also compete to be crowned Book Retailer of the Year.
This year’s finalists include some of the
UK’s and Ireland’s oldest and newest booksell- ers, which will go head-to-head for the award. Among their number are P&G Wells (South East), which sits on a site that has been home to a bookshop since 1729; Sam Read Bookseller (North England), which was estab- lished in 1887; and Limerick’s O’Mahony’s (Island of Ireland), founded in 1902.
EAST & SOUTH-EAST ENGLAND
SRL Publishing Bradt Guides Critical Publishing September Publishing Dedalus Books Guppy Books
SCOTLAND
Scotland Street Press Little Door Books Cranachan 404 Ink Leamington Books
SAM READ BOOKSELLER WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1887
These are shortlisted alongside 12 inde- pendent bookshops that have opened their doors since 2019, six of which started life in the pandemic, including The Book Nook (Scotland), East Gate Book Shop (South-West England), Dial Lane Books (East England) and Shrew Books (South-West England). Despite all the disruption caused during the pandemic, two of the bookshops have also expanded in the past year, with Corbridge’s Forum Books opening two new shops in the North-East of England, and London-based specialist children’s bookshop Pickled Pepper Books adding a second premises to its portfolio, in Enfield. “The received wisdom in the book trade when the pandemic first hit was that independent booksellers might be the most vulnerable,” said Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller’s managing editor. “They have proved anything but, as through close ties to their communi- ties, indies have flourished for the past two years. This year’s Independent Bookshop of the Year regional and country finalists reflect a broad diversit across the UK and Ireland, with the thread of innovation running through, no mater if they are one of the UK’s most venerable indies or one of its newest.” The 2022 regional and country winners will be announced on 16th March, with the overall winner being unveiled at a ceremony in central London. Full details will be announced in due course, but the ambition is to maintain the inclusivit and accessibilit that the past two years’ digital events have facilitated, while hosting a face-to-face experience.
TheBookseller.com
The Wee Book Company Charco Press
ISLAND OF IRELAND
The Irish Pages Press/ Cló An Mhíl Bhuī
Lilliput Press
Little Island Books LONDON
Mensch Publishing Inkandescent Arachne Press Saqi Books Cipher Press
Out-Spoken Press
Magic Cat Publishing Scallywag Press
ic Cat Publishing ly
Fitzcarraldo Editions Boldwood Bookswood Books Elliott & Thompson Swift Pr
aldo Editions
tt & Thompson t Press
Muswell Press Onwe Pressess
ell Press
NORTH ENGLAND Bluemoose Books Fly on the Wall Press Carcanet Press Smokestack Books Vertebrate Publishing Dead Ink Peepal Tree Press Saraband Comma Press
MIDLANDS Eye Books
Henson Editorial Services and North Staffordshire Press
Sweet Cherry Publishing Otter-Barry Books Owlet Press
SOUTH-WEST OF ENGLAND
From You to Me Really Decent Books Ad Hoc Fiction
WALES
Parthian Books Rily Publications Firefly Press Ltd
AMANDA RIDOUT’S BOLDWOOD AND ABOVE MAGIC CAT WON IN 2020
Small Press of the Year
Fourteen firms contest London award as small presses make cut
L re
ondon is the region to beat, with the launch of the 50-strong British Book Awards’ Small Press of the Year
finalists, sponsored by printer CPI Group. England’s capital boasts 14 on its shortlist, including previous joint winners Boldwood Books and Magic Cat, and newbie Mensch Publishing, the firm set up by publishing veteran Richard Charkin. There is also a strong showing in the north, as evidenced by the North England and Sc
The orth,
and Scotland contenders, with nine and en publishers on their respective short- ts. There are also some terrific newcomers (n t necessarily new to publishing, but new to thes
seven p lislists. T (not n
ing from Arachne Press, Out-Spoken Press and Fly on the Wall Press. Phil
y
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller d chair of the judges, said: “Overall, 2021 has proved to be gnarly year for the UK and Ireland’s small presses; following an adrenaline-fuelled 2020, many publishers faced iss chain a
and ch as pr
ad
e a
SCOTTISH PRESS 404INK’S LAURA JONES LEFT AND
HEATHER MCDAID
faced i ues around Brexit, a fickle supply chain and ongoing disruption to high street booksh in a ch
unveile
bookshops due to the pandemic, culminating in a choppy but ultimately champion year.” TheThe regional and country winners will be unveiled on 17th March.
to these lists), including the 20-year-old The Irish Pages Press/Cló An Mhíl Bhu, Onwe Press and Eye Books. Poetry presses have also risen to the fore this year, with strong representation across the shortlists, includ- ing fro
ess a ris
ese
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