Alby bookseller wins award

26 September 2007

The Norfolk Children's Book Centre in Alby has won the Walker Books Children's Independent of the Year at this year's Bookseller Retail Awards. The award was presented to its owner, Marilyn Brocklehurst by leading children's author Anthony Horowitz.

The Norfolk Children's Book Centre was up against five other independents in this category including previous winner, The Children's Bookshop (Muswell Hill), The Well Wisher Bookshop (Devizes), Tales on Moon Lane (London), Seven Stories (Newcastle) and The Golden Treasury (London).

The winners of this year's Bookseller Retail Awards were announced at a ceremony at London's Natural History Museum this evening, 20th September. The winners range from bookselling giants to supermarket chains and independent stores.

The judges felt that the Norfolk Children's Book Centre is everything an independent book shop should be. Thanks to their energetic owner, the business is constantly exploring new sales channels and ways to impress customers. Its environmentally friendly outlook is also a major attraction - the shop is powered by a wind turbine in its garden. The business is truly embedded in the community, and it's an incredible achievement to be dealing with schools so far away, which shows how Norfolk Children's Book Centre's reputation has won new business.

Neill Denny, Editor-in-chief of The Bookseller and Chair of Judges, comments:

“Tucked away down a country lane, the Norfolk Children's Book Centre is a great book shop. Its owner, Marilyn Brocklehurst, is a highly experienced and talented bookseller who has been inspiring children to read for over 20 years. The shop is constantly innovating, selling via the web, by a school selection box scheme, and with author events and the whole operation is powered by wind-generated green electricity. The shop is supported by strong IT and also boasts a quirky reading garden. This is a business combining the best of old-school bookselling experience with the latest technical innovation.”

Marilyn Brocklehurst owner of The Norfolk Children's Book Centre comments:

“ I've got a confession to make, I'm a librarian on maternity leave. I left in 1984 and never went back! I said to my husband, I just need 4 boxes of books to further my interest and 60,000 books later, here we are.”

The Bookseller Retail Awards celebrate and promote excellence in book retailing across the UK. They include thirteen categories recognising independent booksellers, children's specialists, bookselling and general retailing, individual managers, marketing campaigns, supply chain initiatives, expansion of the retail market and a category for outstanding contribution to bookselling.