Independent bookshops from across the United Kingdom and Ireland continue to thrive with creative, specialist and community-centred activities boosting sales in the face of the cost-of-living and business rates crises. This, of course, includes Manchester, and as such, the wonderful House of Books & Friends has been named as a finalist in The Bookseller’s British Book Awards, in the Independent Bookshop of the Year category.
The British Book Awards is a celebration of books and all who make them, showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers. It’s a demonstration of the creativity, strength, passion and power that are possible when an entire industry unites to connect readers to stories. Above all it celebrates the intimate connection between the books, their makers and their audience.
In the largest cohort yet, the list of candidates for the Independent Bookshop of the Year category of the British Book Awards includes 77 independent bookshops across nine different regions and countries, including ten in London, North England, Scotland, South-East England and South-West England respectively, eight in East England and the Midlands, six on the Island of Ireland and five in Wales.
House of Books & Friends leads the way for Manchester on the list for Independent Bookshop of the Year, housed in the historical Manchester Club building at the top of King Street, where you can enjoy a coffee, bite to eat, spot of reading or get involved in the community. The bookshop opened in late 2022 by community law firm gunnercooke in order to combat loneliness and offers initiatives for customers and businesses through pay it forward schemes, as well as opportunities to make connections with their community through events and a café.
House of Books & Friends is much-loved within the community, and is a real gem in Manchester’s crown, so we’re relatively unsurprised that it has been named as a finalist in the Independent Bookshop of the Year category. Other independent bookshops named as North England finalists include Pritchards Bookshop in Liverpool, The West Kirby Bookshop in Wirral, Sam Reader Bookseller in Grasmere, Truman Books in Leeds, Wave of Nostalgia in Haworth and Kemps General Store in Malton.
The winner of the British Book Awards Independent Bookshop of the Year prize for 2024 will win a £5,000 cash prize to be spent on their bookshop. The cheque will be presented at the Gardners Trade Show in 2024, as they are sponsoring the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award for the 15th Year at The British Book Awards.
Fingers crossed House of Books & Friends takes home the prize! You can find the full list of The British Book Awards nominees here.