ILKLEY'S independent bookshop has overcome high street disruption to vie to be crowned Independent Bookshop of the Year.

The British Book Awards have revealed the regional and country finalists for the 2022 Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, with 62 bookshops from nine regions and countries competing to be named the best independent retailer.

The Grove Bookshop has been announced as a finalist in The 2022 Independent Bookshop of the Year for the North of England. Wave of Nostalgia in Haworth has also made the list of northern finalists.

They will compete to win the regional award against: Forum Books, Corbridge; Imagined Things, Harrogate; Read. Holmfirth, Holmfirth; Sam Read Bookseller, Grasmere; The Book Case, Hebden Bridge; The Book Corner, Halifax; The Little Ripon Bookshop, Ripon and White Rose BookCafé, Thirsk.

The regional winner will then vie for the overall prize, which will be announced at The British Book Awards winner ceremony on Monday, May 23, 2022. The overall Independent Bookshop of the Year winner will also compete to be crowned Retailer of the Year.

Mike Sansbury, manager of The Grove Bookshop in Ilkley said: "We are thrilled to make the regional shortlist again. It’s particularly satisfying after a very challenging year in which we have overcome all sorts of obstacles, and it’s also a tribute to the many loyal customers who have shown us such great support over the past twelve months."

The Independent Bookshop of the Year Award celebrates those stores that have continued to support local communities with magnificent books, which have provided enjoyment, distraction and succour for the nation’s readers during these turbulent times.

The past two years have seen independent bookshops up and down the UK and the Island of Ireland completely transform their operational models in order to get books into the hands of readers. This has ranged from bicycle deliveries to local customers, to booksellers rapidly building new e-commerce platforms, while also creating new channels for interactive video content to replace in-person events.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller’s managing editor, said: “The received wisdom in the book trade when the pandemic first hit was that independent booksellers might be the most vulnerable. They have proved anything but as through close ties to their communities, indies have flourished for the last two years. This year’s Independent Bookshop of the Year regional and country finalists reflect a broad diversity across the UK and Ireland with the thread of innovation running through, no matter if they are one of the UK’s most venerable indies or one of its newest.”

The 2022 regional and country winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, with the overall winner being unveiled at a ceremony in Central London.