Sefika Awards announced

Image via Pixabay

The annual event is set to thank and celebrate both booksellers and publishers for the roles they play in promoting literacy and a culture of reading by producing and selling quality books in South Africa. The theme for this year's gala event was 50 Shades of Colour.

Bookseller awards

The booksellers awards, voted for by their colleagues in the publishing sector went to:

• Best Academic Bookseller of the Year - Van Schaik Bookstore

• Best Education Bookseller of the Year - Adams Booksellers
• Best Library Supplier of the Year - Hargraves Library Services
• Best Trade Bookseller of the Year (Chain Store) - Exclusive Books

• Best Trade Bookseller of the Year (Independent) - The Book Lounge

Winning publishers

• Best Academic Publisher of the Year - Oxford University Press Southern Africa
• Best Education Publisher of the Year (Large) - MacMillan Education South Africa
• Best Education Publisher of the Year (Small) - Berlut Books CC
• Best Trade Publisher of the Year - Pan MacMillan South Africa

Nielsen Booksellers Choice Award

The final award for the evening, the Nielsen Booksellers Choice Award is bestowed upon a local author for a South African published book that booksellers most enjoyed selling or that sold so well that it made a difference to the bottom line of booksellers across the country. This is a special award and the industry, as a whole, celebrated Marguerite Poland who won this year with her book, 'The Keeper', published by Penguin Books South Africa.

The short-listed books were:

• 150 Stories, by Nataniël le Roux - Human & Rousseau
• Goeiemôre Mnr Mandela, by Zelda la Grange - Penguin Books South Africa
• Kamphoer, by Francois Smith - Tafelberg Publishers
• Low Carb is Lekker, by Inè Reynierse - Struik Publishers
• The Keeper, by Marguerite Poland - Penguin Books South Africa