Fremantle Press in the running for the 2025 Bologna Book Prize
Fremantle Press has been shortlisted for the Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publisher in the Oceania Region for the second year in a row.
Inaugurated in 2013, the prize celebrates publishing innovation, and the creative nature of the editorial choices publishers have made for books published in the previous year.
Fremantle Press children’s publisher Cate Sutherland said she was honoured to see her list gaining recognition internationally for the second year running. She said, ‘This goes to show that your list can be small but mighty. We are tiny but we’re representing a large pool of talented Western Australian storytellers. We believe every book on our list is unique, compelling and engaging and we’re extremely proud to showcase what our local storytellers bring to the international arena.’
CEO of Fremantle Press, Alex Allan, said Fremantle Press would be celebrating 50 years of independent publishing in 2026, and that this would also mark the 35-year anniversary of its children’s list. She said, ‘The children’s list is extremely important to our success, as are the talented creators of the titles we publish. Whether we’re publishing dual-language First Nations picture books, helping increase the representation of gender diverse storytellers, or sharing untold stories by inspirational Western Australians, our goal is always to entertain, thereby encouraging a love for reading that will last a lifetime.’
The prize recognises the publishers that have most distinguished themselves for their professional and intellectual skills, with prizes awarded in each of the six areas of the world: Africa, Caribbean, Central and South America, North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The award is designed to foster a mutual exchange of knowledge and ideas among different countries, areas and cultural identities.
The winners are selected by the exhibitors at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and are chosen from among the shortlisted publishing houses nominated by their peers: publishers, publishers’ associations and institutions devoted to reading promotion worldwide. Exhibitors participating in the forthcoming BCBF can vote for their favourite publishing houses in the reserved exhibitors’ area on the BCBF website. The winners will be announced during the BCBF (31 March to 3 April 2025).