New Book Market Celebrates Independent Booksellers from Across South Devon
Published: 8 June 2021
Book worms will have the chance to feast on a mountain of literature later this month when a Book Market – believed to be the first of its kind in the area – comes to Exeter.
The event is being hosted by Powderham Castle and Exeter City of Literature, in the Castle grounds on Sunday 20 June from 11am to 4pm.
The Book Market – the first literary collaboration between Powderham and the newly designated Exeter UNESCO City of Literature – will feature a plethora of independent booksellers and literary arts groups from across the county. Thirteen bookshops and booksellers will fill the atmospheric Old Riding School barn venue, alongside local food and drink vendors, The Novel Cure bibliotherapy, Inky Fingers notebooks, CircleTales board games, and a Reading Nook – perfect for readers to squirrel themselves away with their new literary purchases.
Booksellers in attendance include: Bookbag, Exeter’s newest independent bookshop; Gnash Comics from Ashburton, who specialise in graphic novels and comics for all ages; Liznojan, a mother-daughter-run bookshop in Tiverton; Graham York Rare Books from Honiton, which is a treasure trove of old and rare literary finds; and the Mint Press/Stevens Book, which specialises in books about Devon.
Other groups with a presence at the Book Market include Inky Fingers Printshop, an Exeter-based social enterprise that produces bespoke, zero-waste notebooks from recycled materials; CircleTales, a unique storytelling boardgame that uses prompt cards and questions to encourage players of all ages to create their own imaginative stories; and Novel Cure Bibliotherapy, which provides mini-consultations for readers to explore their relationship with books so far and to guide them towards reading experiences they might not have considered.
Anna Cohn Orchard, Director of Exeter City of Literature, said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the first book market in the area with Powderham Castle, in what we hope will become a regular summer Book Market. We’re lucky to have as many incredible bookshops and booksellers as we do in this area, and we want to celebrate them while sharing a love of words and storytellers with local residents.”
Charlie Courtenay, Earl of Devon, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome South Devon’s Independent Booksellers and to join with Exeter City of Literature in hosting the inaugural Book Market. Powderham and our family have long loved literature and the libraries are the warm heart of our home. It is exciting to celebrate our vibrant local booksellers.”
Exeter was awarded UNESCO City of Literature status in October 2019. The Devon city was the only place in the UK to be given the status this time around and joined 65 cities across the world who have become part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Exeter’s bid was very much a collaboration of people and organisations across the city, including Exeter Culture, but the bid came from the City Council.
Those involved in the bid were: Exeter City Council, Exeter Culture, The University of Exeter, Devon County Council, Libraries Unlimited, Literature Works, Exeter Cathedral and Exeter Canal and Quay Trust. Literature Works, the literature development agency for south-west England, wrote the bid on behalf of the steering group.
To find out more about the Book Market visit the Exeter City of Literature website at https://www.exetercityofliterature.com/