Features

We wrapped up our spring/summer author season at The Bookery with a packed house and an evening that left us all inspired, thoughtful, and just a little bit more in love with the natural world. Our guest was Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, Cornish conservationist, veteran, and author of the powerful memoir Our Oaken Bones. Guiding the conversation with warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the subject was Nick Bruce-White, CEO of Devon Wildlife Trust. Together, they took us on a journey through … Read more

For our first evening author event of the year we were delighted to welcome the award-winning crime author and journalist Holly Watt, who was joined in conversation with The Bookery’s own interviewer Alison Sweatman. The Last Truths We Told was published on the 16th of January 2025 and having been reviewed in the Sunday Times last weekend, we were privileged to have Holly with us so close to the launch of the book. Holly Watt is an award-winning investigative journalist … Read more

What a night! We were thrilled to welcome the brilliant Emma Stonex back to The Bookery for the launch of her new novel, The Sunshine Man. And as if having one superstar wasn’t enough, our audience got a surprise bonus: Emma’s good friend Melissa Lesage—the talented photographer behind the striking author photo on the inside jacket—was with us in our Link Room. A double bill of talent, right here in Crediton! Back in 2022, Emma joined us to launch The … Read more

Well, that’s one way to kick off Independent Bookshop Week 2025 — with a bang, a Bard, and a very busy cartoonist! This Saturday, our quiet corner of the High Street transformed into something quite extraordinary as legendary comic book writer, artist, and all-round whirlwind of enthusiasm Kev F Sutherland rolled into town. Armed with a banner, a stack of brilliant graphic novels, and a marker pen moving at supersonic speed, Kev stopped shoppers in their tracks with lightning-fast caricatures … Read more

What a brilliant way to kick off Independent Bookshop Week 2025! We were absolutely delighted to welcome the fabulous Exeter-based science communicator Sophie Pavelle to The Bookery. She was joined in conversation by the equally brilliant Marianna Brown—author, environmental journalist, and friend of the Bookery, having visited us back in March to talk about her book The Shetland Way. This time, Marianna returned to chair a vibrant, fascinating (and occasionally squirm-inducing!) discussion with Sophie about her brand-new book To Have … Read more

The Bookery, is delighted to announce an Exhibition of Wildflowers of the Mid Devon Hedgerows paintings. The exhibition of 12 beautiful watercolour paintings of wildflowers found in the hedgerows around Crediton have been painted by local artist Sandra Chalton. The paintings are available to view in the community events room at The Bookery until the end of July, Monday-Friday 9.30-5pm, or on Saturdays 10am-2pm. Sandra Chalton has very generously offered the paintings on sale as a set with proceeds to … Read more

As our winter/spring Afternoon Author series drew to a close, we were privileged to welcome Dr Todd Gray MBE to The Bookery for a thought-provoking session on Writing Challenging History in Devon. Known for his meticulous research and dedication—working twelve-hour days, six days a week—Dr Gray has published over fifty books that explore lesser-known aspects of Devon’s history. Guests were settled with tea and biscuits before Dr Gray provided a trigger warning, acknowledging that some of his material would be … Read more

Hosting the UK’s bestselling author at The Bookery? Wow. Just wow. We had the absolute honour of welcoming Julia Donaldson CBE last weekend, and what an action-packed morning it was— book signings, photos, and a whole lot of happy readers! The excitement was palpable as children eagerly exchanged their Gozzle tokens for a copy of Julia’s latest book before lining up to meet the beloved author herself. Each ticket holder received a copy of Gozzle, which Julia signed – along … Read more

On a delightful spring evening at The Bookery, a packed house gathered to welcome conservationist, author, editor, and columnist Patrick Galbraith for a rich and vibrant conversation about land, access, and identity in the British countryside. Just 24 hours earlier, the High Court had ruled in favour of restoring the right to wild camp on Dartmoor — a landmark decision that resonated powerfully throughout the evening’s conversation. It was a timely and deeply thought-provoking event, full of insight, reflection, and … Read more

We were delighted to welcome a full house once again for a truly spellbinding evening of folklore and storytelling, embellished by an amazing of themed cake that Alexandra had baked for us to all enjoy! This special event celebrated the rich folkloric traditions of Devon, led by Crediton’s own Mark Norman, author of The Folklore of Devon, in conversation with Alexandra Dawe, author of The Stitchwort Curse and passionate supporter of The Folklore Podcast—which, as we learned, has now surpassed … Read more