June 2025
Independent Bookshop Week – Westwood Books
Westwood Books Bio
Westwood Books is a large, independent, family-run bookshop in Sedbergh, Cumbria. In June 2020 it changed to new owners, Paul and Heather Thomas. We stock thousands of books across two floors, from newly published right through to rare and antiquarian.
We cover a wide range of topics and have books on most subjects with a dedicated Collector’s Book Room for our scarcer titles and a large children’s area too. Alongside books we offer maps, literary themed gifts, greetings cards and stationery.
What inspired you to open your bookshop, was it a lifelong love of reading?
We have both always been big readers but we really fell into bookselling – Heather had worked on a book festival in Sedbergh and spent a lot of time in Westwood Books. A few weeks after the festival the owners of the bookshop let me know that they wanted to retire and asked if we’d be interested in taking it on, it was completely unexpected but we obviously jumped at the chance!
Do you have any particularly memorable moments from your time as a bookseller, such as author events or release days?
We love hosting all sorts of events but I think the ones that get children interested and involved are so rewarding. One Christmas we had a really beautiful children’s session where both the author and illustrator of a book came in and read their book and then also did some Christmas crafts with them. It was our most popular children’s session and was so lovely to see local children that were really engaged with the book and its creators.
Is there any genre within children’s publishing that you feel publishers should focus on more and if so, why?
Encouraging a love of reading at an early age is so important so I think anything that encourages more youngsters to pick up books is great. Making them accessible for all abilities and not assuming that easier to access content is the same as age appropriate content. Comics and graphic novels have been a fantastic way to get more reluctant readers on board in an age appropriate way and of course Sweet Cherry’s range of Classics are perfect for this too.
If you could have any fictional character visit your bookshop, who would it be and why?
Heather would choose Moomintroll or Snufkin from The Moomins. They were her favourite as a child.
Paul would choose Granny Weatherwax from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Paul has been a fan of Pratchett’s books since they first were published and has an entire bookcase full of them at home.
Do you have a favourite book that you would recommend to young readers and their families?
Obviously the Moomin books by Tove Jansson would be high on our list. We also love The Wind in the Willows for it’s countryside tales and beloved animal characters like Badger, Ratty, Toad and Mole.
What has been the most rewarding part of running your bookshop?
The best part of running a bookshop is connecting with readers. Sharing your favourite books with other people, introducing people to new writers or just knowing when a book will be perfect for a certain customer is so rewarding. It’s really about making people happy, and being able to feel a sense of community I think.
Finally, why is it more important than ever for readers to support indie bookshops across the UK and Ireland?
Indie bookshops can be so beneficial to the local community. They help to keep high streets alive and they are places you can come and spend time away from an otherwise busy and chaotic world. They often contribute hugely to the local economy, supporting local events, other local businesses and schools.
