The Kim Scott Walwyn Prize is the first award to recognise the professional achievements of women in publishing.
The prize commemorates the life and career of Kim Scott Walwyn (pictured left), who was a Publishing Director at Oxford University Press.
She was an outstanding editor and generous and inspirational manager whose career was widely recognised and celebrated in many tributes during her life.
The prize committee
Professor Dame Gillian Beer DBE, FBA, (King Edward VII Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge)
Catherine Clarke (literary agent at the Felicity Bryan Agency)
Denise Johnstone-Burt (editor at Walker Books)
Kate Jury (formerly a marketing director for Oxford University Press)
Hermione Lee (writer and Professor of English at University of Oxford)
Fiona Maddocks (Chief Arts Feature Editor, Evening Standard)
Sarah O’Brien (formerly a production director for Oxford University Press)
Francine Stock (novelist and broadcaster).
2008 prize
Clare Alexander was awarded the 2008 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize at a ceremony at St Anne's College, Oxford, on 8 May.
Hermione Lee of the prize committee said: 'Clare has exactly the combination of professionalism, inspirational editorial influence and know-how, shrewd good sense and range of skills that Kim Scott Walwyn would have admired.
'From a very high quality shortlist, the judges of the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize are delighted to announce Clare Alexander as the winner for 2008.'
The shortlisted candidates for the 2008 prize were announced on 16 April:
Clare Alexander, Agent, Aitken Alexander Associates
Eleo Gordon, Editorial Editor, Viking
Alison Kennedy, Production and Distribution Director, Egmont UK
Jessica Kingsley, Chairman and Managing Director, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Read more about the shortlisted candidates (Microsoft Word .doc 99Kb)
2007 prize
The winner of the 2007 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize was Annette Thomas, Managing Director of Nature Publishing Group. She received a cheque for £3,000 at a ceremony at St Anne’s College, Oxford, on 10 May.
Read the press release (Microsoft Word .doc 93Kb)
Shortlisted candidates
Rebecca Carter, Editor at Large, Random House
Susanna Lob, Head of Marketing, Reference and Online Publishing, Oxford University Press
Annette Thomas, Managing Director of Nature Publishing Group
2007 shortlist announcement (Microsoft Word .doc 73Kb)
Criteria
The judges particularly look for the qualities that marked Kim’s own career and the careers of those she encouraged – intellectual rigour, excellence in any area of book publishing (commissioning, editing, design and production, marketing, sales) and the ability to form and lead creative and innovative publishing teams.
The judges also look for women who show outstanding potential in their careers as well as high achievers.
Download the Prize Committee guidelines in full and the rules for entry (Microsoft Word .doc 35Kb)
Previous winners and shortlists
2005
Winner
Penelope Hoare, Deputy Publisher, Chatto and Windus
Shortlist
Sara Abdulla, Editor of Macmillan Science, Palgrave Macmillan
Margaret Bluman, Editor and Contracts Director at Penguin
Lynne Patrick, founder of Creme de la Crime
2004
Winner
Lynette Owen, Copyright Director, Pearson Education
Shortlist
Rebecca Swift, Founder of the Literary Consultancy
Carole Welch, Publisher, Sceptre
Troth Wells, Founder Member and Book Publisher at New Internationalist Publications
Prize information
The prize is administered by Booktrust.
Prize information
Helen Hayes
020 8516 2960
helen@booktrust.org.uk
Press enquiries
Katherine Solomon
020 8875 4583
katherine.solomon@booktrust.org.uk
