The Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland Limited


BA Advisory Council

The BA's membership is represented by an Advisory Council of booksellers, who discuss and advise the BA on policy issues that affect all BA members. It meets at least three times a year and aims to reflect the demographic balance of the membership. Council Members usually serve no more than two three-year terms. The BA Officers (BA President and Vice Presidents) also sit on the BA Divisional and BA Group Boards.

Find out more about the structure of the BA in The BA and How It Works, a document that has been put together to give a brief overview of the structure of the BA, all of our committees and special interest groups, regional and national representative groups and online networks.

Responsibilities of the Advisory Council
 
  • - Above all, to advise the BA Divisional Board as to how to help members of all types and sizes to prosper in the business of bookselling, especially in strategic matters. 
 
  • - To consider relevant reports from the BA Advisory Groups, BA Working Groups and Committees, outside committees and BA Branches, especially when strategic or policy matters might be 
  •    involved. 
 
  • - To set up as necessary Working Groups for temporary issues and Advisory Groups for ongoing issues.

To always bear in mind that communication with members should be two way: not only do members need to hear from the Association; they also need to know that the Association will give them      a voice. Even when it is not possible for the BA to have a unanimous view on a matter affecting members differently, views should be expressed by the BA on behalf of all members.  

The Composition of the Advisory Council
The Advisory Council consists of the Officers and not fewer than ten and not usually more than twenty members, nominated with regard to geography, size of business, type of business and the BA Group’s Inclusiveness policy.

Members of the Council would not normally serve more than two three-year consecutive terms.

The Role of a Council Member
We are proud to have an inclusive membership. The BA, and therefore its Council, represents many types of different businesses, large, small, academic, general, specialist, traditional, non-traditional, retail and wholesale, covering the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Members of the Council bring to the role their own business experience and insights which inform their views , and are tasked with making the best policy decisions on behalf of the membership as a whole, not primarily according to what might be best for a Council member’s own business.  

Each Council member should:
  - dedicate sufficient time to scrutinising the Council briefing papers that are circulated by email well ahead of the meetings;
  •   - be prepared to take part in discussions both during Council meetings and, on occasion, by email;
  •   - be ready to provide guidance on new initiatives and help the Council focus on key issues;
  •   - be committed to the BA and the book trade;
  •   - be willing to devote the necessary time and effort to effectively carry out their duties as a Council member;
  •   - be prepared to demonstrate strategic vision;
  •   - have good, independent judgement and a willingness to speak their mind;
  •   - have an ability to think creatively;
  •   - have the ability to work effectively as a member of a team;
  •   - possess Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
  •  
The Council representatives are listed below and are happy to hear from any BA members. If you want a particular issue brought to the notice of a Council meeting, do email Meryl Halls [email protected], Managing Director of the Booksellers Association, who would be happy to hear from you.

 

BA Officers

Fleur Sinclair (2024-2026)

President
Sevenoaks Bookshop
Fleur bought Sevenoaks Bookshop (est. 1948) in November 2015, purchasing the shop after working there part time and running the bookshop writers’ group.

Before bookselling, she trained in photography and worked in the fashion industry as a photographers’ agent.


 

Debbie James

Vice President
Kibworth Books
Debbie opened Kibworth Books in 2009 after a career in music as an orchestral percussionist. In 2016, the bookshop doubled in size into a second floor and in February 2022, Debbie and her team moved into a space three times as big again. She has since re-opened the old shop as a second bookshop, specialising in rare and collectable books.

Debbie’s key areas of interest in the book industry are wellbeing and sustainable bookselling and as such, she is a keen supporter of the BA’s group coaching project and is the BA Sustainability Champion.

 

Mairi Oliver

Vice President
Lighthouse – Edinburgh’s Radical Bookshop
Mairi runs Lighthouse: Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop, which won Scottish Bookshop of the Year 2019 at the Nibbies. She has been in the book trade over a decade; having worked as a bookseller at Constant Reader in Sydney and Topping & Company Booksellers in St Andrews, she opened Lighthouse as a queer, feminist, anti-racist community bookshop in 2017.

Lighthouse, which is a reincarnation of the radical Word Power Bookshop that first opened in 1994, continues to host and organise Edinburgh's annual Book Fringe and Radical Book Fair.

