AN INDEPENDENT bookshop in Abingdon has been named the best in the UK.

The Bookshop of the Year 2019 award was presented to Mostly Books at the Bertram Christmas Conference, which the wholesaler held in Birmingham on Sunday.

It came as the Stert Street shop unveiled a new logo and had its familiar green frontage painted white and blue earlier this month.

Owner Sarah Dennis, who took over the popular shop two years ago fulfilling a lifelong dream, has since then revamped of the inside of the book shop, including a mural in the children’s reading area by local illustrator David Melling.

She has also worked more closely with local schools and hosted more author events.

Ms Dennis said: “I’m so excited that the team have been recognised for all their efforts.

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"We’ve been working really hard this year to support the town and to bring more events to the people of Abingdon.”

Mostly Books has put on more than 50 events during 2019, including author takeovers, school events and a number of evenings with high profile authors such as Ruby Wax and Robert Harris.

The next event will be aimed at children and see local author Ben Jeapes run an interactive workshop to create a ‘Human Computer’ on October 5.

The team will also be hosting an event with Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, at Our Lady’s Abingdon on October 23.

Mostly Books was shortlisted for the Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2018 and 2019.

The team were also awarded an Innovation award from publisher, Pan Macmillan in 2018 and team member, Imogen Hargreaves, received a Young Bookseller Special Achievement award from author James Patterson earlier this year. To keep up to date with the latest events visit mostly-books.co.uk.