We're thrilled to announce the three winners of this year’s Independent Bookshop Week (IBW) Book Award, with wins for both Faber & Faber and Macmillan Children’s Books. This year’s winners are:

Adult Category
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry (Faber & Faber)

Children's Category 
A Poem for Every Night of the Year, edited by Allie Esiri (Macmillan Children's Books)

Picture Book Category
Tidy by Emily Gravett (Macmillan Children's Books)

There were ten adult titles, and twelve titles in each of the children’s categories on the shortlists, which were selected by independent booksellers from nominations put forward by publishers.  The IBW 2017 judging panels were both chaired by BA President, Rosamund de la Hey.  This year’s Adult Category judges were Anna James, blogger, author and reviewer; Tim O’Kelly, One Tree Books, Petersfield; Fleur Sinclair, Sevenoaks Bookshop and Robert Penn, author, photographer and broadcaster.  

“If books constitute a magical religion that doesn't persecute anyone, then obviously a bookshop is a radiant chapel of that religion. In this strange new world the importance of books and bookshops has taken a quantum leap. I am thrilled, strengthened and frankly improved by receiving this award from this Atlas-like sector of society -- may independent bookshops thrive, and indeed be nurtured, till the end of time.” - Sebastian Barry, winner of the Adult Category

Both Children’s and Picture Book shortlisted titles will be listed in ‘The Best New Children’s Books’ supplement that will run in The Guardian on the first day of IBW, on Saturday 24th June. The Children’s and Picture Book Category judges were David Litchfield, author of The Bear & The Piano; Alex Strick, diversity in children’s books campaigner and head of Inclusive Minds; Sanchita Basu de Sarka, Children’s Bookshop, Muswell Hill and Victoria Rossiter, Rossiter’s Bookshop, Monmouth & Ross on Wye.  

“I am flabbergasted but deeply honoured to receive this IBW 2017 Children’s Book Award.  As well as containing a poem for each and every night of the year, the book is a journey through a calendar year celebrating the seasons, diverse cultures and notable historical dates. I am passionate about sharing poetry with the widest possible audience and am so grateful to all independent bookshops who have championed this anthology and indeed for everything they do.  I believe that poetry, as well as being the best expression of the big stuff, also exists for the small, seemingly insignificant things in life, for the everyday. Wordsworth once wrote of beauty ‘felt along the heart’, like waves beating along a shore. We feel poems along the heart and although we may not immediately notice the impact they make, they leave the shores of our heart a little changed. Thank you to Macmillan, to the illustrator Zanna Goldhawk, and to all the poets dead and very much alive who are, of course, the real heart of this book.” - Allie Esiri, winner of the Children’s Book Category

"I am thrilled to win this award. I love independent bookshops - their individuality and character, the passion of the people who run them, the breadth and variety of books on their shelves. The personal service they offer is such a pleasure, and important, too, especially in the way a good bookseller can match child and book." - Emily Gravett, winner of the Picture Book Category

“Our judges lunches were lively sessions, as both judging panels debated three very impressive shortlists.  This did, however, lead to three very good winning books which I am sure independent bookshops will get behind and hand sell.  On behalf of the BA, I would like to congratulate Sebastian, Allie and Emily on their thoroughly deserved award wins!” - Chair of Judges, Rosamund de la Hey, BA President and The Mainstreet Trading Company