A Shaftesbury bookshop has once again been recognised among the UK and Ireland’s best independent booksellers, making the shortlist for The British Book Awards for the second consecutive year.
FOLDE Dorset, the nature-focused bookshop perched on Shaftesbury’s iconic Gold Hill, has been named a Regional and Country Finalist in the Independent Bookshop of the Year category—just a year after winning the South West regional title in 2024 (see the BV April 2024).
Affectionately known as the ‘Nibbies’, The British Book Awards, run by The Bookseller magazine, are judged by an esteemed panel of industry professionals, authors, journalists, and celebrities. The Independent Bookshop of the Year category “celebrates stores that reach beyond the literary landscape and bring books to the heart of local communities.”
With a record number of entries this year, 72 finalists across nine regions and nations were selected for their ingenuity and resilience in a challenging retail climate. Organisers praised how independent bookshops “continue to thrive with imagination and innovation boosting sales, amid rising challenges on the high street.” Among the ten South West finalists, FOLDE is the only Dorset-based bookshop to make the list.
“We are delighted to have made it to the South West Regional and Country finals for the second year in a row,” said Karen Brazier, co-founder of FOLDE. “It’s no less exciting than winning the regional prize last year and reflects that we are now established as a placemaker within our community, where we play an active part in the success of our high street and provide a welcoming space for all.”
FOLDE Dorset is in the running for Independent Bookshop of the Year for the
second year in a row.
Co-founder Amber Harrison added, “For us, as a niche bookshop with a nature writing focus and the first bricks-and-mortar bookshop in Europe to be BCorp certified, the awards give us an opportunity to share our vision and purpose in celebrating and championing the natural world.”
Tom Tivnan, managing editor of The Bookseller, said: “I have been judging this award for a decade and a half and I have never seen such depth of quality and energy in the submissions, from the newcomers to most venerable stores. British and Irish indies continue to thrive, despite the overall climate, with entrepreneurship and creativity. These finalists are wonderfully unique and idiosyncratic, but there is a link in that all of them are not confined by the four walls of their shops – they are out in their communities organising festivals, visiting schools, bringing authors to town. Sure, they sell a lot of books but that is just the start: independent bookshops are Britain and Ireland’s local cultural linchpins.”
FOLDE Dorset will now compete to retain its title as South West regional winner and secure a place in the running for the national prize, which will be announced at The British Book Awards ceremony in London on 12 May 2025.
