Celebrating the National Year of Reading 2026

This year, we’re proud to be celebrating the National Year of Reading — and, for us, that means doing what we love most: putting great books directly into the hands of our community.

Throughout the year, we’ve been encouraging people of all ages to discover — or rediscover — the joy of reading. Our Candlelight Classics evenings have invited readers to step into the world of some of literature’s most enduring stories, bringing classic books to life through atmospheric evenings of conversation, themed surroundings, refreshments and, of course, the books themselves. From Rebecca and Wuthering Heights to Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein and Sense and Sensibility, each event has been a chance to experience a classic in a completely different way.

But encouraging a love of reading starts young. We’ve also been giving away free children’s books, encouraging parents and families to bring their children into the shop and let them choose a book of their very own. We believe there’s something rather special about putting a book into a child’s hands and saying, “This one is yours.”

Whether it’s a beautifully presented classic, a much-loved children’s story or a book a reader has never heard of before, our aim is simple: to get more books into more hands, inspire more people to read, and help our community discover their next great story.

Because every reader starts somewhere — and every book can open a door to somewhere new.

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