Two Edinburgh bookshops in the running for Independent Bookshop of the Year award
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
Two Edinburgh bookshops are in the running to be named Independent Bookshop of the Year Award at the British Book Awards 2026.
Argonaut Books and Book Lovers Bookshop in the capital are two of the eight Scottish finalists for the prestigious award. They join 76 bookshops across the UK and Ireland vying for the title of Independent Bookshop of the Year.
This year has seen a record number of submissions according to Tom Tivnan, deputy editor of trade magazine The Bookseller.
He said: “The most gratifying thing about the 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year is not just the record number of submissions, but the Grade-A quality of each and every one of them. We all know the current travails of the High Street in general, but indies across the UK and Ireland are meeting the difficulties with grit, innovation and community spirit.
“What impresses is how these shops are nimbly and proactively moving into areas that tap into local needs, such as launching festivals, fundraisers, wellness groups and supporting local schools. All this on top of the core mission of spreading the joy of books, which indies arguably do better and with more passion than any other sector.”
Argonaut Books on Leith Walk were recently at the forefront of the argument around independent bookshops. It was announced in December that Waterstones were set to open in the nearby Newkirkgate Centre, however public pressure saw the decision reversed.
Ruth Gardner, Gardners’ UK Sales Manager, said: “Independent bookshops are the heart of our industry and of their local communities. The regional finalists represent the very best ofbookselling - passion, creativity and resilience in action. We’re proud to support an award that recognises the extraordinary work these businesses do every day to connect readers with books.”
Meryl Halls, Managing Director, Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland, said: “Booksellers are often the unsung heroes of the book industry – and we know how much they punch above their weight, engage in their communities, and foster cultural diversity in the places they help to create, and enhance. We all want a bookshop on our high street, and the bookshops on the shortlists exemplify all that great bookselling represents, for us as readers, as authors, as citizens. In this National Year of Reading, and at the start of a year bringing yet more potentially crippling cost challenges to our sector, this celebration of the best of bookselling is needed more than ever, and very welcome.”
The 2026 Scotland finalists for The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year are:
Argonaut Books - Edinburgh
Book Lovers Bookshop - Edinburgh
Daydreams Bookshop - Milngavie
Far from the Madding Crowd Bookshop - Linlithgow
Heron & Willow - Jedburgh
Book Nook - Stirling
The Wee Bookshop - Dollar
Ullapool Bookshop - Ullapool
The regional and country winners of the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award will be announced on Tuesday, 10 March, whilst the overall winner will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday, 11 May 2026. The overall winner also receives a cheque for £5,000 from sponsor Gardners at the awards ceremony.