Bookworms and bibliophiles of the capital city; avert your eyes from whatever you’re currently reading, and listen up. Ten of London’s much-loved literary locales have just been shortlisted for the prestigious Independent Bookshop of the Year Award. And – as per – we’re feeling ever so proud of our lovely city.
This year saw a record number of submissions for the coveted award, making it a pretty tough job for the book-buffs that had to decide on which of them made the shortlist. A whopping 72 independent bookshops from nine regions across the UK and Ireland have been named finalists. And of those 72, ten of them are in London.
Sponsored by book wholesalers, Gardners; the annual award shines a light on the independent, smaller-scale bookshops that ‘go beyond the literary landscape and bring books to the heart of local communities’. The shortlisted shops continue to not only survive, but thrive in the face of challenging circumstancesthe ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and – well… the internet.
Only 14 of the finalists are completely new to the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award shortlist. For the other 58 bookshops – this ain’t their first rodeo, and many of last year’s regional and country winners are back on the shortlist.
Tom TivnanManaging Editor at The Booksellersaid: “The last year has been a drab time for the high street, with declining footfall and rising prices, but what has been underscored by our regional and country finalists is that independent bookshops are beacons of hope amid the gloom. I have been judging this award for a decade and a half and I have never seen such depth of quality and energy in the submissions, from the newcomers to most venerable stores.”
So, without further ado, here are the London Bookshops that have been shortlisted for the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award:
- Backstory, Balham
- Books of Books, Bow
- Brick Lane Bookshop, Brick Lane
- Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill
- Goldsboro Books, Covent Garden
- Housmans Bookshop, King’s Cross
- Noman Books, Fulham
- Pages of Hackney, Hackney
- Queen’s Park Books, Queen’s Park
- The Gilded Acorn, Holborn
Backstory, Brick Lane Bookshop, Children’s Bookshop and Goldsboro Books all nabbed a spot on the list of finalists, for the second year running – with Brick Lane Bookshop even being named the regional winner for London last year. Bard of Books is a particularly impressive addition to the shortlist, though, as the Bow-based bookshop only swung open its doors in July 2024.
So, what happens now, I hear you ask? Well, the bookshops will now have to play the waiting game. The regional and country winners will be announced on March 11. And then the overall winner will be crowned at The British Book Awards ceremony on May 12. Until then, in the words of Natasha Bedingfield: the rest is still unwritten…
You can read the full list of finalists here.
