The independent bookshop voted the best in Wales

A book retailer in a seaside town has been named the best independent bookshop in Wales.

Griffin Books in Penarth has been named the best in the nation as part of the Independent Book Shop of the Year Awards.

Selected by the judges from 72 finalists announced last month, the award, sponsored by book wholesaler Gardners, celebrates those bookshops that continue to draw book lovers to towns and cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The store will now compete against eight other shops around the UK for the overall title at an awards ceremony in London in May. The winner receives a cheque for £5,000 from awards sponsor Gardners, and will go on to compete for Book Retailer of the Year.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller managing editor, said: “These nine shops reflect the UK and Ireland’s current embarrassment of riches in its independent bookselling scene, a climate which made the selection of the regional and country winners undoubtedly the most closely-run and tightly-contested in British Book Awards history. The finalists speak to what makes indies great: their individuality and idiosyncrasy.

“The winners run the gamut from relative newcomers who launched in the teeth of the pandemic to old hands who have been trading for decades, but they all are bursting with fresh ideas, and never stint on innovation. They operate in different milieu – bustling city centres, buzzy market towns, bucolic villages – but all have adapted their businesses to meet the needs of local communities.

From bookshops in the heart of the country’s largest cities to seaside towns that require a ferry to visit, independent bookshops continue to bring bold, innovative and inspired bookselling to communities, driving creative industries and local economies.

Ultimately, what links these indies is they are a vanguard, bold tastemakers who support authors and create bestsellers, often long before those books are glimmers in chain or online bookshops’ eyes.’

2023’s Independent Bookshop of the Year champion Griffin Books returns as the Welsh winner, vying to reclaim its crown. If Griffin Books were to win on 12th May, the success would secure a hat-trick for Welsh bookshops, with Crickhowell’s Book-ish taking home the award for Wales last year.

Ruth Gardner, Gardners’ UK Sales Manager, said: “Every independent bookshop has a unique story to tell, and we are proud to support those who make reading more accessible and magical for everyone. This award recognises their invaluable contribution. Independent bookshops are at the heart of the book world, bringing communities together and championing the joy of reading. We’re proud to support the Independent Bookshop of the Year award and would like to congratulate this year’s Regional and Country Winners in this prestigious awards.”

Evolving

Meryl Halls, Managing Director of Booksellers Association, added: “At the Booksellers Association we never cease to be impressed by the ability of independent booksellers to adapt, innovate and evolve to meet the needs of their customers and the challenges of the retail landscape. Independent bookshops have long transcended being only a place where books are sold. Today, they’re drivers of community projects, distributors of creatives industries and engines of local economies – and you’d be hard pressed to find a group of independent booksellers that better deliver on all these fronts than this sensational collection of deserving winners.”

The winner of Independent Bookshop of the Year will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 12th May 2025.

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Griffin Books, Penarth
Griffin Books is a small independent bookshop located in the seaside town of Penarth, south Wales. In addition to their carefully curated range of stock, the shop is well known for their busy programme of author events featuring a line-up of household names as well as platforming some incredible local Welsh talent. They also run six book clubs for all ages, offer bespoke book subscriptions and hold a weekly storytime for toddlers, and actively partner with other independent businesses and supporting local good causes. In September 2024, they celebrated a decade of business with a party surrounded by staff past and present, and customers and colleagues from the book trade. What started as a team of three (owner Mel Griffin, one part-time staff member plus Mel’s teenage son as Saturday assistant) has grown into what it is today: a team of nine with roles spanning event management, communications and schools in addition to shop floor booksellers.