An independent bookshop in Wotton-under-Edge is one of only seven in the South West that has been shortlisted in The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the year.
The Cotswold Bookroom in Long Street, run by Gideon and Cathy York since 2020, celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. They told Stroud Times what the nomination means to them: “It’s an exciting recognition of the part our bookshop plays in the local community. We have always wanted our shop to be more than just a place buy things, it’s a place to be inspired by beautiful books, a safe place for people to come and browse and shop that has a positive impact on the town.
“We took over the shop in 2020, but it’s a very longstanding business in the town. It has served Wotton for 75 years – it was established in 1950. It has survived the introduction of the Internet, Amazon and the e-reader.
“We have so much going on in and around the shop, for example, we partner with other local businesses such as L’affinage Cheese and The Edge Coffee Shop to bring you our monthly Cheese, Wine and Book Club. We support schools with book fairs, bookshop visits, reading prizes and discounted books and act as the box office for Under the Edge Arts.
“Also, we work with Gloucestershire-based charity Read with Me, in particular by providing books for less privileged children at Christmas. At Easter we let loose the Usborne ducks into the other shop windows and set up a free duck hunt for the town, it’s brought people to Wotton and got them noticing the other amazing shops we have here.
“This year is the national year of reading. We have started a silent reading club on the first Wednesday of the month, bring your book and come and read with us, and to take this further we are planning a Great Wotton Read in the summer, we want to bring as many people together as we can to come and read together, hopefully outside in the sunshine, but you know what the weather can do. Watch this space for more details.”
The British Book Awards 2026 Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, sponsored by book wholesaler Gardners, celebrates stores that are at the centre of local communities, bringing passion and knowledge to the shop floor.
Winners of the Independent Bookshop of the Year Award will be announced on Tuesday 10th March, whilst the overall winner will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 11th May 2026. The overall winner also receives a cheque for £5,000 from sponsor Gardners at the awards ceremony.
