The Book Market
Since 2021, Exeter City of Literature have hosted a yearly Book Market, working with independent bookshops across Devon to bring Exeter an exciting afternoon of bookish activities.
The Book Market has previously taken place at Powderham Castle and Positive Light Projects, but we now have a permanent home on Exeter Cathedral Green every summer.
The Book Market 2025 takes place on Sunday 8th June from 11am - 4pm.
The Book Market 2025
The Book Market is back in town!
That’s right, The Book Market returns to Exeter Cathedral Green on Sunday 8th June, bringing with it some of Devon’s best independent bookshops, local authors, an afternoon of literary activities, and tasty food and drink!
Watch this space for news of what authors and bookshops will be joining us for this free afternoon of bookish fun...
Bookshops and Vendors
Bookbag (Exeter) | Design For Today (Topsham) | First Draft Books (Bovey Tracey) | Gnash Comics (Ashburton) | Graham York Rare Books (Honiton) | Maria’s Books (Exeter) | Liznojan (Tiverton) | Seven Fables (Dulverton) | The Bookery (Crediton) | The Ivybridge Bookshop (Ivybridge) | The Mint Press (Exeter) | The Old Queeriosity Shop (Plymouth) | Book on a Hook (Exeter) | Celandine Books (Wiveliscombe) | Inky Fingers (Exeter) | EmmaHen Designs (Exeter)
Author Tent Speakers
Aaliyah Kara is an educator and poet from Johannesburg, now living in Exeter. Her poems have been published in Calabash Magazine, Teesta Review, Poetry Potion, and a range of anthologies.
Arun Sood is a Scottish-Indian writer, musician, academic, and artist who lives in South Devon. His books include the 2024 Kavya Prize-winning New Skin For The Old Ceremony: A Kirtan and Searching Erskine, released with an accompanying ambient spoken word album that featured as Guardian Folk Album of the Month in 2023.
Erin Allgrove lives and writes by the water in Tuckenhay, Devon. Erin wrote her first book Bosun Bob the Salty Old Sea Dog whilst living onboard her yacht with her family and dog Bob. Erin is co-founder of the Devon-based independent publisher Langrove Publishing.
Fiona Williams is a writer of literary fiction with a focus on the relationships between identity, belonging, nature, and landscape. Her debut novel The House of Broken Bricks was the winner of the 2021 Bridport Prize and the Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award.
Leslie Leggett is the owner of independent bookshop First Draft Books in Bovey Tracey. First Draft Books began as a kernel of an idea in Spring 2021 on a road trip across America when Leslie wondered: how do you show up for a community?
Morgan Greensmith is a queer and disabled writer and poet with a love of all things fantasy and horror. They are the creator of queer horror podcast The Attic Monologues, and a winner of the Penguin WriteNow Scheme 2025.
Sarah Underwood grew up by the sea in Devon, England, with two sisters and about fifty chickens. Her first novel, Lies We Sing to the Sea, became an instant NYT, indie, and international bestseller. Her latest release, Gentlest of Wild Things, is a YA fantasy inspired by the myth of Eros and Psyche (with a sapphic, vampiric twist).
Sophie Pavelle is a Devon-based writer, science communicator, and People’s Book Prize Non-Fiction winner. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, National Geographic Traveller, New Scientist, The Independent, and BBC magazines. Sophie is also one of our incredible trustees.
Also part of the bookish festivities, independent bookshop Seven Fables will be bringing their long-time friend and collaborator, Jackie Morris - an internationally acclaimed picture book author and watercolour illustrator.
In an Exeter Comedy Festival crossover, we'll also be joined by …
Jo Neary, Comedian, writer, actor and storyteller, Jo was nominated for Best Newcomer Comedy Award at Edinburgh Fringe, won a couple of best character comedy act awards and was nominated for Best Show at Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival in 2016.
