Another month has whizzed by, and so here is my monthly round-up of industry news for February.

Have I missed anything important to you and your business? Please add it in the comments.

In exciting news in the UK, The Book Trade Charity has launched a new scheme which offers affordable housing to publishing professionals in London. It has been created for young people wishing to enter the industry, apprentices, those on long-term internships and those who are currently in their first roles. It’s a great step towards promoting diversity and inclusivity.

In the US the Audio Publishers Association announced the 2021 Audie Awards Finalists. This is the 26th year of Audie awards and the finalists were drawn from 1,500 initial submissions. The winners’ event will be streamed in March.

In the UK there is some hope that bookshops can re-open from 12th April as part of the latest roadmap for easing coronavirus restrictions. The Booksellers Association is planning a social media campaign and ensuring the shops have safety kits with signage and floor stickers to help guide customers.

The British Book Awards unveiled a shortlist of 44 presses for this prize which celebrates innovative and nimble publishers across the UK. The overall winner will be revealed during the online British Book Awards ceremony on 13th May 2021.

Publishing Scotland has announced £23,000 in new translation grants. The program has been designed to offer support for publishers based outside the United Kingdom by offering them funds to pay for translation fees to translate Scottish writers.

And, in US schools news, Macmillan Learning in the US ran a new annual contest called ‘Black History, Black Stories’. Both students and instructors were able to submit either a short essay and a picture or a brief video drawing on inspiration from Black history, events, movements, or leaders.  

Would you like to share any of your own book news? Please leave comments below.

Laura Summers runs BookMachine, the fast-growing community and agency specialising in book publishing. Their mission is to provide every publishing professional with knowledge, ideas and connections to help them to progress in their careers.