Independent Bookshop of the year 2023 - Griffin Books

ll nine booksellers on this shortlist are winners in their own right from the regional and country round of this year’s British Book Awards. From this inspiring group it is Wales’ winner, Griffin Books in Penarth, that scoops the flagship title and the £5,000 from sponsor Gardners that goes with it.

“A little haven of gloriousness” is how one customer describes the shop. The team here ticks all the boxes of good independent bookselling, with deep community knowledge, smart stock curation, enticing window displays and personal service that goes the extra mile. There is a popular book subscription service and a loyalty scheme that was revamped in 2022, plus six book clubs for all ages. Events average one a week, with big names like Maggie O’Farrell and Ruth Jones, and the shop also runs its own annual literary festival. All this gives the shop exceptional sales figures considering its small footprint, and they grew in double digits in 2022.

Independent Bookshop of the year 2022 - The Bookery Crediton

The nine bookshops on this shortlist are winners in their own right, having triumphed at the regional rounds of this award, and the judges saluted their inspiring achievements. “In the teeth of a pandemic, UK bookselling is getting better and better… the professionalism and customer focus are outstanding.”

From the nine, it is community-owned The Bookery in Crediton, champion in the south-west England region, that scoops the overall prize and the £5,000 from sponsor Gardners that comes with it.

The wins are rewards for The Bookery’s phenomenal work—not just as a bookseller but as a force for good in its area. Lockdowns could have wrecked the start of 2021 for the shop, but as at many indies, the team rolled their sleeves up and got on with things, delivering orders by foot and bike, running virtual shop tours and book clubs, and completing a striking rebrand with the help of illustrator Sarah McIntyre.