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Pick a book, any book, and you’ll probably be able to find it in one of London’s hundreds of bookshops. We’ve got enormous cornucopias like Daunt Books Marylebone, cult specialist shops like Climax Books, historic secondhand purveyors like Foster Books and pioneering radical presses like Gay’s the Word.
The city has so many brilliant indie bookshops that deciding on the best in a near impossible task. But, every year the Bookseller takes on the challenge at its British Book Awards. Now, it has announced its finalists for Independent Bookshop of the Year 2026.
Nine London stores are in the running to be named the capital’s indie bookshop of the year, and will compete with more than 60 other stores from across the UK to be crowned the best in the whole country.
Burley Fisher Books, an emporium of new and secondhand titles in Dalston, made the shortlist alongside queer intersectional bookseller The Common Press in Shoreditch and children’s bookshop The Paper Cat, which only opened in Herne Hill in September 2024. BookBar, which has outposts in Chelsea and Islington (on Blackstock Road, Time Out’s coolest street for 2025 no less) also featured.
Bàrd Books on Roman Road has been included in the shortlist for the second year in a row while Backstory in Balham is in the running for a third consecutive year. The 2025 London winner Queen’s Park Books didn’t make the cut this time round.
Tom Tivnan, editor of the Bookseller, said: ‘We all know the current travails of the high street in general, but indies across the UK and Ireland are meeting the difficulties with grit, innovation and community spirit.
‘What impresses is how these shops are nimbly and proactively moving into areas that tap into local needs, such as launching festivals, fundraisers, wellness groups and supporting local schools. All this on top of the core mission of spreading the joy of books, which indies arguably do better and with more passion than any other sector.’
Now, we’ll have to wait and see which of the finalists will be crowned the best bookshop in their region and the best overall in the country at an awards ceremony on May 11.
London bookshops shortlisted for The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year
- Backstory, Balham
- Bàrd Books, Bow
- BookBar, Islington and Chelsea
- Burley Fisher Books, Dalston
- Saucy Books, Ladbroke Grove
- South Kensington Books, South Kensington
- The Common Press, Shoreditch
- The Paper Cat Children’s Bookshop, Herne Hill
- Village Books, Dulwich
📚 45 brilliant bookshops in London.
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