THE Corbridge-based businesses run by an award-winning bookseller have been shortlisted for the Independent Bookshop of the Year award for the second year running.

Helen Stanton, who runs Forum Books in the village Market Place and Forum Books Kids! on Watling Street, has once again won the title of best independent bookshop in the North of England and will now compete with seven other regional winners for the overall prize.

The winner will be revealed at the British Book Awards night on May 8 at the Grosvenor House in London, which will bring together authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians and literary agents for a night celebrating the entire book industry.

A £5,000 prize, to be invested in the day-to-day running of the shop or potential improvements, is up for grabs.

“It’s fantastic to be up there again when you consider that all of the independent booksellers left are strong businesses working very hard to offer customers something new and different,” said Helen, who opened her first shop in Corbridge five years ago.

Within the competition, the North of England category covers a vast area which includes Cumbria, Yorkshire, Manchester and Sheffield.

But the prestigious title is not the only success Helen is currently celebrating.

For the idea she pitched as part of an Independent Bookshop Initiative, organised by publisher Harper Collins, has been selected as one of 10 successful proposals nationally to receive £2,000 of funding.

The initiative was open to all bookshops with ambitions of bringing more readers through their doors – and Helen’s silent book disco proposal seemed to stand out from the crowd.

“We’ve played around with the idea at a few events at The Biscuit Factory and Durham Book Festival, and it involves coming up with a soundtrack for reading,” explained Helen.

Disco participants don headphones to tune into the chosen music while browsing a selection of book titles to dip into while they listen.

“It’s playing around with the idea of reading for pleasure and coming up with new ways of bringing books to life – it’s such good fun.”

Helen’s plan is to use the money to make the events a regular occurrence, while offering silent book discos” for young readers in Corbridge.