18/08/2026
We think independent bookshops are the heart of the community, and to keep our place on the high street, we are joining The Booksellers Association call for targeted business rates relief for bookshops.
As part of the campaign, we have already sent a letter to Parliament, as well as a further letter to Helen Maguire for Epsom & Ewell. Bookshops all over the country are appealing to their local MPs and asking high-profile names to lend their support.
We think that now, in the National Year of Reading, it is more important than ever to encourage reading. Reading is vital, from the young to the old, to nurture vocabulary, impart information and give us a way to escape. There is an abundance of research about why we need to pick up books, but it is also just fun!
We love seeing children dragging you in through the door on the way past, the deep release of breath when you’ve had a hard day and need to inhale the smell of books, and, even more, you returning to tell us that you loved (or loathed!) the book we recommended.
These are all experiences we would miss out on if physical bookshops are no longer viable. If rates continue as it is then it will not be sustainable long term.
There is so much more to say, and we will have more to add, but for now we just wanted to keep you, our supporters, informed.
Bookshops will not go down without a fight.
