A bookshop in Sedbergh has been named as one of six winners of a new competition celebrating independent sellers.

Westwood Books, located on Long Lane, took part in the Indie Bookshop Spotlight Competition, organised by the Booker Prizes.

The challenge was to create a display promoting the titles nominated for this year's Booker Prize.

The Westmorland Gazette: The display which helped Westwood Books winThe display which helped Westwood Books win (Image: Heather Thomas)

Heather Thomas, co-owner and director of Westwood Books, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be recognised on a national scale by the Booker Prize team and were completely shocked to be one of the six winners.

"We decided in the Summer that we wanted to really celebrate the Booker Prize as it's such a prestigious award that always highlights great reads."

The stores taking part were asked to promote their activities on social media in what was the inaugural launch of the competition.

"Our staff member Ellie was the creative brain behind our display," Ms Thomas explained.

"She came up with the idea of asking our staff and customers to choose their favourite Booker prize book by putting a button in a jar to vote."

The Westmorland Gazette: The display asked customers to pick their favourites out of the latest nominations for the Booker PrizeThe display asked customers to pick their favourites out of the latest nominations for the Booker Prize (Image: Heather Thomas)

Out of the six winners, one will be selected at random to receive two tickets to the Booker Prize 2023 award ceremony and dinner on November 26 at Old Billingsgate in London.

A spokesperson from the Booker Prizes said: "Entries came from the length and breadth of the country, all of which impressed us both with the creativity and originality of their displays, and the passion and dedication of the booksellers while hand-selling the Booker Prize 2023 nominated books to their customers."

The victory will see the team at Westwood Books be interviewed by the national organisation, giving them the chance to promote their work on a larger scale than ever before.

Ms Thomas added: "Being chosen as one of the six winners is a fantastic opportunity for us as it will really help to raise the profile of the bookshop.

"One of our biggest hurdles in the current climate is making sure that people know we exist and being an Indie Spotlight winner will really help with that."