Meet the judges of this year's Indie Book Awards
The Indie Book Awards celebrates the Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children's Fiction and Picture Books.
A judging panel of independent booksellers will decide the winners of this year's Indie Book Awards. Mark Forrest will be the first to announce the winners in his show from 10am on Friday 24th June, but in the meantime, let's meet this year's judging panel...
Adult judges
Matt Steele, The Ivybridge Bookshop
Chair of the Judges for the Adult titles
I grew up on books from Exeter library and visits to Dillons. I’ve worked in bookshops for over 25 years, mostly in Hong Kong in Bloomsbury Books, Dymocks Booksellers, Growhouse and Swindon Books. During the golden years of international author tours, I arranged events for authors including Chris Patten, Jeffrey Archer and Sir Roger Moore. With the recent growing support for independent bookshops - and local shopping in general - myself and his wife Wynnie and dog Bumblebee moved back to Devon in 2020 to open our own bookshop. We settled in Ivybridge and opened The Ivybridge Bookshop in April 2021.
The Ivybridge Bookshop hosts an eclectic range of books – something for everyone - with a particularly wide for selection for children and teens, plus hiking and history books on Dartmoor and South Devon, nature, spirituality, local authors, and perhaps the largest selection of books on Hong Kong and China in the south west! With wide aisles and easy access, the shop is pram, pushchair, wheelchair, mobility scooter and dog friendly. We are very happy to recommend books, especially for children, and have a growing calendar of events from book launches to children's storytelling.
Local readers and schools have given us wonderful support, and we were very honoured to receive the National Book Tokens Newcomer of the Year Award 2022.
Visit The Ivybridge Bookshop website here
Carolynn Bain, Afrori Books
If I had to put who I am in any kind of order I am first a Christian Black woman. I am also a mother, a bookseller, an activist, a mentor, a lyricist and a wife. I went to uni in my 40’s earning a 1st in Event management and working around Europe at everything from Glastonbury to world leaders’ summits.
My life has been a battle against racism and the need to educate about white privilege. In 2020 I decided it was time to change the world. I opened an online bookshop that created a one stop-shop for books by black authors.
In 2021, following a very successful crowdfund, I opened a bricks and mortar shop in the heart of Brighton. I did this in the firm belief that what we read changes who we are and how we think.
Afrori Books now has the biggest selection of books by black authors in the UK. Giving a platform to over 2000 black authors through our shop and social media channels.
Our Mission plan is simple: Support black authors. Create diverse bookshelves. *Be a voice for justice.”
Visit the Afrori Books website here
Melanie Greenwood, DRAKE The Bookshop
DRAKE The Bookshop has been trading for 6 years now and before taking the plunge to buy our own bookshop I spent many years in the environmental/sustainability sector working both for a local authority and with local community groups and charities, and although I loved those jobs, bookselling really feels like coming home.
When I'm not selling books, or reading books, I like to get out to run or walk in the countryside. My reading tends to be wide reaching and eclectic but books I return to often are deeply immersive reads with a magical realism element, such as Gabriel Garcia Marques or Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
Visit the DRAKE The Bookshop website here
Sally Pattle, Far From The Madding Crowd
I’m the Manager of Linlithgow's Award-Winning bookshop, Far From The Madding Crowd. I’ve been a bookseller for ten years and took over the day-to-day running of the bookshop from her mum Jill in 2015. Far From The Madding Crowd is an indie bookshop with a bit on the side. We stock everything from the latest best-sellers to classics, and for readers of all ages. We specialise in children's and Scottish titles and our hard-working team works on the ethos that there's a book for everyone, and we will help them find it!
Visit the Far From The Madding Crowd website here
Children’s Judges
Meera Ghanshamdas, Round Table Books
Chair of the Judges for the Children’s titles
ROUND TABLE BOOKS exists to celebrate underrepresented children’s books, writers and illustrators. We curate and stock books from the widest variety of UK and Irish publishers possible.
The original bookshop was a pop-up to celebrate KNIGHTS OF turning one year – the team wanted to do something unique – and an inclusive pop-up on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton opened for a week. The response was overwhelming – loudest was the call for a permanent space – after a crowdfund caught the imagination of readers across the world, we began planning how to launch a permanent store.
Visit the Round Tables Books website here
Jasmine Dellimore, Tales on Moon Lane
Jasmine is an expert bookseller at the award-winning children’s bookshop Moon Lane Books. For the past few years, she has been helping children, and adults alike, on their reading journeys towards their new favourite book. Jasmine works closely with local South London schools to help diversify their reading lists, run book fairs and organise author events. Outside Moon Lane, you will most likely find Jasmine curled up with a hot chocolate, completely lost in ancient mythology and immersive fantasy worlds.
Visit the Tales on Moon Lane website here
Annie McCloskey, David’s Bookshop
I got into bookselling completely by accident! I moved down to Hertfordshire after my MA with hopes of landed a publishing job in London. David’s Bookshop was my local bookshop and I pretty much fell in love with the place instantly. After 6 months of living here, I saw a part-time position come up and I jumped at the opportunity to work in a bookshop and to gain industry experience. However, I love it so much I’m not sure if I could see myself doing something else now.
Visit the David's Bookshop website here
Alex Forbes, Four Bears Books
Alex is the owner of Fourbears Books, a general bookshop which opened in Caversham in December 2020.