Freshwater Bookshop Shortlisted For Prestigious National Award

An Isle of Wight bookshop has made the shortlist to win a prestigious national award.

Mrs Middleton’s Shop And The Rabbit Hole in Freshwater is among 77 independent bookshops selected across nine different regions as finalists for The British Book Awards 2024 Small Press of the Year.

The independent bookshop, established in 2015, is run by co-owners Gail and Nick Creagh-Osborne.

The pair delight in providing books tailored to each customer's wishes.

Gail said:

"We are honoured to be selected as finalists for the British Book Awards — the bookseller does so much invaluable work for the industry.

"The selection of our peers up and down the country is joyful to see, and we wish all (of the finalists) luck.

"It's great to see that their criteria is not always that 'biggest is best!''"

The shop is known for its rare antiquarian titles sourced for specific customers, including one instance of a book about the Isle of Wight published 200 years ago which had left the Island and found its way back home!

The bookshop celebrates ten years in business at the end of this year, and the stock has been built from scratch.

Each book has been chosen with a customer in mind.

The bookshops will compete to win their region first, which will be announced on Tuesday 12 March, before contending for the overall prize, announced at The British Book Awards winner ceremony at Grosvenor House on Monday 13 May. 

Other bookshops from the south-east are:

The 2024 south-east England finalists for the British Book Awards 2024 Independent Bookshop of the Year are:

• Coles Books | Bicester
• Afrori Books | Brighton
• Our Bookshop | Tring
• Hungerford Bookshop | Hungerford
• Mostly Books | Abingdon
• Books on the Hill | St Albans
• The Margate Bookshop | Margate
• P & G Wells | Winchester
• Pigeon Books | Southsea
• Mrs Middleton’s Shop And The Rabbit Hole | Isle of Wight