LOGIN

SUBSCRIBE

Event Assets - Nibbies

Independent Bookshop of the Year

Regional and Country Winners
Proudly sponsored by Gardners

From bookshops established over 45 years ago, to sellers who set up shop during the pandemic, independent bookshops from across the UK and Ireland are continuing to thrive as they serve their communities first.
Selected by the judges from 77 finalists announced last month, the nine regional and country winners are now in contention for the overall Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 13th May 2024. The overall Independent Bookshop of the Year winner will also compete to be crowned Book Retailer of the Year.

Gardners are sponsoring the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award for the 15th Year. The winner of this award for 2024 will win a £5,000 cash prize to be spent on their bookshop. The cheque will be presented at the Gardners Trade Show in 2024.

Winner

Book-ish

Each of the nine superb shops on this shortlist is already a winner in its own right in the regional and country rounds of this award. From this inspiring selection, it is Book-ish in Crickhowell, the Wales winner, that takes the flagship title-for the second time in its 14-year history - and the £5,000 from sponsor Gardners that goes with it.

The bookshop's numbers - four straight years of sales growth, 12 subscription schemes, 36 school events, 14 book fairs, 4,700 newsletter subscribers, 27,000 X followers are impressive by any standards. But it is the energetic team, under owner Emma Corfield-Walters, that impresses the most, organising big events, popular book clubs, writing and hobby groups and much more. They are outstanding handsellers, with creative ideas for selling more books in 2023 including "Blind Date with a Book" packages and book advent calendars.

Book-ish also knows the power of partnerships, in its community and beyond. Last year saw it sell books for various music, food and Pride festivals, work with schools to curate libraries and events, and team up with publishers, including Welsh Small Press of the Year, Firefly, for Independent Bookshop Week. It even found the time to open a second bookshop in the nearby town of Abergavenny in May, after a crowdfunding campaign that showed the strength of local support for the business.

As one publisher put it: "Emma and her brilliant team are unstoppable-a shining example of the very best of UK bookselling." The British Book Awards judges agreed. "Book-ish is just so good at everything it does ... it knows the needs of its customers inside out and so much passion goes into every part of the business."

Winners

Kett's Books

East England

Kett’s Books in Wymondham near Norwich is the East England winner. Last summer it moved from a small, tucked-away shop to a three-floor building on the high street, raising funds from its loyal Friends group and refurbishing with the help of an army of volunteers—many of whom continue to work there.

The Secret Bookshelf

Island of Ireland

The Secret Bookshelf in Carrickfergus is the first shop in Northern Ireland to win the Island of Ireland category. Four years after opening it has expanded into new space and pulls people in from miles around. It’s an excellent supporter of schools and charitable initiatives, and gives free books to local families for newborns.

Brick Lane Bookshop

London

London winner Brick Lane Bookshop has been part of the East End for 46 years and had its best sales yet in 2023. It shows the huge value of bookshops in building communities, and new initiatives included a Young Readers’ Fund for free books to children and local history tours called ‘Sunday Strolls’.

The Poetry Pharmacy

Midlands

The Midlands winner, based in the Shropshire town of Bishop’s Castle, bills itself as the world’s first pharmacy prescribing poems to the public. It put on more than 100 events in 2023 including open mic nights and bibliotherapy sessions, launched collaborations with lifestyle brands like Lush, and ran a three-month pop-up in Soho.

Wave of Nostalgia

North England

The North England winner is a tiny shop in a village—Haworth in Yorkshire—that has several other places to buy books. Yet it grew sales by a quarter in 2023, through outstanding booksellers and range selection, attractive displays and big author events. Social media helped online sales soar. “Best bookshop ever,” said one customer.

The Book Nook

Scotland

The Book Nook in Stewarton is the Scotland winner. Its third year, and first in a relocated space, saw it move activity up a gear, with book clubs for adults and children and a Mini Book Festival, while valuable outreach included a Book Nook Book Bank of donations and workshops for children in care.

Pigeon Books

South-East England

The South East England winner began life as a pop-up at markets and festivals in Southsea to see if there was demand for an independent bookshop—and it turns out there was. Founder Phil Davies runs Pigeon Books single-handed, supporting literacy projects and LGBTQ+ groups as well as selling books.

FOLDE Dorset

South-West England

Three year-old FOLDE, a nature-focused specialist bookshop in the Dorset town of Shaftesbury, is the South West England winner. It knows its niche inside out, championing diverse outdoor and environmental authors with beautiful displays, events and pop-ups. As might be expected, it has a sharp focus on sustainability.

Book-ish

Wales

Book-ish in Crickhowell is the Wales winner for the fifth time in nine years. Sales grew again thanks to creative bookselling, a remarkable array of in-store, festival and school events, reading groups and a good online offer. It also opened a second shop in nearby Abergavenny after a successful crowdfunder.