Recently, we launched our first Booker Prize Indie Bookshop Spotlight, a competition in which we invited independent bookshops and booksellers from across the UK and Ireland to celebrate the 2023 Booker Prize shortlist along with us.

To enter, bookshops were asked to assemble in-store displays of the titles nominated for the prize, posting images of their activity on their social media channels. Six stores were chosen as winners, with The Bookshop Mold chosen at random as the overall winner of the competition. The team has won tickets to attend this year’s award ceremony and dinner and we look forward to hosting them on Sunday November 26. 

Here, we speak to the booksellers at the heart of each winning shop, who tell us why indie bookstores are so much more than just shops, and the importance of the Booker Prize to both them and their readers.

Tell us a bit about your bookshop.

We’re a quirky and fiercely independent bookshop on the only street in England to have a stream (technically a leat) running down the middle of it. Though the building looks medieval it is actually a replica as the original burned down almost exactly a century ago. We are deeply rooted in our community and have won prizes for some of the campaigns we have launched, such as our Books Against Loneliness campaign, our You Are a Champion campaign (which saw us donate over 1300 copies of Marcus Rashford’s book to children who would otherwise not have access to it), and our involvement in the Beyond the Book campaign (which helps women in prison to select and gift a book to their child). We also run a unique pre-publication review club called the Proof Pudding Cub, which involves reading and reviewing the latest books before they are published, while (you guessed it) eating cake.

How did you start out bookselling and what do you enjoy most about it?

Tina, the shop’s manager, is Frome born and bred and Hunting Raven is the shop she used to buy her books in as a child. She started out as an actor and also worked in publishing, but becoming manager of Hunting Raven in 2018 was an absolute lifelong dream. In fact, the whole team is deeply connected to Frome and to the community – Harriet, Iona, Abi and Rowan. As for bookselling, all the rumours are true: it really is the best job in the world. Bookselling brings together the best things in life - people, books, conversation, ideas. There isn’t a better profession!

Why do you think independent bookselling is so important?

Being independent means that we can be completely responsive to the needs of our customers, and we can have real autonomy in curating what we have to offer. We can madly, passionately hand-sell the books we really believe in and people love leaving our bookshop clutching that special recommendation they didn’t even know they were looking for when they first came through the doors. Before the pandemic, we used to talk a lot about the importance of books and bookshops. I used to sometimes get pangs of imposter syndrome. Was this true or just a great line? But when the pandemic hit, it confirmed to me that it was 100% true. Bookshops are vital. They connect people not just with books, but with each other. They are here to support, reflect, and nourish their communities. They provide a physical place of solace, or ideas, of escape and conversation. They are joyous places, and places of truth and honesty. They are places where life-long friendships are forged.

What is one thing you would like people to know about being a bookseller? 

That we don’t sit around drinking coffee and reading books behind the counter all day! It is an enormously busy job, with so much to do that goes way beyond what is seen by our customers. We have an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the books in our shop and are like sniffer dogs when it comes to finding a title requested by a customer.

What does the Booker Prize mean to you as a bookseller and what does it mean to your customers?
 
It is an event for all of us. The dates for the longlist, shortlist and winner announcements go straight into the diary, and we love to speculate amongst the team and with our customers about who we think the winner should be (and afterwards who we think they should have been). The fun thing about awards is the debate and discussion they generate. Reading is so subjective, and people protect their favourites fiercely. It’s wonderful when the Booker Prize breaks an author and as booksellers, we love to be part of the success of that journey. We loved Shuggie Bain so very deeply that we pushed and pushed the book to our customers. It was a dream to meet Douglas Stuart at a special dinner on the evening before he handed the prize over to his successor, Damon Galgut.

How do you approach recommending books to a customer around the prize? Does it tend to differ from other recommendations? 

It seems to me that people can sometimes be suspicious of prizes, especially in a place like Frome, known for its independent thinking! So it really helps when we have read the titles on the shortlist – that way our customers know they can trust the recommendation. Ultimately we want to help people seek out the titles from the list that will speak to them most. It’s lovely to be able to do a big display as there’s often great range even within the shortlist. They always look intriguing when gathered together on a shelf or table.

Which of the Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted titles would you like to see win, and which one do you think will win?

I absolutely love Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. I’m a jacket-quote cynic at heart, so when one quote on the proof claimed that Paul Lynch uses words like no one else, it got my hackles up. Then I read the first five pages and thought ‘Wow! How completely true’. It is terrifying but elegant. Dystopian but frighteningly plausible. And just so superbly written. But I think The Bee Sting by Paul Murray will be the winner. I just feel it in my bones.

