Sir, – In "Dublin's Gutter Bookshop wins prize at British Book Awards" (May 9th), it is stated that the Gutter Bookshop has been "named Independent Bookshop of the Year (UK and Ireland) at the 2017 British Book Awards. It is the first time an Irish bookshop has won the award."
In 1995, Fred Hanna won the inaugural O’Brien Bookseller Award, and in 1998, at the British Book Awards, he was declared Independent Bookseller of the Year. Sadly, Fred Hanna passed away in 2011 but he should be remembered as one of Ireland’s finest independent booksellers. – Yours, etc,
ALAN PLEASS,
Killiney, Co Dublin.