A CORBRIDGE bookshop has been named as a regional finalist for the 2023 Independent Bookshop of the Year in the British Book Awards.

Forum Books will compete to win in the North of England first before contending for the overall prize which will be announced in May.

The awards celebrate stores that support their local communities with bespoke bookselling and tailored initiatives.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller managing editor and chair of the Independent Bookshop of the Year judges, said: "If there is one thing that has been driven home by these finalists it is that independent bookshops have been one of the winners of the pandemic.

"Indies have come through what could have been a hugely devastating time for the sector in their strongest position in decades.

"We have seen this generally in the increased numbers of indies throughout the UK and Ireland. But we also see it more specifically in these finalists with the shops’ innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity—all done in the service of local communities.

"We have entered a new golden age for independent bookshops."

READ MORE: The best fish and chips in Hexham according to Courant readers

Forum Books is run by Helen Stanton, who opened The Accidental Bookshop store in Alnwick and The Bound in Whitley Bay in 2021 to add to the already existing Corbridge store.

The Corbridge store has previously won North of England Regional Independent Bookshop of the Year four times.

The 2023 North England finalists for The British Book Awards 2023 Independent Bookshop of the Year are:

  • Forum Books - Corbridge 
  • Imagined Things - Harrogate 
  • Kemps General Store & Bookshop - Malton 
  • Linghams Booksellers - Wirral 
  • Queer Lit - Manchester 
  • Sam Read Bookseller - Grasmere 
  • The Book Corner - Halifax 
  • Wave of Nostalgia - Haworth 

Regional winners will be announced on March 16.