London’s best independent bookshop has been crowned for 2024

A few weeks ago, we at Time Out reported on the news that a whopping 10 London bookshops had been shortlisted for the revered title of Independent Bookshop of the Year 2024 at the British Book Awards (given out by the Bookseller) – you can read more about all the shortlisted London bookshops here. 

If you’ve been waiting on tenterhooks for the finalists, now we’ve got excellent news. The nationwide Independent Bookshop of the Year 2024 contest has whittled down its shortlist to nine finalists across the UK – and, in doing so, has crowned the best independent bookshop in London right now.

Brick Lane Bookshop was named the London winner and a national finalist. It’ll now face off against other regionalist finalists across both the UK and Ireland, with the winner getting £5,000 to be spent on the shop.

And Brick Lane Bookshop is certainly a worthy winner. Established way back in 1978, the Tower Hamlets shop stocks all kinds of fiction and non-fiction tomes. It also plays a huge community role, hosting its own short story prize and offering free delivery to any residents in the borough with orders over £15.

So, will Brick Lane Bookshop prevail nationwide? We’ll have to wait until May 13 to find out. The ceremony for Independent Bookshop of the Year 2024 will take place at Grosvenor House in London – and we know who we’ll be rooting for.

Time Out and London’s bookshops

Here at Time Out we’re an office of bibliophiles – so, naturally, we’ve plenty more book-centric guides and features about London. Check out our trusty mammoth list of London best bookshops, our favourite Black-owned bookshops and even this London bookshop crawl. Plus: London officially has one of the world’s most Instagrammable bookshops.