"I’ve been bowled over by the way independent booksellers have embraced The Names, and touched by the huge creativity, insight, and heart they’ve shown when sharing it with customers. Receiving this award on top of all that support feels like both a tremendous privilege and a giant hug for my characters. I’m very grateful for this honour and for the skill and passion of indie booksellers far and wide.” - Florence Knapp

“A moreish, fast-paced and bittersweet read, The Names hits all the right dopamine spots, with a steady, compelling rhythm throughout - it’s immersive, satisfying, and perfect for getting lost in on a summer afternoon.”
- Indie Book Awards Judges

The Fiction category was judged by Leslie Legget (First Draft Books); Jack Mountford (Paper Moon); Pao Salcedo (Lighthouse Bookshop); Dawn Williams (Chapters Bookstore); Sadie Young (Chepstow Books & Gifts).

The incredible first memoir from the Booker-winning radical icon Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things.

‘Heart-smashed’ by the death of the mother she ran from at age eighteen and shaken by the intensity of her response, Arundhati Roy began this remarkable memoir – a soaring account, both intimate and inspiring, of how the author became the person and the writer she is: shaped by circumstance, but above all by her relationship to her extraordinary, singular mother, Mary, who she describes as ‘my shelter and my storm’.

With the scale, sweep and depth of her novels, and the passion, political clarity and warmth of her essays, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace – a memoir like no other.

“For an indie (whichever way you slice it) writer to be supported by indie bookstores in this way is so wonderful. Indie love is by far the best love. Thank you for this honour from all the folks in Mother Mary Comes To Me, including the squirrels, fish, birds, dogs and rhinos. They send you a smile and various chirrups, wags and rhino greetings. Mary Roy sends you a scowl and a dimple. I live in India and it is a source of abiding sorrow to me how few bookstores there are—indie or otherwise—in this land of more than a billion people. This is as true of the big cities as well as smaller towns. The bulk of book buying is online.” - Arundhati Roy

““Beautifully written and widely accessible, Mother Mary Comes to Me is the kind of non-fiction many readers may not have picked up on their own, but once discovered, it’s a rewarding read that booksellers are eager to recommend far and wide” - Indie Book Awards Judges

The Non-Fiction category was judged by Leslie Legget (First Draft Books); Jack Mountford (Paper Moon); Pao Salcedo (Lighthouse Bookshop); Dawn Williams (Chapters Bookstore); Sadie Young (Chepstow Books & Gifts).

A hilarious new series by award-winning author Phil Earle which introduces Finn N. O. Hope and his life of epic failure! Perfect for readers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Loki and Tom Gates.

​Finn just wants to survive Year 7, but his life is destined to be a series of epic fails. It's only Tuesday and his scheming, unicorn-obsessed little sister has already stuck a horn to his head (with superglue) and his properly evil older brother has wedgied him 278 times. And don't even ask what happened at swimming, in front of the WHOLE CLASS. At least he has best friends Laszlo (a hopeless romantic) and Google (ask her anything) by his side as he attempts to turn failure into victory in his very own book that is definitely not a diary.

“Well, my gob is well and truly smacked, thank you. The absolute opposite of an EPIC FAIL!
It’s truly flattering to be recognised by people whose shops are not just businesses, but a way of life. Independent booksellers aren’t even booksellers, they are curators and alchemists. There is no more powerful thing in publishing than a bookseller putting a story in a hand and saying ‘I think you’ll enjoy this’. 
It’s this sort of glorious interaction that has gifted me a career, and I cannot thank you enough.” - Phil Earle

“Finns Epic Fails is a conversational, engaging read, with an interactive feel that draws children in and keeps them involved. Especially fitting for the focus on the National Year of Reading, this book is great to share together, and perfect for keeping young readers engaged over the summer” - Indie Book Awards Judges

The Children's Fiction category was judged by Dan Fridd (Bookbugs and Dragon Tales); Elaine Sinclair (Daydreams Bookshop); Alison Brumwell (The Little Bookshop, Leeds); Sanchita Basu De Sarkar (Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill); McKenna Adare (O’Mahoney’s).

Fox lived in a lonely cottage in the middle of a dense cottage. He lived alone - and that was exactly how he liked it. Until one day, a mystery letter arrives: “Dear Fox, I know how much you enjoy puzzles. I bet you can’t resist this one. From an Old Friend.”

Fox doesn’t need mysterious puzzles, adventures or memories of his old… but he stops himself from finishing the thought. Still, it can’t hurt to look at the first clue. Of course, one clue leads to the next: Fox follows notes on trees, swirling smoke signals, and a map from a bottle - all on the tail of a friendship that once was. This beautiful adventure story from author/illustrator Alex Griffiths takes readers to the tops of trees and the bottom of oceans, and is at its heart a story about reconciliation and opening up about your feelings.

“I’m so honoured to have won the Indie Book Awards. Independent bookshops give lesser-known authors and illustrators a real platform, and to be recognised by the people who nurture that culture is very special to me. - Alex G Griffiths

“The Fox and the Mystery Letter is one of those under-the-radar gems you might have missed the first-time round, but it really sticks with you. Full of rich storytelling, gorgeous illustrations and maps, and something uniquely different. This story is perfect for dipping into on a slow summer day when you want to wander somewhere new.” - Indie Book Awards Judges

The Picture Book category was judged by Dan Fridd (Bookbugs and Dragon Tales); Elaine Sinclair (Daydreams Bookshop); Alison Brumwell (The Little Bookshop, Leeds); Sanchita Basu De Sarkar (Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill); McKenna Adare (O’Mahoney’s).