The North Recommends: Read. Bookshop Holmfirth
Book lovers of Holmfirth and beyond, we’ve found your new favourite bookshop. Discover more about Read, which was opened in February 2019 by couple Louise and James, and now runs a full programme of events for adults and schools.
Read. Bookshop opened its doors in February 2019. Holmfirth had several second hand bookshops but hadn’t had a new bookshop for several years. As a family we felt that the town really needed this and so after much consideration decided it was now or never!
We are Louise and James and we have three children, now aged 9, 11 and 12. We were former teachers in secondary schools and for over a year we both worked part time alongside running the shop. However, the realities of a lockdown, alongside home-schooling meant that we needed to make a decision perhaps earlier than we would have done to take the plunge and rely on the shop for our income. Doing this has allowed us to dedicate so much more time to making the shop a family bookshop dedicated to the best possible customer service.
We have now been open for over six years and have a full calendar of adult author events both in the shop and in local venues, and we have developed a virtual event calendar which over 60 schools regularly take part in for children’s events. A lot of our local schools are small and really appreciate being able to have author events beamed directly into their classrooms. This term, we have author events with Stephen Mulhern, Emma Carlisle and Patrick Kane. Any schools (no matter where they are in the country) can take part if they sign up. Just send us an email!
We’re really proud of the work we do in the community from working with the local Food Bank to working with schools to support disadvantaged children. We are passionate about getting books into children’s hands where they need it most.
For this reason, this year we have launched our first ever Holmfirth Children’s Book Festival; a not-for-profit festival with a mission to promote a love of books and reading to all children. The two-day event will be held on 27th and 28th September in venues around Holmfirth. It will feature authors including Phil Earle, Ashley Thorpe, Abiola Bello and Matt Goodfellow. Funding for the Festival has been secured via grants from One Community for a Longley Farm Grant, and from the Holme Valley Parish Council.
For more information and tickets please go to: www.holmfirthbookfestival.co.uk
We’re excited to see where the next 6 years takes the shop and we’d love you to pop in and say hello, sit in our yellow chair or browse our shelves. You’ll get a very warm welcome.
For more information, our shop website is https://to-be-read.co.uk
Our Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/read.holmfirth/
