Literary-loving Londoners, please remove your nose from whatever book it’s currently buried in, and listen up. You may recall that last month, 76 of the UK’s most magnificent independent bookshops earnt themselves a sought-after spot on the shortlist for the highly-coveted Independent Bookshop of the Year award. Well folks, I come bearing a rather sizeable update. The regional winners have just been announced, and a gorgeous Balham bookshop has just been crowned London’s best independent bookstore.
The Independent Bookshop of the Year award
Now, before I start waxing lyrical about London’s best bookshop, allow me to explain a little bit more about the award itself. Each and every year, the book-buffs over at the British Book Awards have a good old rummage through the country’s plethora of independent bookshops, in a bid to find the very best of the bunch. Now in its 17th year, the highly-coveted award aims to shine a light on the smaller-scale indie bookshops that continue to flourish, thrive, and create sacred spaces for bookworms and bibliophiles, despite the ongoing challenges of a cost-of-living crisis, and – well… Amazon.
Out of the 76 shortlisted spots, nine of them were here in London. And flying the flag as London’s regional winner is Backstory; a bookshop-slash-bar in Balham, serving up words, wine, and warmth aplenty.
Backstory, Balham
Backstory swung open its (rather gorgeous) blue doors back in 2023, courtesy of the founder, Tom Rowley. Home to a bar as fully-stocked as the bookshelves, Backstory is more than just a bookshop. It’s a social and cultural hub and space for strangers to become friends over a good book (or a bad one, for that matter). Backstory defines the meaning of small but mighty, having hosted almost 50 events last year. It’s filled to the brim with charm, character, and cosiness (a trio of traits that are becoming harder to find these days), and is most certainly deserving of its shiny new accolade.
To mark their exciting win, Backstory are offering 10% off everything all week (both online and in-store). They’re also dishing out a free glass of fizz to anyone who buys a book in store on any afternoon this week. Aren’t they generous?!
So, I guess you’re wondering how this particular story ends? Well, the nine regional and country winners will now go head to head to be named the overall Independent Bookshop of the Year. The winner will be announced at a fancy ceremony on May 11, and will receive a £5000 cash prize, a shot at winning the (equally desirable) Book Retailer of the Year award, and – let’s face it – eternal bragging rights. But until then, I am going to have to leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger, I’m afraid.
You’ll find Backstory at 71 Balham High Road , SW12 9AP. And you can discover the other Independent Bookshop of the Year regional and country finalists here.