Rosalie Minnitt is an award-winning comedian and writer - best known for her breakout character comedy show Clementine. Since its debut at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, Clementine has become a cult hit, selling out multiple runs at the Fringe and London's Soho Theatre, and embarking on a UK tour in 2025. Outside of Clementine, Minnitt has written for CBBC and appeared in projects like Jordan Brookes’s faux-musical Fontanelle and the Alan Partridge series How Are You?.
The Author Tent
11:30am - 12:15pm | Sophie Pavelle & Fiona Williams
Symbiosis and Story: Sophie Pavelle and Fiona Williams discuss how place and landscape shapes their writing in very different ways, and the power it has on both fact and fiction.
12:30pm - 1:15pm | Jo Neary & Rosalie Minnitt
It's A Funny Story: Join comedians Jo Neary and Rosalie Minnitt as they explore the relationship between stand-up and storytelling, and how comedy helps us create characters and connect.
1:30pm - 2:15pm | Sarah Underwood & Morgan Greensmith
The Path to the Page - Mythos and Identity: TBA
2:30pm - 3:15pm | Aaliyah Kara & Arun Sood
Verse and Vision: Arun Sood and Aaliyah Kara share their perspectives on poetry, place, and multidisciplinary practice, exploring how the form of creative work is shaped by experience.
3:30pm - 4pm | Leslie Leggett & Erin Allgrove
Books to Bookshops – New Adventures in Devon: Leslie Leggett (First Draft Books) and Erin Allgrove (Langrove Publishing) discuss the joys and challenges of starting new bookshops and publishing projects rooted in community, creativity, and the South West.
Also at The Book Market
11am - 4pm | Jackie Morris - Seven Fables Stall
Beloved artist, writer, and picture book creator Jackie Morris joins Seven Fables Dulverton at their bookshop stall at the Book Market all day!
Free Literary Activities
When you’re not busy in the Author Tent or browsing the independent bookshops, why not take part in one of the many free activities that are taking place at The Book Market! Highlights of the free activities on offer are:
VR Story Swing Sets - Climb aboard a playground swing or a wheelchair accessible swing, don a VR headset, and take flight in one of four award-winning Leonardo da Vinci virtual flying machines.
Bibliotherapy Taster Sessions - A chance to chat about your reading and wellbeing journey whilst receiving tailormade reading recommendations.
The Pelican Press Wheelchair Printing Press - This beautiful handmade printing press incorporates the weight of a wheelchair as the main printing element, making creativity accessible.
Additional activities include: The chance to get creative with Exeter Cathedral’s Riddler in Residence Bernadette Russell, try out a typewriter courtesy of Francis Kay Vintage, wordy-themed face & body paint from Sparkly Sonia, memoir writing drop in sessions with Raw Writing and a unique short story dispensing Literary Dream Machine.
The historic Devon and Exeter Institution library will also be hosting an array of activities during The Book Market. They’ll be hosting a second hand book sale in their beautiful library space and a quiet reading zone in their conservatory and garden, the Devonshire Association will be in Green Room to share a mystery book and tell you about their work, and our Bibliotherapy Taster Sessions will be taking place in the Blue Room at this beautiful historic site!
Exeter City of Literature is part of June Boom! A month long celebration of the city's brilliant festivals, creative workshops, live events, and cultural activity happening across Exeter.
See all that’s happening across the city in June 2025 here >>
The Book Market 2024
The Book Market returned to Exeter Cathedral on Sunday 9th June - Exeter City of Literature hosted a dedicated authors tent for the first time, inviting writers with local literary ties for a series of live talks, panels, and discussions.
