RovingHeights shortlisted for the 2023 London Book Fair (LBF) International Excellence Awards

RovingHeights, a prominent bookstore in Nigeria, has received special recognition from the London Book Fair (LBF) International Excellence Awards. It was nominated in the Bookstore of the Year Award category alongside three other bookstores, making it the only African nominee to make its debut on this year’s list.

The International Excellence Awards celebrates outstanding publishing achievements in four categories, highlighting individuals and organizations from across the globe who demonstrate passion, creativity, and innovation.

The judging panel, consisting of experts within each sector, selected the shortlist for each award category as the IEAs entered its tenth anniversary year. In an official statement, the judges expressed their admiration for RovingHeights, describing it as a shining example of literacy and reading. “We loved the entry from RovingHeights in Nigeria. Supported by an impressive online bookstore, social media penetration and revenues, RovingHeights acts as a beacon for literacy and reading and helps programmes that gift books to children, IDP (internally displaced persons) Camps and prison inmates. The owners are young, ambitious for their community and ones to watch and support.”

“This special commendation is a huge validation for the work that we do in increasing access to good books for our beloved customers in Nigeria- and it provides a timely impetus to do more,” Adedotun Eyinade, the co-founder of RovingHeights said.

Tobi Eyinade, Co-founder, RovingHeights

Also commenting on the recognition, one of the co-founders of RovingHeights, Tobi Eyinade, added that “Running a thriving bookstore that is beloved by many has only been possible by the support of our stellar team, publishers, authors and customers
whose confidence and patronage keep us in business. We are indeed encouraged to do more to counter the narrative that we are not a reading society.”

Co-founder, RovingHeights

“It is heartening to know that our efforts are getting the right notice. The commendation from the judges is a fillip for us to continue to strive for excellence,” Adebola Eyinade, co-founder at RovingHeights, added.

See the shortlist below:

The Audiobook Publisher of the Year

Macmillan Audio (USA)
Princeton University Press (USA)
Pushkin Industries (USA)
Readyland LLC (USA)–special commendation

The Bookstore of the Year Award

Dukagjini Bookstore (Kosovo)
MINOA (Turkey)
STRANDLÄUFER Verlagsbuchhandlung (Germany)
Rovingheights (Nigeria) – Special Commendation

The Sustainability Initiative Award

Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
New Society Publishers (Canada)
Penguin Random House (UK)

Eligible for entries from the UK only:

Inclusivity in Publishing Award

Bloomsbury Publishing
Bonnier Books
Springer Nature

The winners of the International Excellence Awards, as well as the recipient of the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award, will be honoured at a public ceremony at Olympia London on Wednesday, April 19.