Winstone's Hunting Raven Books has been announced as runner-up in the Sceptre Books Award 2020.

The UK-wide award, launched this year by publishing imprint Sceptre Books and the Booksellers Association, was set up to celebrate the many ways in which independent bookshops support and contribute to their local communities.

Hunting Raven was named as one of two runners-up alongside Kett's in Norfolk, with Booka Bookshop in Shropshire scooping first prize.

The prize's judge, author and leading thinker Noreena Hertz, said: "Winstone's Hunting Raven Books stood out for explicitly seeking to engage with those who feel most isolated in their community with their important and pioneering 'Books against Loneliness' Campaign and their commitment to ensuring that their bookshop is 'a place people can come and feel safe, welcome, listened to and heard'.

Hunting Raven's manager Tina Gaisford-Waller said: "We are so proud to have been acknowledged by Sceptre through this wonderful award. We really love our community, and are always looking for new and better ways to reach readers. Never has this been more important than this year!"

The runners up of the prize were awarded £1250 each. "We plan to use our winnings to help us continue to build on what we're already doing to connect with readers and reach into the corners of our community. We are already in talks with Mendip Health Connections about an exciting new collaboration, and have earmarked some of the prize money to help us really get going on this. So watch this space!"

Noreena Hertz's book The Lonely Century is published by Sceptre and is available to buy from Winstone's Hunting Raven Books on Cheap Street in Frome.