Small is beautiful

The release this week of The British Book Awards regional and country finalists for the Small Press and Independent Bookshop of the Year categories is a welcome reminder—if one were needed—that big is not necessarily better, or prettier.

But first the numbers. In total there are 59 independent bookshops listed across nine different regions and countries, including nine in both South-East and South-West England, eight in North England, Scotland and Wales, seven in London, four in East England and the Midlands, and two in the Island of Ireland. Of these, 13 were new to the lists this year.

For Small Press, there are 48 finalists: nine are in London, including 2021 joint winners Boldwood Books and Magic Cat Publishing, six in Scotland and South-East England respectively, five in Wales (including the first ever entry from a Welsh-language press, Y Lolfa), North England and the Midlands respectively, four from the Island of Ireland and three in East England.

Despite the toughening conditions that materialised over 2022, it was incredibly heartening to see that across bookselling and publishing many of our finalists pulled in record numbers once again. This was building on an already impressive 2021 and notwithstanding the wear and tear of these past couple of years. In both cases there was a broadening of activity outside London, which is also to be welcomed.

Though the awards exist to acknowledge success, they are also about recognising how we are faring collectively

For Small Press, the finalists stretch from Duckworth Books, celebrating its 124th year with its best numbers to date, to newbie (to this list) Y Lolfa, the Welsh and English-language publisher, to Ireland’s Banshee Press, which expanded into the UK market for the first time in 2022. On bookshops, the first-time nominees includes Queer Lit, the former online-only LGBTQ+ specialist which opened its bricks-and-mortar store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter in 2021; the Ross and Cromarty stalwart The Ullapool Bookshop; and Leyton’s Phlox Books, which founder Aimée Madill named after the shop her parents owned in Belfast during the 1980s.

Though the awards exist to acknowledge success, they are also about recognising how we are faring collectively, and on that front we should not be too dewy-eyed. Some small presses I spoke to in the run-up to the submissions were either too swamped by the changing trading conditions to enter or had found support from chain booksellers or the various Arts Councils harder to get at. Compared to last year, there were far fewer state-supported presses entering, and a decline in the number of poetry publishers.

In retail, lockdowns took their toll on some, and the high street remains an extremely difficult place to be, as demonstrated by the plight of Afrori Books, which has traded from a physical space in Brighton since 2021, but now faces escalating costs, resulting in a crowdfunding campaign to support a move to new premises.

Ultimately, this is a moment to throw our arms around all businesses trading at this level—to celebrate the success, but also to be watchful for what is to come.