 

BA Advisory Council Members

Carolynn Bain (2025-2031)

Afrori Books
If Carolynn had to put who she is in any kind of order she is first a Christian, black woman.  She is also a mother, a bookseller, an activist, a mentor, a lyricist and a wife.  She went to Uni in her 40s earning a 1st in Event Management, and worked around Europe at everything from Glastonbury to world leaders’ summits.

Her life has been a battle against racism and the need to educate about white privilege. In 2020 she decided it was time to change the world. She opened an online bookshop that created a one stop-shop for books by black authors.
In 2021, following a very successful crowdfund, she opened a bricks and mortar shop in the heart of Brighton. She did this in the firm belief that what we read changes who we are and how we think.

Afrori Books now has the biggest selection of books by black authors in the UK, giving a platform to over 4000 black authors through the shop and social media channels. She is passionate about books and change.

The Mission plan is simple: *Support black authors. *Create diverse bookshelves. *Be a voice for justice.
 

Dawn Behan (2024-2030)

Woodbine Books
Dawn opened Woodbine Books in 2016, having previously worked as a software developer.  She believes that bookshops should be a social hub within their communities.  She has tried to create this in Kilcullen by running a creative writing group, book clubs for adults and children, and regular events throughout the year.  She loves the sense of accomplishment that comes from finding the perfect book for a reader.




 

Ashley Bruce (2021-2027)

TGJones (formerly WHSmith)
Since Ashley studied English at university, her whole career has been dedicated to bookselling. She started at WHSmith in 2007, working in the Children’s Books team where she eventually became the buyer for Preschool and Licensed Books. After 10 years in Children’s Books, she moved over to join the Adult Books team, first in Fiction before eventually becoming Buying Manager for Adult Books, a remit covering the High Street and Online proposition for Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, as well as the Richard and Judy Book Club. From Summer 2025, She has been excited to be leading the Adult Books buying team for TGJones.
 
She shares her love for books with her children and she is passionate about encouraging others to understand the importance and benefits of reading. “I’m a firm believer that there is a book out there for everybody, whether you are a confident reader or not. If you haven’t yet discovered a love of books, that’s where we as Booksellers are here to help you find the book that will start this journey!”
 

Angie Crawford (2024-2030)

Waterstones
Angie is part of the non-fiction buying team at Waterstones. She has worked as a bookseller for 25 years at Dillons, Waterstones and Ottakar’s in a variety of roles including children’s buying and Scottish buying. She is passionate about making reading accessible to everyone through curating beautiful bookshops and author events in local communities.
 

Richard Drake (2020-2026)

Drake the Bookshop
Richard is a maths and PE teacher turned bookshop owner and has been running Drake the Bookshop in Stockton-on-Tees since September 2015, alongside his partner Melanie and their son, Matthew. 

Starting out in a space just twelve metres square, the bookshop is a driving force on all things indie in Stockton, with a special focus on engaging with the community and schools in some of the most deprived parts of the country. 

 

Caoilfhionn Fay (2024-2030)

Eason

Caoilfhionn has worked in bookselling for over fifteen years, across various roles in Eason and Dubray, having started out as a Christmas temp in Eason, O’Connell Street, Dublin.  She is currently the Books Senior Buyer at Eason,  before which she was Dubray’s Books Category Manager, contributing hugely to the growth of the business over nine years. She loves being surrounded by books all day and can’t imagine working in any other industry. Her favourite part of the job is curating interesting collections of books, enabling customers to discover that one book they didn’t even know they needed.

 

Jake Franklin (2023-2029)

National Theatre Bookshop






 

Meera Ghanshamdas (2023-2029)

Round Table Books CIC
Meera Ghanshamdas is co-Director of Round Table Books CIC, a Community Interest Company, based in Brixton and that specialises in championing books about experiences currently under-represented in the book industry.  She is actively working to make the industry a more inclusive space. Meera was born in Hong Kong and lived in the Philippines, South Africa and India before settling in London.
 

Polly Jaffé (2024-2030)

Jaffé & Neale Bookshop & Café
Polly started her bookselling career with Sherratt & Hughes in Notting Hill Gate, which later became part of Waterstones.  She became an independent bookseller in 2001Jaffé & Neale was named Independent Bookshop of the Year in 2007.
 
