CREDITON’S community-owned bookshop “The Bookery” has been announced as the overall winner of the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award - and no-one is more proud of the win than “The Bookery’s Chief Executive Officer, Dee Lalljee.

The award was announced at The British Book Awards winner ceremony held last night (Monday, Monday 23) at Grosvenor House, London in the first in-person event since 2019, and the biggest yet.

Dee and other staff from The Bookery travelled to London for the dinner and ceremony.

Dee said proudly: “It’s such a privilege to be receiving this award.

“It feels like a real recognition of the work we do in rural Devon; getting books into the hands of hundreds of children, working with isolated and elderly, and championing books and authors.

“Huge thanks to our patrons, everyone who has worked with us, supported us and believed in us. Thank you.”

The Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, which is sponsored by Gardners and supported by The Booksellers Association, went to The Bookery after it fought off strong competition from eight other regional and country winners, selected from a list of 63 finalists from across the UK and Ireland.

DOUBLE WIN

In a rare double win for an independent bookshop, The Bookery also won The British Book Award for Children’s Bookseller of the Year, sponsored by Macmillan Children’s Books, triumphing over a shortlist that included national chains, online retailers and fellow indies.

The Bookery - once called the Crediton Bookshop - became community-owned in 2013 and now has more than 300 shareholders.

It is a not-for-profit, independent bookshop that hosts a range of events and actively pioneers programmes supporting literacy, community wellbeing and access to cultural and learning opportunities.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller’s managing editor, said: “Indie bookshops have upended expectations during the pandemic and are now booming, mainly as they are so adept at reaching out to, and anticipating the needs of, locals.

“Perhaps it is fitting then, that this year’s winner of the Independent Bookshop of the Year is in fact owned by the community it serves.

“The Bookery stands out - even amid this ridiculously strong shortlist of fellow regional and country winners - as selling books in-store only scratches the surface of what it does.

“From book fairs, to outside events, to working with schools, to hand-delivering books, to its laudable charity work, The Bookery goes the extra mile knowing that books can be a force of good.

AMAZING

“It’s not just an amazing local bookshop, it makes people’s lives better.”

The British Book Awards affirm, connect and energise all who have a hand in creating books and all who read them, by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers.

A Post-Awards Highlights Show is available to watch for free on Fane TV on Sunday, May 29.

The Independent Bookshop of the Year Award celebrates those stores who have continued to support their local communities during these turbulent times with their insider knowledge, inclusivity, digital innovations, adapted events, and, of course, books.

The past two years have seen independent bookshops up and down the UK and the Island of Ireland completely transform their operational models in order to get books into the hands of readers.

This has ranged from bicycle deliveries to local customers, to booksellers rapidly building new e-commerce platforms, while also creating new channels for interactive video content to replace in-person events.

The British Book Awards, aka “the Nibbies”, has been the leading awards for the book trade since 1990.

The awards affirm, connect and energise all who have a hand in creating books and all who read them, by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred our hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who have brought them to readers.

Judged by leading industry experts, authors, journalists and celebrities it is regarded as “the BAFTAs of the book trade”.