Rejoicing in Ripon: The Little Ripon Bookshop has all the “write” ingredients for awards success
May 11th marks another exciting chapter for husband and wife Simon and Gill Edwards and The Little Ripon Bookshop.
Their independent shop on Westgate, with its imaginative and inspiring window displays, caught the eye of judges for the 2026 British Book Awards and earned their brilliant business a place on the shortlist for the Children’s Bookseller of the Year title 🎉📚
They are among ten nominees for the category, including fellow independents from across the UK and Ireland — and Waterstones with its chain of more than 300 stores — all vying for the much‑coveted award sponsored by Macmillan Children’s Books 🏆
Simon told Tim Flanagan of the Rejoicing in Ripon blog:
“The Nibbies, with its nib‑shaped golden trophies, is like the book industry’s Oscars and it is a great honour for us to be shortlisted, when considering how many booksellers there are in the UK and Ireland.” ✒️🌟
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony in London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel ✨
Gill, who will be flying the Little Ripon Bookshop flag on the evening of May 11, said:
“When we opened in 2009 our objective was to bring enjoyment to Ripon’s high street and offer a safe and attractive place for children to browse and buy books.”
“We think it’s important that they see books and make their own choices (sometimes with our help, but they often know exactly what they want!)” 👧📘🧒
📚 The go‑to bookshop for readers of all ages
Over the past 17 years, The Little Ripon Bookshop has become the go‑to place for people of all ages looking for a good read 💛
While offering adult readers a strong choice of fiction and non‑fiction titles by upcoming, established and celebrity authors, Gill and Simon have created an Aladdin’s cave for children — packed full of books to captivate and inspire ✨
From babies on parents’ knees to teenagers discovering their own reading tastes through authors such as Malorie Blackman, John Green, Alice Oseman and Leigh Bardugo, the shop continues to nurture a love of reading across generations 🌈📖
When announcing the shortlist, judges said:
“The Little Ripon Bookshop aims to bring the fun into children’s books – an approach encapsulated by a homemade Steampunk‑style book‑dispensing machine the team built for World Book Day.”
“Other highlights of 2025 included a Gruffalo visit and school book fairs. Weekly story times and the Book Monkeys Book Club are part of the mix, and one of the group’s earliest participants has grown into an assistant bookseller.” 🐻📚⚙️
Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon BID, said:
“Simon and Gill are BID members whose tremendous business enriches the lives of so many people.
Their community focus and outreach, particularly to families with young children, is exceptional and we wish them all the very best for May 11.” 🌟💛
Simon and Gill Edwards in their Westgate shop. Photo: Tim Flanagan, Rejoicing in Ripon Blog for Ripon BID
Imaginative window displays are a feature of the business. Photo: Tim Flanagan, Rejoicing in Ripon Blog for Ripon BID
Bringing fun to the high street with a handmade Steampunk‑style book machine and a visit from The Gruffalo. Photos: The Little Ripon Bookshop 📚🛠️🐻
