A bookshop from Chepstow has been included in the regional and country finalists in The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year.

Chepstow Books & Gifts, located on St Mary Street, is one of 76 from across the United Kingdom and Ireland selected for the accolade.

The winners of the regional and country award will be announced on Tuesday, March 10, whilst the overall winner will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday, May 11. The overall winner also receives a cheque for £5,000 from sponsor ‘Gardners’ at the awards ceremony.

Matt Taylor, owner of Chepstow Books & Gifts said: “We are delighted to be selected as a regional finalist for Independent Bookshop of the Year. We had an amazing 2025 with author events including Michael Palin and Ruth Jones as well as many new and local writers. Our local customers are vital to making us a success and we are work hard giving them the best service and selection whether that is in-store, on our website or via phone, email and social media.”

The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year Award celebrates stores that are at the centre of local communities, bringing passion and knowledge to the shop floor. The British Book Awards, also known as ‘the Nibbies’ has been the leading awards for the book trade since 1990. The awards affirm, connect and energise all who have a hand in creating books and all who read them, by showcasing the authors and illustrators who have stirred hearts and imaginations, and the industry behind the scenes who brought them to readers.

The awards are judged by leading industry experts, authors, journalists and celebrities, with many hailing it as ‘The BAFTAs of the book trade’.

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 of bookselling - 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.”

You can keep up to date on the awards by following The British Book Awards on social media, and follow all the latest comments from those involved by using the hashtag #BritishBookAwards.