SHAFTESBURY bookshop FOLDE Dorset, which specialises in nature writing, has been named as the best independent book retailer in the South West for a second time, just two years after taking the regional prize in 2024.
Affectionately known as The Nibbies, the awards are organised by The Bookseller magazine and judged by a prestigious panel of industry specialists, authors, journalists and celebrities. The Independent Bookshop of the Year category “celebrates those bookshops that continue to draw book lovers to towns and cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland.”
Shaftesbury’s FOLDE Dorset was praised for being a “destination and haven for people from much further afield”, for its recent expansion into high street-facing premises, and “befitting its social and sustainable purposes, [for being] a net-zero business in scope one and two terms, and one of the first bookshops to secure B-Corp status.”
Karen Brazier, co-founder of FOLDE, said, ““It means the world to us to be recognised in this way once again, in a category that included so many wonderful independent bookshops across the South West. This award reflects the incredible support of our community. We
honestly couldn’t do it without them.”
Co-founder Amber Harrison added “To be recognised by the industry after such ahardworking year feels very special. We’ve poured so much energy into the shop – from the intensive two-month renovation of our new premises to deepening our sustainability practices – so it’s heartening to see that commitment acknowledged in this way.”
FOLDE Dorset opened in April 2021 after Brazier and Harrison quit their corporate jobs to pursue their dream of opening a bookshop that would celebrate their shared love of nature and nurture a deeper connection between books, people and the landscape that surrounds them. Both women live in Shaftesbury and describe their award-winning shop as “a welcoming sanctuary that champions engagement with the natural world and quietly advocates for environmental awareness within its community.” In addition to running FOLDE Dorset, the pair host a regular programme of author events at Shaftesbury’s Grosvenor Arms, which has seen renowned nature writers such as Chloe Dalton, John Lewis-Stempel and Tristan Gooley speaking in the North Dorset town. Run with a strong focus on sustainability, FOLDE became a certified B Corp in April 2024.
Tom Tivnan, The Bookseller’s deputy editor, said: “Our record year of submissions speaks to the fine fettle independent bookshops are in, despite the myriad challenges small businesses face. In an incredibly competitive year, these nine winners are the best of best: kings and queens of local high streets, pillars of communities and – crucially in this National Year of Reading – champions of helping others discover the joy of books.”
FOLDE Dorset is now in contention for the overall Independent Bookshop of the Year Award, announced at The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on 11 May 2026. The overall Independent Bookshop of the Year winner will also compete to be
crowned Book Retailer of the Year.
Photograph Amber Harrison and Karen Brazier of FOLDE Dorset in Shaftesbury, awarded Best Independent Bookshop in the South West in The British Book Awards 2026.