Sweet Cherry Publishing Celebrates Triple Nomination at The British Book Awards 2025

Sweet Cherry Publishing is proud to announce its nomination in three prestigious categories at this year’s British Book Awards (The Nibbies): Small Press of the Year, Children’s Publisher of the Year and, a first for the publishing house, Academic, Educational and Professional Publisher of the Year!

This marks a historic moment for Sweet Cherry, as the independent Midlands-based publisher celebrates its first-ever triple nomination. The recognition highlights the company’s commitment to making reading accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, with a special focus on its groundbreaking new imprint, Every Cherry Publishing.

Launched in 2024, Every Cherry is dedicated to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), offering expertly crafted books designed to support hesitant and reluctant readers. This initiative has been widely praised for filling a long-standing gap in the industry, earning Sweet Cherry a place among the UK’s top educational publishers.

Beyond publishing, Sweet Cherry has remained deeply engaged with schools, libraries and educational organisations. The company has actively donated books to many libraries, including those in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust (NLT), and continues to play a pivotal role in supporting education through various outreach efforts. Notably, Sweet Cherry team members regularly participate in portfolio reviews at universities across the country, offering guidance to students preparing for careers in publishing. They also contribute to secondary school interview preparation sessions and host workshops for primary school students, fostering a love of reading from an early age. Through Every Cherry, they work closely with SEND schools, ensuring that children with additional needs have access to inclusive and engaging literature.

The British Book Awards’ judges had high praise for Sweet Cherry:

Small Press of the Year: “Sweet Cherry is the Midlands winner. It is rewarded for Every Cherry, its groundbreaking new imprint for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, another step in its mission to make reading available to all, regardless of circumstances.” – The Bookseller

Academic, Educational and Professional Publisher of the Year: “Sweet Cherry’s spot here, having been shortlisted several times for the Children’s Publisher of the Year, shows its versatility and passion for education. 2024 brought the launch of the new Every Cherry imprint to serve Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) children. Its books, full of sensory elements, are filling a glaring shortage of material for hesitant and reluctant readers.” – The Bookseller

Children’s Publisher of the Year: “Sales grew by nearly half at Sweet Cherry in 2024, with schools, libraries, exports and licensing markets all flourishing. It is also shortlisted in the Academic, Educational and Professional category for Every Cherry, which embodies Sweet Cherry’s passion for diversifying publishing and making books accessible.” – The Bookseller

Sanjee de Silva, Publisher at Sweet Cherry, shared his excitement about the nominations: “We’re thrilled to learn that we’re nominated in not one or two, but THREE categories in The Nibbies. This is a first for Sweet Cherry and is the perfect way to end a year of other firsts… countless new territories, great sales success and, of course, the launch of Every Cherry! The Cherries are very excited for the ceremony and we wish all of our fellow nominees the best of luck!”

As Sweet Cherry continues to expand its reach into new territories and champion diverse, inclusive, and accessible publishing, this recognition serves as a powerful testament to its mission. The company looks forward to celebrating with fellow industry leaders at the British Book Awards ceremony.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Morgan Lloyd | Senior Marketing Executive | morgan@sweetcherrypublishing.com