International Report: Luiz Schwarcz to Receive the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award 2017
The London Book Fair has announced that the recipient of the LBF Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 will be Luiz Schwarcz, Publisher of Penguin Random House’s Brazilian sister publisher, Companhia das Letras.
Mr. Schwarcz is one of the most commercially successful and culturally influential figures in Brazilian publishing. He co-founded Companhia das Letras, with his wife, the historian and anthropologist Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, in 1986. Since then, it has made a profound and unique contribution to book publishing in Brazil, having published over 5,000 titles across fiction and nonfiction. In October 2016, the company celebrated its 30th anniversary; and according to Nielsen’s report that year the Companhia das Letras Group held the largest market share of trade publishing in Brazil.
Luiz Schwarcz “I feel deeply honored,” said Mr. Schwarcz, “and also humbled to receive the news that I have been granted the Lifetime Achievement Award by The London Book Fair. Honored to be part of this incredible group of publishers that includes some of my heroes. And humbled as I always think that part of my job is to help authors to be awarded and that all the prizes should go to them. I am particularly happy to have my name next to Deborah Rogers’, one of my greatest friends in publishing and whom I admire and deeply miss. I consider that the award is for all the people who helped me to build Companhia das Letras.”
The London Book Fair’s Advisory Board, under the chairmanship of David Roche, Non-Executive Chair, The London Book Fair, voted for Mr. Schwarcz from a shortlist of international publishing figures.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made a truly significant mark in the sphere of global publishing. It is open to publishers, agents, editors, scouts and anyone else involved in international publishing from any country in the world. Last year the award was presented to Baroness Gail Rebuck DBE, Chair, Penguin Random House UK Board.
The Lifetime Achievement Award in International Publishing will be presented at the International Excellence Awards on March 14 in London.