham Books

Runner-Up: Lost in Translation by Jyoti Shinoli. Illustrator: Tanvi Parulkar. Published by Karadi Tales

Printed Book of the Year (Indian Languages)

Winner: Mera Business Meri Kahani by Vishwajoyoti Ghosh, Shrutika Mathur, and Nishtha Vadehra. Published by Yoda Press

Runner-Up: Zindagi Kaise Jiyein by Ruskin Bond / Translator: DK Gupta. Published by HarperCollins Publishers India

Printed Book of the Year (Art, Illustration and Photography)

Winner: Paachakam: Heritage Cuisine of Kerala by Sabita Radhakrishna. Published by Roli Books

Runner-Up: Meera Mukherjee: Breaking Moulds by Vaishali Shroff. Illustrator: Shivam Chaudhary. Published by Art1st and KNMA

Printed Book of the Year (English)

Winner: Marginlands by Arati Kumar-Rao. Published by Pan Macmillan India

Runner-Up: Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Published by HarperCollins Publishers India

Publisher of the Year

Winner: Kalachuvadu Publications 

Runner-Up: Yoda Press