A Maldon Bookshop has been named the "Best Independent Bookshop of the Year" in the East of England.

Maldon Books is one of nine national winners of The Bookseller's British Book Awards 2025.

Selected by the judges from 72 finalists, the award celebrates bookshops that continue to draw book lovers to towns and cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

A spokesperson for Maldon Books celebrated on social media this morning, saying: "What wonderful news to wake up to!

"We really can't believe it, but our bookshop is a Regional and Country Winner for the East of England in this year's British Book Awards.

"Thank you so much to The Bookseller magazine, our brilliant team and to our lovely customers who have been such a huge support of our bookshop.

"We're thrilled, and it truly means so much to us."

Maldon Books is described by a spokesperson for The Bookseller Magazine as a "phoenix risen from the ashes."

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After first opening in 2019, the bookshop was financially supported by the community as the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Since then, the team and shop has expanded, with two rooms for both adults' and children's books, as well as an adjoining record shop named Novel Sounds.

The shop runs regular author events, which are often featured on the Maldon Nub News 'What's on' Page.

The overall national winner will be announced at The British Book Awards on May 12.

Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller managing editor, said: "These nine shops reflect the UK and Ireland's current embarrassment of riches in its independent bookselling scene, a climate which made the selection of the regional and country winners undoubtedly the most closely-run and tightly-contested in British Book Awards history.

"The finalists speak to what makes indies great: their individuality and idiosyncrasy.

"The winners run the gamut from relative newcomers who launched in the teeth of the pandemic to old hands who have been trading for decades, but they all are bursting with fresh ideas, and never stint on innovation.

"They operate in different milieu – bustling city centres, buzzy market towns, bucolic villages – but all have adapted their businesses to meet the needs of local communities.

"Ultimately, what links these indies is they are a vanguard, bold tastemakers who support authors and create bestsellers, often long before those books are glimmers in chain or online bookshops' eyes."