FOLDE, the independent Shaftesbury bookshop which specialises in nature writing, is a regional and country finalist in The British Book Awards 2024. The shop on Gold Hill has been recognised in the Independent Bookshop of the Year category.
Affectionately known within the industry as the Nibbies, The British Book Awards are described as “a celebration of books and all who make them… affirming, connecting and energising the world of reading 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.”
In the largest cohort in the awards’ history, there are 77 independent bookshops listed across nine different regions and countries, including ten in South-West England.
FOLDE is one of just two bookshops in Dorset, alongside Westbourne Bookshop in Bournemouth, to be named as a Regional and Country finalist.
‘We are over the moon to have made it through to the finals for our region,’ said FOLDE co-founder, Amber Harrison. ‘The awards are an opportunity to highlight and celebrate our firm belief that indie bookshops are a real asset to the high street.’
Karen Brazier, who co-founded the shop with Amber, says: ‘We owe much of our success to our local community, who were cheer leading for us even before we opened and continue to do so to this day.’
Tom Tivnan, managing editor of The Bookseller and chairman of Independent Bookshop of the Year, says: ‘Indies have come out of the pandemic and into cost-of-living and business rates crises, yet still through innovation and creativity thrive as never before. They are lynch pins for our high street, bringing communities together. If there is a through-line it is that their collective knowledge and passion shine through and prove once again how much better shop floor expertise is than an algorithm.’
The regional and country winners will be announced on 12th March, and will then be put forward for consideration for the national Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, which will be announced in May.
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