Booka Bookshop May Newsletter

Dear Blogger

Message from Booka Bookshop

May and Independent Bookshop Week 2026

Hello 2026 - welcome to our May Newsletter! We have lots of exciting events to tell you about. Read on for details of our May author events and to find out how we are celebrating Independent Bookshop Week.

View from the Street - Books Help us Bloom.   Latest Bridgnorth Window- Spring has sprung to celebrate the publication of 'Spring' by Michael Morpurgo. Latest Oswestry Window - The Book of Birds - celebrating and showcasing a stunning collaboration from artist Jackie Morris and nature writer, Robert Macfarlane. A big thank you to Martha Clark for bringing these windows to life with her brilliant artwork.

Booka are thrilled to present an evening with British cycling legend and Olympic Gold medallist Victoria Pendleton to mark the publication of her new book The Fear Opportunity.

Booka Bookshop and Linghams Booksellers are thrilled to present an Afternoon with Tom Allen Join much loved comedian, actor, writer and presenter, Tom Allen, as he takes a satirical look at suburban life and talks about his heartwarming debut novel Common Decency.

OSWESTRY Join us for an evening with bestselling author Matt Haig as he talks about his new novel The Midnight Train, a heartwarming time-travel adventure with a special train that can take you to your past. We have a few tickets left

OSWESTRY Book launch with Anne Keer, with refreshments generously sponsored by Honno Press. This will be a ‘mingle’ rather than a ‘sit down’ author talk. There will be places to sit while Anne treats us to a reading from The Wildness, and opportunity for a Q&A and book signing. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

UPSTAIRS AT BOOKA Join us for a morning with Maria Semple, the bestselling author of Where’d You Go Bernadette, as she talks about her new novel Go Gentle, a thrilling story of one woman’s midlife transformation.

OSWESTRY Join us for an evening of food inspiration as Chef Claudine Boulstridge talks about her new cookbook, Family, showcasing simple, healthy recipes for everyone.

CHESTER Booka Bookshop and Linghams Booksellers are thrilled to present an evening with bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell, to celebrate the publication of her new novel, Land. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

OSWESTRY Join us during Independent Bookshop Week for an evening ‘walk-and-talk’ with writer and storyteller Kim Willis to celebrate the publication of her debut book No Fair Maidens.

BRIDGNORTH Join us in Bridgnorth for an evening with bestselling crime writer Mark Edwards as he talks about his brand new psychological thirller, One of the Family.

OSWESTRY Join us during Independent Bookshop Week for an evening with award winning writer and mentor Adam Farrer as talks about his bold, witty and tender book, Broken Biscuits: And Other Male Failures.

BRIDGNORTH Join us in Bridgnorth for a fun evening with artist, author and illustrator Matt Sewell as he talks about his art, his new book A Little Bird Told Me and hosts a fun quiz on bird phrases A Little Bird Told Me features 52 beautiful and quirky watercolour drawings and a linguistic curio for every week of the year

OSWESTRY    Two Booksellers Talking! Join us during Independent Bookshop Week as Carrie talks to writer and fellow bookseller Katie Clapham about her new book Receipts from the Bookshop: A Bookseller’s Year

OSWESTRY  Join us for an evening with Wyl Menmuir as he talks about his new book The Spirit of Stone. Following on from The Draw of The Sea and The Heart of the Woods, The Spirit of Stone completes Wyl’s trilogy of books reflecting on landscapes and place.

OSWESTRY  Calling all food lovers! Join us for an evening with Nisha Katona, entrepreneur, author, TV presenter and founder of the Mowgli restaurant group, as she talks she about her new book, The Curry Bible – the only curry cookbook you will ever need!

OSWESTRY  Join us in Oswestry for an evening with bestselling crime writer Mark Edwards as he talks about his brand new psychological thirller, One of the Family.

OSWESTRY  Join us for an evening with nature writer and author Jay Griffiths as she talks about her book How Animals Heal Us, published in paperback this July. From celebrated author Jay Griffiths comes a unique and heartfelt insight into the healing nature of our relationship with animals.

More exciting author events to be announced soon.  Watch this space...

Signed First Editions for Pre-Order We are offering lots of signed copies for pre-order. Many of these are Independent Bookshop Exclusive Editions with special features, including bespoke endpapers and spayed and printed edges. Visit our website to see all the signed copies we have currently have in stock, plus all those we are offering for pre-order.

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