Which six titles from the Booker Library (any title nominated since 1969), would be on your all-time, dream shortlist?

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – it’s a stunningly accomplished debut with characters that stay with you and scenes that become seared into your brain. It’s a fantastic (if tough) read.

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut – from the International Booker list is a simply fantastic, genre-bending, piece of magic. It lit my world up in new ways.

Lanny by Max Porter – a masterpiece, pure and simple. The structure, the language, the typesetting, and the eerie beauty and unfolding horror all make this Booker Prize-worthy.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – it wouldn’t be possible not to have this book on this list. The quality of Mantel’s work makes it deserving of a top spot in literary history.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme – an underdog in the Booker world, as many turned against this winner, pillorying it for its lyrical and rich writing style. I think an enormous disservice was done to the intensely private late Keri Hulme (who never wrote a book again). I am proud to have this on our list.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood –  Atwood’s statement that she hadn’t included a single thing in The Handmaid’s Tale that hadn’t happened or wasn’t currently happening to women somewhere in the world made my blood run cold. This is a seminal book.

Tell us a bit about your bookshop.

Westwood Books is a large, independent, family-run bookshop in Sedbergh, Cumbria. Sedbergh is England’s official booktown. We stock over 80,000 books across two floors, ranging from recently published and new books to secondhand, rare and antiquarian items. Alongside books, we also offer maps, literary-themed gifts, children’s games, puzzles and greetings cards.

How did you start out bookselling and what do you enjoy most about it?

I was previously part of the organising team for the Sedbergh Booktown Festival and through that spent a fair amount of time at Westwood Books. When previous owners Mark and Evelyn Westwood decided to retire, I jumped at the chance to take it on with my husband Paul. We now run the shop together with a small team. Although 2020 was a tough time to take on a new business venture, and there have been many hurdles already along the way, the enthusiasm for sharing great books remains.

Why do you think independent bookselling is so important?

Independent booksellers are an important part of the community and the high street. Bookshops are a safe place for people to spend time, catch up with friends or talk about their most beloved books. You get to interact with real people who are friendly and knowledgeable. It’s an experience that cannot be replaced by digital algorithms.

What is one thing you would like people to know about being a bookseller?

Unfortunately, bookselling isn’t reading all day! There is always lots to do in the bookshop, but you do get access to lots of amazing books. It’s a constant battle to keep from taking them all home.

What does the Booker Prize mean to you as a bookseller and what does it mean to your customers?

The announcement of the Booker Prize longlist is certainly an important date in any book-lover’s calendar. Since its inception, the Booker Prize has celebrated writing from all over the world, spotlighting a vast range of stories and voices. The prize brings attention to new, unique, challenging and exciting works of fiction. Being a trusted and dependable source of great new novels, the prize makes literary fiction feel more accessible, which is important for both booksellers and customers. It offers customers the chance to be brave and try something new, hopefully introducing them to their next favourite author or novel.

How do you approach recommending books to a customer around the prize? Does it tend to differ from other recommendations? 

Recommending books can often be wonderfully difficult and always very personal. With the Booker Prize lists being so varied, there’s often something for everyone, but finding that niche is where the challenge lies. It’s always helpful to know what a customer has enjoyed in the past, or what new kind of book they might be willing to try. Nominees are often stylistically unique and variable – poetic or prosaic; lyrically description or plot-driven and fast-paced; original and experiment in their form – so it’s important to assess where the comfort zone of the customer is and adjust our recommendations accordingly. If there are books we’ve yet to pick up, the fact the prize is a trusted and recognised body makes our jobs far easier as we can share with the customers what the Booker judges have said about the nominees.

Which of the Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted titles would you like to see win, and which one do you think will win?

We’d be happy to see any of the shortlist win as it is a fantastic selection of literature. However, it’d be nice to see The Bee Sting take it home, being such an addictively hilarious yet thought-provoking family saga.

Which six titles from the Booker Library (any title nominated since 1969), would be on your all-time, dream shortlist? 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon – a brilliant insight into the struggles of a neurodivergent child.

Lanny by Max Porter – Max Porter’s writing is quirky and compelling. We love all of his books, but Lanny was especially memorable for its creepy tone and clever use of visual poetry on the page.

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie – Home Fire was a five-star read for one of our staff, who loved this smart retelling of Sophocles’ Antigone set against a background of radicalisation, faith, family and sacrifice.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – although this may seem an obvious or easy pick, Margaret’s The Handmaid’s Tale remains one of the most haunting, poignant and devastating novels I’ve ever read. The story has stayed with me ever since I first read it, and horrifyingly, seems only increasingly relevant in today’s world.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga – an all-time favourite for one of our staff that just had to be included. 

