Independent bookshops selected as regional and country finalists for The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year
Independent bookshops from across the United Kingdom and Island of Ireland continue to thrive with creative, specialist and community-centred activities boosting sales in the face of the cost-of-living and business-rates crises.
In the largest cohort yet, there are 76 bookshops listed across nine different regions and countries, including 10 in both North England and South-East England, nine in London and the Midlands, eight in Scotland, seven in South-West England, six in the Island of Ireland and five in East England.
The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, sponsored by book wholesaler Gardners, celebrates stores that are at the centre of local communities, bringing passion and knowledge to the shop floor.
The 2026 South-West England finalists for The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year are:
Bert’s Books | Swindon
Cotswold Book Room | Wotton-under-Edge
FOLDE Dorset | Shaftesbury
Liznojan Books | Tiverton
Storysmith | Southville, Bristol
The East Gate Bookshop | Totnes
The Edge of the World Bookshop | Penzance
The Imaginarium | Lymington
The Kitchen Table | Shaftesbury
The White Horse Bookshop | Marlborough
Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller deputy editor, said: “The most gratifying thing about the 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year is not just the record number of submissions, but the Grade-A quality of each and every one of them. We all know the current travails of the High Street in general, but indies across the UK and Ireland are meeting the difficulties with grit, innovation and community spirit. What impresses is how these shops are nimbly and proactively moving into areas that tap into local needs, such as launching festivals, fundraisers, wellness groups and supporting local schools. All this on top of the core mission of spreading the joy of books, which indies arguably do better and with more passion than any other sector.”
Ruth Gardner, Gardners’ UK Sales Manager, said: “Independent bookshops are the heart of our industry and of their local communities. The regional finalists represent the very best of bookselling - passion, creativity and resilience in action. We’re proud to support an award that recognises the extraordinary work these businesses do every day to connect readers with books.”
Meryl Halls, Managing Director, Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland, said: “Booksellers are often the unsung heroes of the book industry – and we know how much they punch above their weight, engage in their communities, and foster cultural diversity in the places they help to create, and enhance. We all want a bookshop on our high street, and the bookshops on the shortlists exemplify all that great bookselling represents, for us as readers, as authors, as citizens. In this National Year of Reading, and at the start of a year bringing yet more potentially crippling cost challenges to our sector, this celebration of the best of bookselling is needed more than ever, and very welcome.”
The regional and country winners of the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award will be announced on Tuesday 10th March, whilst the overall winner will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 11th May 2026. The overall winner also receives a cheque for £5,000 from sponsor Gardners at the awards ceremony.