For Polly, running a bookshop is understanding how to survive and thrive on the high street imagination, creativity, excellent customer service and a good dose of grit are all essential.  Polly tries to demonstrate that value isn’t just about saving a few pennies. Jaffé & Neale is delighted to be at the centre of its community.  Polly is proud to be a Trustee of her local Lido (which means she has a beautiful pool to swim in too). 

Eirian James (2025-2031)

Palas Print Bookshop







 

Tracy Kenny (2023-2029)

Ketts Books
In 2013 Tracy Kenny co-founded Kett's Books, an independent community bookshop in Wymondham in Norfolk. The not-for-profit bookshop offers volunteering opportunities to a diverse mix of people across generations, who grow and pass the benefit on to their customers, building a strong and vibrant community. Tracy previously worked in brand storytelling, as well as in culture development and customer experience at Aviva.

Ketts moved to significantly bigger premises in 2023.
 

Jenni Morton (to 2026)

JS Group
Jenni has worked at JS Group since 2012 and has moved from bookshop management to student engagement before taking over as Senior Book Product and Content Manager.  Jenni also runs JS Group’s event programme, Boost Your Skills Events.  She is passionate about giving students access to free events to help enhance their study skills, employability and wellbeing.


 

Marie Moser (2020-2026)

The Edinburgh Bookshop
Marie took over The Edinburgh Bookshop in 2012, after a twenty year career in retail marketing.  The shop was crowned UK Children’s Bookseller of the Year in 2014 and has won the Scottish Bookshop of the year four times.  Like many independent bookshops. the Edinburgh Bookshop is a local cultural and community hub, offering an environment where everyone is welcome.

The team is particularly passionate about children's bookselling and the importance of reading for pleasure.
 
In 2024 The Edinburgh Bookshop moved to a bigger and even more beautiful site within the local area.

Sue Porter (2025-2031)

Linghams
Sue has been in the book trade for 10 years and has taken Linghams bookshop, in Heswall, Wirral from strength to strength. Linghams specialises in events for both children and adults. 
 
Sue had previously managed a team of fraud investigators for the local authority.


 

Sheryl Shurville (2021-2027)

Chorleywood Bookshop
Sheryl spent over twenty years in nursing and midwifery prior to joining the Chorleywood Bookshop. Her qualification for joining was her love of reading and books. Chorleywood Bookshop is now more than fifty years old and Sheryl has been there for more than twenty of them. She also owned and ran the Gerrards Cross Bookshop for fifteen years. Sheryl says that being part of the bookshops and of bookselling has been a complete joy.

The Chorleywood store goes from strength to strength and is right at the heart of its community.  Sheryl founded the Chorleywood Literary Festival in 2006 and now runs popular events all year round.  She works closely with schools, encouraging reading and literacy with an extensive schools programme. She is very proud of the business’s charity work, particularly its Gift a Book Scheme.  She feels that she is lucky: she loves what she does and the people she meets.

 

Will Smith (2022-2028)

Sam Read Bookseller
Will is a freelance writer, academic and bookseller who has worked at Grasmere’s Sam Read Bookseller since 2012. He previously worked at Blackwell’s Nottingham Portland and Ottakar’s in Bury St. Edmunds. 

Will became co-owner of Sam Read in 2023.

He has written on prize culture and place in literature and lectured in publishing, North American literature and Canadian studies at a number of British universities. He holds a PhD in Canadian Literature from the University of Nottingham.

Will currently reviews books for The Bookseller, Cumbria Life and BBC Radio Cumbria.

 

Yahya Thadha (2020-2026)

Plodit
Yahya has been in the book industry for over ten years, having grown his small family run business from a small bookshop to a wholesaler and publisher; he is also an author.
 
Currently the business specialises in books box gift sets with a focus online and stocks the largest range of slipcase boxset collection in the UK.  With experience of running an online book club Yahya has established himself with online  brands on www.thebookbundle.com.
 
Yahya has volunteered on various community and charity boards and in 2000, along with the community  organisation that he helped to set up, received the Queen’s Jubilee award for outstanding community contribution and self sustainability.
 

Nigel Wyman

co-opted by the BA Council
Gardners
Nigel has been amazed at how much work the Council puts into supporting the wider book community.  Working in this varied and historic industry keeps him hooked and intrigued, and he loves working alongside booksellers, helping them keep bookshops at the forefront of their communities.  ,