SPONSOR


DESCRIPTION


Gardners has been involved as an integral link in the book supply chain for more than 


INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP OF THE YEAR GRIFFIN BOOKS


THE SHORTLIST


The Edinburgh Bookshop SCOTLAND


Forum Books NORTH OF ENGLAND


 The Stairs


ISLAND OF IRELAND


Mostly Books SOUTH EAST ENGLAND


Niche Comics Books


EAST OF ENGLAND


Nomad Books LONDON


The Rabbit Hole MIDLANDS


Storysmith


SOUTH WEST ENGLAND


A


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


39


its small footprint, and they grew in double digits in 2022. Beyond Penarth high street, Griffin Books


does excellent outreach work with schools, charities and groups in some deprived areas of Wales—and even sponsors a local football team. It is committed to the principle of a bookshop as a safe space, and to the ideal of giving everyone equal access to reading. “It is so much more than a bookshop,” said another customer’s testimonial. The British Book Awards judges admired Griffin’s well-run online operation, which includes work with Bookshop.org as well as its own site; its sharp marketing, including through lively social media; and its progress on diversity and sustainability. “It is a complete all-rounder that does everything so well,” they commented. “The buying is imaginative and successful… and Griffin works so hard in and for its community.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64