Atonement – Ian McEwan is a favourite author among our staff, and we’ve often discussed our love for his heartbreaking yet brilliant novel Atonement. The film is wonderful too.

Tell us a bit about your bookshop.

Round Table Books is a community interest company that celebrates global majority, LGBTQIA+, and disabled peoples’ experiences. We curate our books to reflect these experiences and therefore, only stock part of The Booker Prize and International Booker Prize list. 

We began as a pop-up as part of Knights Of, the publisher, in 2018 and became a permanent space and our entity in 2019. We now focus on both adult and children’s books and serve the needs of the community in Brixton and beyond. 

How did you start out bookselling and what do you enjoy most about it?

All of us came from non-bookselling backgrounds. I had only been a bookseller for three years when I became the co-director of Round Table Books. First and foremost, we all have a passion for reading, but fundamentally, it is the modus operandi of the bookshop that drives us.

Why do you think independent bookselling is so important?

Independent bookshops are vital community spaces. The conversations had in and out of bookshops define the books that are curated for the shop because when you speak to people about their thoughts, tastes, needs and desires you gain a deeper understanding of your community.

What is one thing you would like people to know about being a bookseller?

There are so many wonderful moments as a bookseller, connections to people on an intimate level: a child dressing up as Alex Falase-Koya’s Marv, reading Trinidadian patois for the first time in Ingrid Persaud’s Love After Love or the realisation that there is a multiplicity of queer experiences in Arinze Ifeakandu’s God’s Children are Little Broken Things. 

There are also many wonderful connections at events, having the shared experience with the audience of being privy to discussions, performances and questions.

What does the Booker Prize mean to you as a bookseller and what does it mean to your customers?

Like most bookshops, we see an increase in sales when the longlist, shortlist and winner are announced for the Booker Prize. But it is what happens afterwards that is really interesting. When The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida won last year, there was also an increased interest in Sri Lanka literature, for instance, such as A Passage North and This Divided Island.

As the bookshop has a strong focus on literature in translation, the International Booker Prize holds significant weight in the bookshop too.

How do you approach recommending books to a customer around the prize? Does it tend to differ from other recommendations? 

Recommendations for us have to be suited to an individual at that moment. Prize-winning books will always be a conversation point, but cannot be the only focus. 

Which of the Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted titles would you like to see win, and which one do you think will win?

It is quite hard to answer the second question without having read the entire list. But regarding the first, we are torn between Jonathan Escoffery’s If I Survive You and Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane.

Which six titles from the Booker Library (any title nominated since 1969), would be on your all-time, dream shortlist?

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy 

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James 

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Tell us a bit about your bookshop.

The Bookmark has been my joy for over 16 years. There has been a bookshop in this spot for several decades, but before that, it was a tobacconist. In my time here, I have started a wee crime festival ‘Dark Nights, Dark Deeds… Death in Grantown’ where I bring an excellent selection of Scotland’s crime authors to Grantown for a weekend-long romp. This year is our ninth annual festival, to kick off Friday we do A Pie, Pint and a Play. The authors write the play and it is truly dreadful, but the audience always loves it. I also work with schools for World Book Day, and run events within the local community.

How did you start out bookselling and what do you enjoy most about it?

I grew up reading, much to my mother’s annoyance, you’d always find me in a book as it was an escape – I am the eldest of seven. I was even made the school librarian as a girl and took great pleasure in locking myself away in there and just reading. We moved to the area around 16 years ago and went about buying a bookshop. I like books and I like people – how could I go wrong! You meet so many people in the shop, that’s what I love most about it.

Why do you think independent bookselling is so important?

Independent bookselling is so important because each indie bookseller can choose the stock that they wish to promote. Being an indie bookseller means you can spotlight new and upcoming authors, as well as independent publishing houses. This means you can have a great diversity of stock. For me, this means I have a large variety of books specific to the local interest and tailored to our interests.

What is one thing you would like people to know about being a bookseller?

It’s more than just the books. You meet amazing people with amazing stories every day in a bookshop. You never know who is going to walk in that door, and you never know when you might end up singing a wee tune with a customer, which is something that has been known to occur in The Bookmark from time to time.

What does the Booker Prize mean to you as a bookseller and what does it mean to your customers?

