Pan Macmillan wins Publishing Next top honour

On 12 January, the winners of the 12th edition of the Publishing Next Industry Awards were announced in New Delhi. The Awards served as a landmark celebration of the Indian book trade’s resilience and creativity, recognising talent and entrepreneurship across all languages and publisher sizes. 

The ceremony was preceded by a keynote from Gaelle Bohe and a panel discussion titled Five Years On: Mapping the New Terrain of Indian Publishing, which explored the industry’s post-pandemic evolution and the shifting definitions of the future of books in India.

Pan Macmillan India was named Publisher of the Year for its exceptional ability to balance a prestigious, award-winning editorial list with significant commercial success. The jury highlighted their design innovation and thoughtful, community-driven engagement as benchmarks that have consistently elevated contemporary publishing standards. Yoda Press was recognised as the runner-up in this category.

The Editor of the Year accolade was awarded to Lokesh Malti Prakash, endorsed by the Eklavya Foundation. He was celebrated for his visionary leadership and empathy, and his ability to build a diverse, collaborative list that elevates both the craft and the broader culture of publishing, followed by runner-up Seema.

Rajiv Eipe, endorsed by HarperCollins India, secured the Illustrator of the Year title for his distinctive and joyful artistry. The jury praised his technical mastery of composition and his use of brilliant light and colour to create immersive, humorous scenes that bring every page to life. Ogin Nayam, endorsed by Pratham Books, was named the runner-up.

In the Book Cover of the Year (Children’s Books) category, the award went to Richa Shubhangi for her work on Kempi, published by Awwa Pustaka. The design was lauded for its bold, interactive mask concept and vivid red palette, which transformed a children’s book into a multi-sensory experience. The runner-up was Samar Bansal for Baloo’s Big Win, published by Puffin.

The Book Cover of the Year (Indian Languages) was awarded to Trinankur Banerjee for his work on On Merleau-Ponty, published by Jadavpur University Press. The sophisticated cubist design was noted for its ability to transform complex philosophy into an eye-catching and accessible visual journey. Shiraz Hussain’s cover for Phans, published by Rajkamal Prakashan, took the runner-up spot.

The Book Cover of the Year (English) saw a joint victory between Aakriti Khurana and Aashim Raj. Khurana was recognised for the tactile, garden-inspired brilliance of Bird Milk and Mosquito Bones (Penguin Random House India), while Raj was honoured for the modular, mosaic-like design of Maria, Just Maria (HarperCollins India). The runner-up was Amit Malhotra for The Many Lives of Pauloma Chattopadhyay.

For Printed Book of the Year (Children’s, Ages 0-8), the winner was Nila Nila, published by T4tales. Written and composed by Gurupriya Atreya and Vedanth Bharadwaj and illustrated by Vaishnavi Giri, the book was praised for its innovative use of tactility and scent to bridge the gap between traditional Tamil oral culture and high-quality physical storytelling. Tulika Publishers’ Go Go Flamingo was the runner-up.

In the Printed Book of the Year (Children’s, Ages 8+) category, Master of the 7 Swars by Pratyush Gupta, published by Roli Books, claimed the top prize. The jury described it as a genre-bending adventure that uses masterful pop-up engineering and light-reactive shadows to pioneer new standards in interactive children’s literature. The runner-up was Kya, Hai Kya Ye from the Eklavya Foundation.

Printed Book of the Year (Art, Illustration, and Photography) was awarded to Theyyam: Indian Folk Ritual Theatre - An Insider’s Vision by KK Gopalakrishnan, published by Niyogi Books. The title was celebrated as a premium, collectible masterpiece that combines fantastic photography with ethnographic precision to honour India’s cultural heritage. Food and Farming: A Journey Through India in Comics from Leftword Books was the runner-up.

The award for Printed Book of the Year (Indian Languages) went to Gungunaiye by Gulzar, published by Radhakrishna Prakashan. The book was commended for its cohesive and appealing presentation, featuring stunning endpapers, creative section dividers, and meticulous attention to every detail of the bookmaking process. The runner-up was Bhojan aur Pachan by Eklavya Foundation.

Finally, the Printed Book of the Year (English) was awarded to Our Potpourri Planet by Ranjit Lal, published by HarperCollins India. The work was lauded for defining a new standard in environmental literature by merging wry storytelling with exquisite pointillist illustrations to create an essential call to ecological action. Manu Pillai’s Gods, Guns and Missionaries was the runner-up.

By honouring a diverse spectrum of talent — from major commercial houses to niche publishers and individual technical masters — the 12th edition of the Publishing Next Industry Awards highlighted an industry that is both resilient and experimental. 

As the award-winning titles move from the spotlight to bookshelves across the country, they represent a collective commitment to high-fidelity storytelling and inclusive representation, setting a sophisticated technical and editorial benchmark for the year ahead.