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There’s no better Saturday (in my humble opinion) than strolling to a bookshop, picking up a new read, and settling down with it in a cafe. London boasts dozens of brilliant independents, and 10 of them have been recognised in the British Book Awards’ Independent Bookshop of the Year category.
The award, administered by the Bookseller magazine, recognises bookshops that ‘reach beyond the literary landscape and bring books to the heart of local communities’. 72 shops made the cut nationwide.
The Bookseller’s managing director, Tom Tivnan, said: ‘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.’
Without further ado, here’s the London list – does your local indie make an appearance?
- Pages of Hackney
- Nomad Books, Fulham
- Brick Lane Bookshop, Shoreditch
- Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill
- Backstory, Balham
- Goldsboro Books, Covent Garden
- Housmans Bookshop, King’s Cross
- Queen’s Park Books
- Bàrd Books, Bow
- The Gilded Acorn, Holborn
Bàrd Books’ inclusion is particularly impressive, as the shop only opened last summer. The shop says it’s ‘so excited’ to have been included, and that the staff drank ‘dregs of all our opened bottles of wine behind the bar in celebration’ after hearing they'd been selected.
Brick Lane Bookshop, Goldsboro Books, Backstory, and Children’s Bookshop have all been nominated for the second year in a row.
Tom Rowley, owner of Backstory, said: ‘It is such a joy to be on this shortlist for the second year running. We’re in such great company with some amazing indies that have inspired our own bookshop and bar, which we opened in Balham two and a half years ago.’ The bookshop invites Time Out readers to show this article in store and get a half-price coffee or small glass of wine until the end of February.
Winners in each region and country will be announced on March 11, and the overall winner will be crowned at the British Book Awards ceremony on 12 May.
Keen to support more excellent indies? Check out our list of the best bookshops in London here.
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