Many of our customers treat the Booker Prize as a guessing game. They like to read all the books on the longlist and try and predict which ones will make it to the shortlist, and which one will win. As a bookseller, it brings me great joy chatting with my customers about the Booker Prize, the nominations always make you think, and the different genres nominated always takes us outside our comfort zone in the best way possible.

How do you approach recommending books to a customer around the prize? Does it tend to differ from other recommendations?

I approach recommending books around the prize like we would any other recommendation – I discuss with the customer their particular wants and thoughts on books, and books they have enjoyed, then recommend based on this. I have always found that the Booker Prize label carries a guarantee of a read that will expand your readership beyond what is familiar.

Which of the Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted titles would you like to see win, and which one do you think will win?

I would really like to see Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane win, because I think it is a heartfelt story that transcends the classic sport-hero’s tale with its exploration of grief and sisterhood. I also love how it’s about a woman in sports, I think tales like this should be told more often.

I also think Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting has a cracking chance. I think that dark humour, which The Bee Sting is absolutely full of, is on the rise because it teaches people how to have a wee giggle no matter how mad the world gets.

Which six titles from the Booker Library (any title nominated since 1969), would be on your all-time, dream shortlist?

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – I love how at the core of the story is a young boy’s love for his mother.

Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively – I love the focus on human connection in this story, and how it offers different perspectives outside of our own wee bubbles.

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie – I love the magical realism, and how rich Rushdie’s writing is. I’ve never been to India, but his writing transported me.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje – the poetic prose took me into each character’s internal monologue, and gave them such a rich being.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy – the concept of these big things seeping into all of the small things is a narrative I really appreciated along with the intensity of the characters of the book.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – a book in a series of horrifically accurate reflections on women’s perceived role in society and drives home the message of not accepting the unacceptable.

Tell us a bit about your bookshop.

The Bookshop has been open since 1981. A generation of readers has grown up with us and we love to see how many of our loyal customers who visited us as children are now bringing their own children to The Bookshop. We are proud to be part of the community and to share our passion for books with people of all ages.

We love to host events that are fun, unique and beneficial for other local businesses and organisations. For example, we have partnered with a local baker to offer delicious cake samples at our event with Jane’s Patisserie, a popular cookbook author. We have also teamed up with a local deli to organise a cheese and wine evening to promote the latest book by Emma Young, author of The Cheese Wheel. Our Murder in the Library evenings with crime writers are always popular and help support the library, a valuable community resource.

How did you start out bookselling and what do you enjoy most about it?

My bookselling career started in a city bookshop where I also met my husband. I moved to Mold in 1981 to become the manager of The Bookshop. Six years later my husband and I were able to buy the business. I enjoy working with books and I always look forward to the new stock arriving, my waiting-to-read pile gets higher every day! I love talking to customers about the books that we have read, and I get great satisfaction when a customer returns to say that they enjoyed a book that I had recommended. After 42 years of working in the book trade, I still look forward to opening the shop each morning.

Why do you think independent bookselling is so important?

Independent bookshops are valuable for their diversity and community engagement, we have the freedom to choose our stock to cater to the needs and interests of our customers. We promote literacy and reading by organizing events and school visits, and by supporting local authors. Independent bookshops are more than just places to buy books, they are an important part of the community where people can meet and share their passion for books and reading.

What is one thing you would like people to know about being a bookseller?

It’s hard work, we don’t sit reading books all day (sadly) but it’s also enormous fun.

What does the Booker Prize mean to you as a bookseller and what does it mean to your customers?

We are always looking for new and diverse fiction to offer to our customers. The Booker Prize list always contains a few titles that we might not have previously considered stocking. The accompanying POS helps us to create attractive and engaging displays in our store and windows. Customers can be confident in the knowledge that the Booker Prize list includes titles that have been selected because they are thought-provoking, original and well-written.

How do you approach recommending books to a customer around the prize? Does it tend to differ from other recommendations?

When a customer asks for a book recommendation, I will ask them if they have read any of the previous Booker Prize winners or nominated titles. Depending on their answer I will recommend a book that is similar in genre or suggest that they try something different. This differs from other recommendations as I will mention that the Booker Prize is a prestigious award that showcases the best of British and Irish fiction and invite customers to explore books from a list that might be challenging or surprising.

Which of the Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted titles would you like to see win, and which one do you think will win?

I would like to see Prophet Song by Paul Lynch win. I also think it will win because although the story is a bit bleak, his use of language is amazing to read. It’s a novel that stays with you long after you finish it.

Which six titles from the Booker Library (any title nominated since 1969), would be on your all-time, dream shortlist?

The Trees by Percival Everett – A wacky but serious look at racism.

