INDIE BOOKSHOPS ON THE RISE AS PASSION, COMMUNITY AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE “ BET TER THAN AN ALGORITHM”

22nd February 2024

1404

77 independent bookshops selected as regional and country finalists for
The British Book Awards 2024 Independent Bookshop of the Year, announced today

Independent bookshops from across the United Kingdom and Ireland continue to thrive with creative,
specialist and community-centred activities boosting sales in the face of the cost-of-living and businessrates crises.

In the largest cohort yet, there are 77 independent bookshops listed across nine different regions and
countries, including ten in London, North England, Scotland, South-East England and South-West England
respectively, eight in East England and Midlands, six in the Island of Ireland and five in Wales.

The British Book Awards 2024 Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, sponsored by book wholesaler
Gardners, celebrates stores that are at the centre of local communities, bringing passion and knowledge to
the shop floor.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller managing editor, said: “One of the things that is driven home by the selection process
for this award is how lucky book buyers in the UK and Ireland are as we are truly in an independent bookshop
renaissance. This year’s cohort is one of the strongest I have seen in my 15 years judging this award. Indies have
come out of the pandemic and into a cost-of-living and business rates crises, yet still through innovation and
creativity thrive as never before. They are lynchpins for our high street, bringing jobs, footfall and communities
together. You can’t really pin these indies down as they encompass general booksellers and those who sell into
niches; or new shops which have bravely opened in the shadow of the pandemic to businesses that have literally
been trading for centuries. But if there is a through-line it is that their collective knowledge and passion shine through
and prove once again how much better shop floor expertise is than an algorithm.”

The shops will vie to win their region first before contending for the overall prize, which will be announced when The
British Book Awards ceremony returns to Grosvenor House London on Monday 13th May 2024. The overall Independent
Bookshop of the Year winner will also be in the running to be crowned Book Retailer of the Year.

Previous overall winners – including Nottingham’s Five Leaves Bookshop (Midlands) in 2018 and Crickhowell’s
Book-ish (Wales) in 2020 – return as finalists this year.

Meanwhile, two stores will be seeking a hattrick, with Edinburgh Bookshop (Scotland) and Forum Books (North
England) crowned regional winners in both 2022 and 2023. They join three others of last year’s regional winners –
The Rabbit Hole (Midlands), Mostly Books (South-East England) and Niche Comics Bookshop (East England) – in
being recognised among this year’s finalists.

Bookshops fueled by a specialist knowledge and passion continue to flourish, with the regional and country finalists
including Niche Comics Bookshop (East England), a specialist comic-book store in Cambridgeshire’s Huntingdon; Round
Table Books CIC (London), a community-driven bookshop in the heart of Brixton; Poetry Pharmacy (Midlands), the store
that prescribes poems for life’s ailments in the Shropshire Hills; Afrori Books (South-East England), Brighton’s
shop with one of the biggest selection of books by black authors in one place; and House of Books & Friends (North
England), the purpose-led bookshop combatting loneliness in the city centre of Manchester. Meanwhile, specialist
children’s bookshops Bookbugs and Dragon Tales (East England), Children’s Bookshop (London) and The Childrens
Bookshelf (Midlands) continue to be celebrated.

Ruth Gardner, Gardners’ UK Sales Manager, said: “We are proud to be sponsoring the Independent Bookseller of the
Year award for the 15th consecutive year! Each year throws up new challenges and it great to see so many bookshops
adapt and change to meet these challenges. We know it hasn’t been easy for many, but it’s amazing to see so many thriving. The year’s list is a tough one again with every entry being a worthy winner. We’d like to wish them all the
very best of luck and can’t wait to be part of this journey with them.”

The Regional and Country Winners of the Independent Bookshop of the Year award will be announced on Tuesday
12th March, whilst the overall winner will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor
House London on Monday 13th May 2024.

Join the conversation by following The Bookseller on Twitter and Instagram and using #BritishBookAwards

Midlands
The Rabbit Hole | Brigg
The Childrens Bookshelf | Hereford

Liznojan Books | Tiverton
Bookhaus | Bristol
Bert’s Books | Swindon

Wales
Gwisgo Ltd | Aberaeron

The Bookshop Mold | Mold

Book-ish | Crickhowell

The Bookshop by the Sea | Aberystwyth

Cover to Cover | Swansea

Help keep news FREE for our readers

Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The South Wales Chronicle

Summer recess: What is it and what does the Senedd do…

Wales’ minister for the constitution questioned on fair funding and Welsh…

Vaping, healthy environments, and nutritious food among the priorities for Wales’…

Families across Wales will be able to access “simpler, more consistent”…

INDIE BOOKSHOPS ON THE RISE AS PASSION, COMMUNITY AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE “ BET TER THAN AN ALGORITHM”

Help keep news FREE for our readers