Queen’s Park Books was among nine regional winners in the category at The British Book Awards – known as the ‘nibbies.
The Salusbury Road store, which is a partner for the annual community-run Queen’s Park Book Festival, will now vie to be crowned overall winner of the UK’s top indie bookshop.
A sister store to West End Lane Books in West Hampstead, it stocks 10,000 curated titles and say on their website: “We pride ourselves on our excellent product knowledge and personalised service and offer something for everyone in this beautifully curated bookshop.”
Judges whittled down 72 finalists in the UK and Ireland to find the bookshops with innovative and inspired bookselling in their communities.
They celebrated venues that organise events, champion local authors, support their communities and schools, and draw book lovers to the high street.
The Bookseller managing editor Tom Tivnan was among the judges and said in 15 years he had never seen such “quality and energy” in the submissions.
“The last year has been a drab time for the High Street with declining footfall and rising prices, but what has been underscored by our regional and country finalists is that independent bookshops are beacons of hope amid the gloom,” he said.
“Indies continue to thrive, despite the overall climate, with entrepreneurship and creativity. These finalists are wonderfully unique and idiosyncratic, but there is a link in that all of them are not confined by the four walls of their shops – they are out in their communities organising festivals, visiting schools, bringing authors to town.
“Sure, they sell a lot of books but that is just the start: independent bookshops are Britain and Ireland’s local cultural lynchpins.”
The overall title of the UK and Ireland’s best indie bookshop will be announced on May 12 and comes with a £5,000 prize.
Gardners’ UK sales manager Ruth Gardner said: “We are proud to support those who make reading more accessible and magical for everyone. Independent bookshops are at the heart of the book world, bringing communities together and championing the joy of reading.”
