Adam Hewson

HEWSON BOOKS

Adam is a lifelong bookseller, in the 1980s managing an independent in Bath, in the 1990s with Waterstones, first in the shops, then at Head Office, in the 2000s managing shops across Books etc., part of Borders, until they closed down in 2010. 

Adam is Head of Book Buying at the RHS and in 2016 set up Hewson Books (in Kew and Sheen).

Adam loves to share his bookselling knowledge and skills and was involved in training managers at Waterstones and Books etc. He currently focuses on non-book sales, window displays and by supporting BIC and challenging the supply chain.

Alison Manning

The Wallingford Bookshop

Dan Johns

PADSTOW BOOKSELLER

Dan has been around bookselling his whole life, as part of Mabecron Books, a family business incorporating three shops, Falmouth Bookseller, St Ives Bookseller and Padstow Bookseller, which Dan manages.

As well as the shops Dan works on the growing publishing company, Mabecron Books, contributing on design, technical assistance or simply lifting books around.  Dan previously ran the University Bookseller in Plymouth and was Chair of the BA Academic Group.

Dan believes that bookshops and booksellers are the most important source of creativity, enjoyment, knowledge and community on the High Street.

Emma Corfield-Walters

BOOK-ISH

Emma has owned Book-ish in the market town of Crickhowell, Mid Wales for nine years. Previously the owner of a Building Surveying company in Brighton, which she sold in 2010 to pursue her childhood dream of opening a bookshop. Emma is passionate about High Street rejuvenation, bookshops as community spaces and she is the co-director of Crickhowell Literary festival.
 

Gill Richardson

The Little Ripon Bookshop

Gill opened The Little Ripon Bookshop in 2009 and expanded to double its size in 2018, having started in bookselling at Books for Students in Warwick and then moved to the buying teams at WHSmith where she completed an MBA in Retailing and Wholesaling. After a career break she moved to Yorkshire and decided to open an independent bookshop with her husband.   “Bookshops add colour and culture to the high street and bring joy to so many people.”
 

Jessica Paul

Max Minerva’s, Bristol

Jessica set up Max Minerva's with husband Sam Taylor in 2019, to bring back the beloved neighbourhood bookshop to a community that had lost its longstanding successor a few years prior. 

Jessica's background is in Digital Advertising and Marketing.
 

John Keane

EASONS

John is the General Manager of the Eason flagship store in Dublin and Chair of Bookselling Ireland. He sits on the BA Council in order to represent the Irish trade in general.

John joined the book industry in the last three years and he loves the determination, drive and passion from booksellers, publishers and authors alike. 

Kate McHale

Waterstones

Kate McHale is the Campaign Manager at Waterstones.  She has been at Waterstones for 12 years, starting in 2008 as a bookseller in London and then joining the Books Team in 2011, where she has looked after a variety of genres and worked on some of the most exciting projects and book campaigns during that time. One of the highlights of her year is always reading for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
 

Kieron Smith

BLACKWELL

I’ve been in the trade for over twenty years with one brief stint outside working as Head of Online for video games retailer GAME. I’ve worked for WHSmith Retail, Ottakar’s, Book Club Associates, Methven’s, Waterstones, BookRabbit, MD of The Book Depository and now as Digital Director at Blackwell’s. I’m going for the full book industry experience.

Bookselling for me is a craft: it may sound clichéd but I believe we have a huge and valuable purpose in providing social spaces, in defending free speech and in connecting people with all of human knowledge (and the latest blockbuster).

Lucy Swinburn

Head of Books, WHSmith

Lucy joined WHSmith in 2005 and has a wealth of experience working across many categories, spending much of her career at the retailer sourcing and developing their Own Brand Stationery ranges. In 2015 Lucy assumed responsibility for the Children’s Books category and in 2019 became Head of Books: heading up the Buying team and setting the strategy behind WHSmith’s successful Books proposition covering: the ever popular Richard and Judy Bookclub, Adult Fiction, Adult Non Fiction, Children’s Books, special buys and Education. As a mother to two young children, Lucy’s passion firmly sits within Children’s literacy: she lives and breathes the impact of reading with and encouraging children to enter the exciting world of books. One of the highlights of this year has been driving literacy awareness to the nation through a campaign in partnership with Marcus Rashford, PanMacmillan and the National Literacy Trust.
 

Lynne O’Neill

John Smith & Son

Lynne joined John Smith & Son as an academic bookseller in the Glasgow flagship store and has worked in the Higher Education Sector ever since, managing Glasgow University Bookshop for 15 years.  Lynne is currently Book Product manager for JS Group and also responsible for supplier relations.  She has served on the Advisory Council once before and is also past Chair of the Academic Booksellers Group.

“There are very few occupations where you are paid for doing something you love, sharing that knowledge and developing such deep links with your customers.  It’s still a joy to see someone’s reaction when you are introduced as “a bookseller”.

Bookselling and booksellers make a unique contribution to our society and specifically in supporting a thriving High Street - it’s a great honour to represent them.”
 

Mairi Oliver

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.

Maria Dickenson

DUBRAY BOOKS

I’m Managing Director at Dubray in Ireland, a family-owned chain of eight stores.

I love the collegiate nature of the book trade, the shared passions and the fact that thanks to our ever changing product we are always learning and our work is never, EVER dull.

Marie Moser

The Edinburgh Bookshop

Marie took over The Edinburgh Bookshop in 2012, after a 20-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 three times.  
Like many independent bookshops, The Edinburgh Bookshop is a local cultural and community hub, offering an environment where everyone is welcome.  We are particularly passionate about Children's Bookselling and the importance of reading for pleasure.

Richard Drake

Drake the Bookshop

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

Starting out in a space just 12 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. 
 

Sheryl Shurville

Chorleywood Bookshop

My first career was in nursing and midwifery which I did for over 20 years and my qualification for joining the Chorleywood Bookshop was my love of reading and books.  Chorleywood Bookshop will be 50 years old in 2023, and it has been a joy to be part of it for the last 19 years.
In 2010 we bought the Gerrards Cross Bookshop, both businesses continue to go from strength to strength and are at the heart of their communities.  I founded the Chorleywood Literary Festival in 2006 and we now run events all year round which continue to be very popular.  We work closely with schools encouraging reading and literacy with our extensive schools programme. I am very proud of our charity work particularly our Gift a Book Scheme.
I am so lucky, I love what I do and the people I meet.
 

Yahya Thadha

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.