Dulwich bookshop shortlisted for national award

The shop Village Books in Dulwich has been shortlisted for a national award after showing “vigour, creativity and innovation” during the challenges of the last year.

Hazel Broadfoot, owner of Village Books, said: “I’m delighted because it was such a hard year last year and our team has been absolutely brilliant.

“We’ve adapted to so many things and we’ve learned so many new skills and everybody’s done it with such good humour and energy. To get that recognised by being shortlisted in extremely stiff competition is just really lovely and really cheering.”

The indie bookseller in the heart of Dulwich Village is one of the most historic shops on the shortlist, first opening in the 1930s.

The shop places a focus on the community by working with schools and bringing authors to the area – as well as befriending local dogs.

“We keep a supply of dog biscuits and the dogs in the area know this.

“We sometimes see a reluctant owner being dragged across the road by a large dog who’s intent on getting a dog biscuit treat,”

Ms Broadfoot laughed. At the start of the first lockdown in March, the store’s main wholesaler went out of business and their secondary wholesaler stopped trading for a month.

Ms Broadfoot said: “We were trying to get books for people and never quite knowing where they were going to come from or how long it was going to take to get them there, so that was hard.”

When the shop opened again in June, they were careful to make sure customers and staff would be safe – by adding screens and limiting the number of people allowed inside.

They have also hosted a number of online events with authors. Ms Broadfoot said: “We were really busy with events in our bookshop and I didn’t want to lose that platform and that interaction between authors and their readers, so we learned virtual events.

“We didn’t just dip a toe in – we dived head-first straight into an event with an author who was locked down in Melbourne, Australia, for 300 children.

Tom Tivnan, managing editor of The Bookseller, which runs the British Book Awards, said: “Last year was difficult for the entire books trade but indie booksellers were perhaps at the very sharpest end of the pandemic.

“Yet, as we can see by 48 entries on the Independent Bookshop of the Year shortlists, indies tackled the coronavirus restrictions with creativity and vigour.”

Regional and country winners of the awards will be announced on March 17.