Telegram Editor shortlisted for Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2012

Rukhsana Yasmin, our very own commissioning editor, has been shortlisted for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2012 - the only national prize to recognise both the professional achievements and promise of female publishers. The four talented women in the running were revealed at the London Book Fair during a seminar entitled 'Getting Ahead in Publishing' run by the Prize's partner, the Society of Young Publishers. Each shortlisted candidate will receive a one-day training course to aid their career development, courtesy of The Publishing Training Centre.

The judges said:

'Rukhsana came across as a remarkable candidate in her application, communicating her passion and commitment for the authors and books she has commissioned. At Profile she introduced some original works from unlikely sources including Wilbert Rideau's In the Place of Justice. She also spotted the potential and importance of a book that was freely available as a digital download - From Dictatorship to Democracy - and with the support of the author turned it into an international bestseller in paperback. Rukshana has recently returned to Saqi books as a Commissioning Editor with a determination to commission and publish works that are original and important, reflecting her own passion for communicating science, ideas, and remarkable life stories to as wide an audience as possible.'

From the Mouth of the Whale shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2012

Telegram is delighted to announce the shortlisting of Sjón's novel From the Mouth of the Whale for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2012. Telegram publisher Lynn Gaspard said: 'We are thrilled that Sjón has secured a well-deserved place on the shortlist. From the Mouth of the Whale is bursting with wondrous prose and wit. Victoria Cribb has garnered much deserved praise for the quality of her translation and has, from the publisher's point of view, been a dream translator. We are very proud to be their publisher. I am also proud to share such a fantastic shortlist with four other independent publishers.'

From the Mouth of the Whale joins the shortlist with Alice by Judith Hermann, Blooms of Darkness by Aharon Appelfeld, Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke, New Finnish Grammar by Diego Marani and The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco.

Sjón's new novel The Whispering Muse will be published by Telegram in June 2012. David Mitchell has described it as 'quirky, melodic, ticklish ... a gem of a novel.'

Maggie Gee made OBE

A massive congratulations to Saqi and Telegram author Maggie Gee, who has been awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours list for her services to literature.

Maggie has published many novels to great acclaim, including The White Family, shortlisted for the 2003 Orange Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. She was the first female Chair of the Royal Society of Literature and is now one of its Vice-Presidents.

She is also a member of Brent SOS Libraries group and has been campaigning tirelessly alongside residents to save the Kensal Rise branch.

Nawal el Saadawi wins Women of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award 2011

Saqi Books is delighted to announce that the Egyptian writer, novelist and activist, Nawal el Sadaawi is the winner of the Good Housekeeping Women of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award 2011.

The award recognises a woman who has achieved significant cultural, social, economic or political success, both domestically and internationally. The judges believe that Nawal El Sadaawi, who - as she approaches her landmark 80th birthday - is 'still inspiring students and women to fight for their beliefs.'

Author of over 40 books that have been translated into over 30 languages, Nawal El Saadawi has fought relentlessly against injustice and the barriers faced by women in Egypt, both in her work as a physician and psychiatrist and in her writing. Nawal is very happy to have been honoured with this award, adding 'it means that my creative work gains more and more recognition from my peers and others and it will help other groups in other countries to recognise my work, too. Winning this award encourages me to continue my creative dissident writing and fighting.'

Aamer Hussein's The Cloud Messenger shortlisted for Muslim Writers Awards 2011

Muslim Writers Awards was founded in 2006 to harness creative talent and nurture aspiring writers within the Muslim community. Since its inception, it has grown to become a landmark calendar event in the Muslim writers' calendar, and attracts support from a broad range of organisations in the UK.

This year we are pleased to announce that The Cloud Messenger by Aamer Hussein has been shortlisted for the Prize alongside Cairo-born author, Bahaa Taher, and Iranian writer, Shahriar Mandanipour. The awards ceremony will take place on the 22nd November at the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Telegram moves into e-book Publishing.

This week Saqi and Telegram took its first few tentative steps towards the new digital era of e-book publishing. Eeek. We intend to make most of our titles available in this format over time but to get the ball rolling, you can now download some of our best sellers; Sjon's From the Mouth of the Whale, Andrew Kaufman's All My Friends are Superheroes, and Mischa Hiller's Shake Off.

Hopefully this means you'll be able to take your favourite Telegram titles with you wherever you go. Happy e-booking.

Sjón's The Blue Fox shortlisted for Jan Michalski Prize.

The Jan Michalski Prize for Literature is attributed each year by the Foundation to crown a work of world literature. An original feature of the Prize is its multicultural nature. It is open to authors from the world over and is intended to contribute to their international recognition. Telegram is pleased to announce that this year Sjón's The Blue Fox is in the running. The authors of short-listed works will be invited for a three-month period of residence in the Maison de l'Ecriture.

Mischa Hiller's Sabra Zoo has won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize First Book Award in the South Asia and Europe Category!

The Commonwealth Writers' Prize is one of the world's most important literary awards, presented annually by the Commonwealth Foundation with the support of the Macquarie Group Foundation.

Established in 1987, the prize aims to recognise the best fiction by both established and new writers from Commonwealth countries and ensure these works reach a wider audience outside their countries of origin.

Bi Feiyu's Three Sisters has won the Man Asian Literary Prize 2010!

The Man Asian Literary Prize is given annually to the best novel by an Asian writer, either written in English or translated into English. The prize is the most important award handed out annually to writers across Asia - and is the region' s equivalent of the Man Booker and Pulitzer Prizes.

Bi Feiyu beat off tough competition from highly acclaimed writers from across Asia including Japan's Kenzaburo Oe, winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Congratulations Bi!

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Last modified on April 19, 2012  | © Telegram 2005