The Book Market will feature a plethora of independent booksellers and literary arts groups from across the county.

New Book Market Celebrates Independent Booksellers from Across South Devon

Powderham Castle and Exeter City of Literature are to host a brand-new Book Market 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. Fourteen 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 squirrelling yourself away with your 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 to explore your relationship with books so far and to guide you towards reading experiences you might not have considered.

Anna Cohn Orchard, Director of Exeter City of Literature, says: “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, says: “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.

Full Details:

Date: Sunday 20 June 2021

Time: 11am – 4pm

Venue: Powderham Castle, Kenton, Exeter EX6 8JQ. Find directions by car, bus, and cycling, here.

Covid-19 information: The Book Market will take place in The Old Riding School, which is huge, so while it is enclosed there are very high ceilings, and doors will be left open, to enable good air flow.

Full list of vendors: visit the Exeter City of Literature website, follow on social media @exetercityoflit, and sign up for our newsletter for a regularly updated list of booksellers, food & drink concessions, and other activities, as details are finalised.

Date: 26 May 2021