My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout – Strout’s novels are always a delight to read and her characters are acutely observed.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – A miniature masterpiece where every word counts.

Snap by Belinda Bauer – full of a multitude of surprises.

Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor – A haunting story of loss but life goes on despite tragedy.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville – A heartbreaking story of family separation and transportation to Australia. 

How did you start out bookselling and what do you enjoy most about it?

As a young girl, growing up in the North West of Ireland, I always dreamed of owning a bookshop. In December 2010, I signed up for a market stall in Derry with 100 books and now stock [in Little Acorns Bookstore] over 60K books. I’m an ‘accidental bookseller’ as it was really due to a house move and having to downsize, but it was really then that Little Acorns Bookstore was born. Having now moved shop seven times in twelve years, I hope to move in, live above and eventually buy the premises making it my ‘forever home’, and never move again!

Tell us what makes your bookshop unique.

I collect typewriters (my first, a gift from Santa in 1977) and now have over 150 in my collection with plans to open Ireland’s first Typewriter Museum in the near future. Precious finds include three rare Celtic keyboard typewriters, a typewriter from the Field Day Theatre Company and from a local newsroom in the ‘70s during the Troubles, along with one used by the Irish Women Workers Union in Dublin. Typewriters are either donated or swapped for books, or I source them, saving many from being dumped in skips or discarded. I intend to match typewriters to those that were similarly used by well-known writers like Kerouac, Hemmingway, Atwood, Steinbeck etc. My hope is also to invite fellow typewriter enthusiast Tom Hanks to visit someday – which has attracted a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, coverage and conversation within the media and community.

Why do you think independent bookselling is so important?

As an independent sole trader in Northern Ireland’s second-largest city, it is so important to be at the pulse of instant change, popular trends, generational interests and fads, local news stories, as well as being very aware of world affairs. This entails knowledge of the fast-changing world of creativity, celebrity, political, social, economic change and concern – all shaping business on a day-to-day basis. As a bookseller, you are always striving to be one step ahead of a prospective reader and customer. As a small bookshop, I am big on collaboration, connection, community; and the local business sector, schools and educational bodies, theatres and community groups, festivals (and not always book/author related) plus fundraising charities are all only too willing to join forces and work together.

What is one thing you would like people to know about being a bookseller?

There are rewards and sacrifices (mentally, physically and financially), but where it takes a village to raise a child, I truly believe that it takes a community to curate, create and cultivate a bookshop. I am just the lucky key holder entrusted to unlock and look after its magical treasures and the wonderful characters that visit. To me it is reward enough to be still in business, loving what I do, feeling like part of a large family and community, providing a service and safe place, a love of language and creativity and learning every day. The role of a bookseller is multi-tasking with many hats and extends beyond opening hours. I spend more time in the bookshop than at home, and there’s no better industry or city I’d rather be in.

What does the Booker Prize mean to you as a bookseller and what does it mean to your customers?

This year especially has been very exciting with four of the longlist nominees being Irish authors, and with one of the two shortlisted authors, Paul Lynch, originally from the area (Co Donegal). Having familiar authors alongside fresh new international fictional voices is a wonderful combination. There are customers who will only read/buy bestsellers or much-reviewed books – this is more to do with their time (rather than expense), so they filter and diet on the mainstream and recommendations mostly. The Booker Prize lists introduce exciting new works, genres, backgrounds and styles to their palate and I always love to hear their responses and reviews afterwards.

How do you approach recommending books to a customer around the prize? Does it tend to differ from other recommendations?

I always allocate a specific store display to the Booker longlist and shortlist of books and it generates a lot of interest, intrigue and discussion. The timing of the nominees is seasonally perfect with the long dark nights and Christmas approaching. Over the decades the books have become more accessible, mainstream and affordable – with titles already in the public domain as paperbacks, rather than all hardbacks and imports. They have also become much more popular with book groups and lead to requests for backlist titles by various authors, or for more writers of the same genre or nationality. As a bookseller, this brings me great joy to introduce and sway a move from the usual reading habits of customers towards something completely different.

Which of the Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted titles would you like to see win, and which one do you think will win?

I would love this year’s Booker Prize awarded to one of the two Irish Pauls, with Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song, as the winner. With Lynch hailing from these shores, I can’t imagine the celebration, pride and joy that would bring, especially to up-and-coming young writers. Plus, it’s a great book and very deserving. I expect the winner may be one of the three Pauls!

Which six titles from the Booker Library (any title nominated since 1969), would be on your all-time, dream shortlist?

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Harvest by Jim Crace

Room by Emma Donoghue

Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan