Abingdon-based Mostly Books has been shortlisted as one of seven South-East finalists for Independent Bookshop of the Year, in the 2019 British Book Awards.
Sarah Dennis, who took over the well-known shop two years ago, said staff were ‘extremely excited’ to be nominated for a second year in a row.
Forty-eight bookshops from nine regions are competing to win in their local area, before vying for the overall prize. The judging panel will choose one winner per region, to be revealed in March.
The overall winner will receive a cheque for £5,000 from wholesalers Gardners Books. The final award will be given out at the British Book Awards ceremony, run by The Bookseller, in Grosvenor House, London on 13 May.
The British Book Awards 2019
The British Book Awards, or ‘Nibbies’, has been the leading awards for the book trade since 1990. Celebrating the best books, the best bookshops and the best publishers, it is supported by all major industry associations, including The Publishers Association, The Booksellers Association and the Independent Publishers Guild.
Tom Tivnan, award judge and The Bookseller’s managing editor, said: “There have been welcome statistics recently about the indie bookselling sector’s incredible revival, and the sheer strength and depth of this year’s submissions certainly reflects that. Indie bookshops in the UK and Ireland are responding smartly to the changing marketplace, are passionate about bringing books to more readers and are lynchpins of local communities.”
