Chorleywood Bookshop crowned Vintage Independent Bookshop of the Year 2016

Chorleywood Bookshop has been named the Vintage Independent Bookshop of the Year 2016, making it the first shop to have won the prize twice.

The Chorleywood Bookshop team, which first took the title in 2012, was presented with the award at the Vintage Independent Booksellers’ Conference by bestselling author Tracy Chevalier last week.

The competition, now in its sixth year, is open to independent bookshops of all sizes and is awarded to the shop that, in the judges’ opinion, has promoted Vintage Books with "the most creativity and passion". 

Chorleywood was singled out by this year's judges, Vintage brand director Ruth Waldram, campaigns manager Rosanna Boscawen, and PRH’s partnership manager for independent retailers Kate Gunning, for its "sustained and varied" programme of activity over the summer. It included a Reading the World promotion of Vintage titles, work with five different book clubs, specially designed POS and extensive coverage online and on social media. The shop also partnered with a local school, offered staff recommendations, a supper club and a toddlers’ story-time group.

The team from Chorleywood Bookshop with Tracy Chevalier (third left).

In second place was Wenlock Books, which held a Vintage Day, with a Pimms party, displays, a children’s book club and booksellers’ choices, underpinned by social media activity. Third place was awarded to Word Power Books, a radical bookshop that adapted Vintage’s backlist to suit the shop’s clientele and to mark the business’s 21st birthday.

Gunning said: "We were delighted with the response to this year's competition, and with the overall standard of the entries. I always love seeing the different ways in which bookshops celebrate Vintage. Once again, this year, they pulled out all the stops. Many thanks from everyone at Vintage to the shops that entered, and our warmest congratulations to Chorleywood, Wenlock Books and Word Power."

A spokesperson for Chorleywood Bookshop said the shop was "thrilled" by the win, adding: "We love working with Vintage, their wide and talented range of authors have and are still producing some of the greatest literary works of our time. I would like to say thank you to the wonderful team at the Chorleywood Bookshop without whom this prestigious award would not be possible."

The award, launched by Vintage to celebrate independent bookshops throughout the country, last year went to The Bookshop Kibworth.