Independent bookshops are at the heart of local communities. The Bookery in Crediton, a nonprofit, community-owned bookshop, offers a great selection of titles (and signed editions) as well as aims to connect readers with authors. The events programme is a quiet success story, bringing a steady stream of important literary voices to this part of Devon.

Unexpected encounters can be memorable; one afternoon I popped in (as I often do!) and bumped into Julian Hoffman (author of Lifelines), and it was at The Bookery that I was lucky enough to listen to a number of best-selling authors such as Merlin Hanbury-Tenison (Our Oaken Bones), Michael Warren (The Cuckoo’s Lea) and, most recently, Zakia Sewell (Finding Albion).

There is something magical about spending time in a well-curated bookshop; browsing without being rushed, taking in the artistry of book covers and observing others engaged in the same quiet pursuit. It is a reminder that reading, while often solitary, is also a shared cultural experience.

There is, too, a growing body of evidence to support what readers have long known instinctively. Research from The Queen’s Reading Room (set up by HM Queen Camilla in 2023) claims that just 5 minutes of reading can reduce stress by nearly 20% and improve concentration and focus by up to 11%. Reading earlier in the day can also help us feel more connected and better prepared to face challenges. In other words, reading is not only enriching but also restorative.

“To me reading is a great adventure, I have loved it since I was very small and I would love everybody else to enjoy it as much as I do. You can escape, and you can travel, and you can laugh and you can cry. Every type of emotion which humans experience is in a book,” – Queen Camilla.

2026 has been designated as the National Year of Reading and is the biggest campaign in a generation, aimed at helping more people rediscover (or discover for the first time) the joy of reading and make reading part of everyday life. It begins simply: a page turned, a journey begun. Yet from these simple moments come lasting benefits: new ideas, fresh perspectives and a sense of connection that reaches far beyond the page.

So pick up a book, visit a local bookshop – make time (however brief) to read. In doing so, you will not only broaden your horizons but also celebrate the places and people that make and enrich our communities.

– Robert Middleton, ‘Your Chulm’ May 2026 issue – reproduced with permission