Congratulations to An Unlikely Story, Plainville, Mass., which has won the 2026 BPRNE Independent Spirit Award, honoring excellence in an independent bookstore member of the New England Independent Booksellers Association and sponsored by the Book Publishers Representatives of New England.
The citation: "An Unlikely Story is a shining beacon in its small town, bringing authors from far and wide to the southeast corner of the state, expanding the horizons for readers and their community alike. The hospitality from both the cafe and the bookstore is absolutely outstanding, and booksellers and baristas alike work tirelessly to bring a little bit of magic to everybody who walks through their doors. And they handsell the hell out of books! Bill's Five Minutes with Bill continues to be a social media and in-person draw. They are also always at NEIBA and ABA events, often bringing new and different booksellers, and frequently step up to introduce or participate in other ways. They've grown so much in the eleven years since they opened, and they are now an institution recognized in New England and beyond."