A CORBRIDGE bookshop has been named the North of England's regional winner of the Independent Bookshop of the Year.

The award, supported by The Booksellers Association, celebrates the final nine inspiring bookshops which have supported their community through the pandemic.

The regional and country winners of the British Book Awards were announced on Wednesday, March 16. 

Tim Tivnan, The Bookseller's Managing Editor, said: "This was undoubtedly the most competitive year we have ever had for Independent Bookshop of the Year, and these nine shops should feel justly proud for claiming their regional and country crowns when their fellow indies have also been flourishing."

Four-time North England winner, Forum Books, have fought off strong competition in an area featuring seven other previous finalists, to again take the title of regional North England winner.

The business, run by Helen Stanton, is one of nine, selected from a list of 63 finalists around the country.

Having expanded in 2021 during the pandemic, the bookseller opened The Accidental Bookshop store in Alnwick, and The Bound in Whitley Bay, to add to the already existing Corbridge store.

The other regional winners in the Independent Bookshop of the Year 2022 included Bookbugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich for the East of England region, the Wonderland Bookshop in Retford, in the Midlands region, and Burley Fisher Books, Haggerston for the London region.

Country winners included The Edinburgh Bookshop for Scotland, O’Mahony’s in Limerick as the Irish winner, and Book-ish in Crickhowell, Wales.

The nine regional and country winners are now battling it out amongst themselves to take the title for the overall Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, which will be announced at the British Book Awards winner ceremony, held at Grosvenor House in London on Monday, May 23. 

The overall winner will also compete to be crowned Book Retailer of the Year. 

The British Book Awards have been the leading awards for the book trade since 1990, celebrating the UK's best books, bookshops, and publishers. It is supported by all major industry associations including The Publishers Association, The Booksellers Association, and the Independent Publishers Guild.