Bookshops and Vendors
Bookbag (Exeter) | Design For Today (Topsham) | EmmaHen Designs (Exeter) | First Draft Books (Bovey Tracey) | Gnash Comics (Ashburton) | Graham York Rare Books (Honiton) | Oxfam Books & Music Exeter (Exeter) | Seven Fables (Dulverton) | The Ivybridge Bookshop (Ivybridge) | The Old Queeriosity Shop (Plymouth) | Maria Scrivens (Exeter) | Mint Press (Exeter) | Book on a Hook (Exeter) | Celandine Books (Wiveliscombe) | Inky Fingers (Exeter) | Exeter Cathedral (Exeter) | Exeter Library (Exeter)
Authors
Abdulla Moaswes, Anne Le Brocq, D-M Withers, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Fiona Williams, Joey Hulin, Josie Long, Lucy Holland, Sarah Pearse.
Activities
Bibliotherapy Taster Sessions, Bookish Badge Making, City Reads Voting Booth, Comic Illustration Workshop, Crafts With Exeter Library, Devon & Exeter Institution Tours, Face & Body Painting, Haiku Writing Competition, Literary Dream Machine, Memoir Writing Sessions, Pelican Press Wheelchair Press, Roving Riddler In Residence, Try Out A Vintage Typewriter.
Food & Drink
Cake or Death, Naturally Bread, Roots Devon, Ten Fifty Cafe, The Dinosaur Cafe.
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Credit: Martha Orchard
Thank you to the following organisations for sponsoring The Book Market 2024
Special thanks to Stormpress for supporting Exeter City of Literature and The Book Market
The Book Market 2023
On 16th July we welcomed a whole host of Devon’s finest purveyors of wordy delights to Exeter Cathedral for a day of book shopping and FREE literary activities!
Bookshops and Booksellers: Bookbag (Exeter) : Dogberry & Finch Books (Okehampton) : Gnash Comics (Ashburton) : Graham York Rare Books (Honiton) : Oxfam Books & Music (Exeter) : Sanctuary Bookshop (Lyme Regis) : Stevens Books & The Mint Press (Exeter) : The Ivybridge Bookshop (Ivybridge) : The Old Queeriosity Shop (Plymouth)
Food and Drink: Ten Fifty at Exeter Cathedral (Exeter) : Daily Bowl (Exeter) : How On Earth Deli (Exeter) : Cake or Death (Exeter)
Bookish Activities: Bibliotherapy Taster Sessions : Pulp2 (Exeter) : Plymouth Book Co-Op (Plymouth) : Francis Kay Vintage (Exeter) : Circle Tales (Exeter) : The Pelican Press by The Pelican Project & Positive Light Projects (Exeter) : Sparkly Sonia Face Painting (Exeter)
The Book Market 2022
On Sunday 20 November, the Book Market returned! This time at Positive Light Projects, the indoor market featured 10 independent bookshops, illustration activities, and gorgeous food and drink.
Bookshops and Booksellers: Bookbag (Exeter) — Fieldfare Birds & Natural History Books (Sidmouth) — Gnash Comics (Ashburton) — Graham York Rare Books (Honiton) — Harbour Bookshop (Kingsbridge) — Liznojan (Tiverton) — Oxfam Books & Music (Exeter) — Sanctuary Bookshop (Lyme Regis) — The Ivybridge Bookshop (Ivybridge) — Megan Stallworthy Hand Bound Books (Wiveliscombe) — Stevensbooks & The Mint Press (Exeter)
Bookish Activities: Author and illustrator Bethan Welby illustration workshops — drop-in bibliotherapy — Francis Kay Vintage typewriters
Food & Drink: South West Coffee Co. — Cake or Death — How On Earth — Rip & Dip Bagels
We were delighted to see so many book lovers, sellers and budding typewriter authors at our second book market.
A big thank you to everyone who attended!
The Book Market 2021
On 20th June 2021, Powderham Castle and Exeter City of Literature hosted a brand-new Book Market in the Castle grounds, featuring a plethora of independent booksellers and literary arts groups from across the county. Thirteen bookshops and booksellers filled the atmospheric Old Riding School barn, alongside local food and drink vendors, The Novel Cure bibliotherapy, Inky Fingers notebooks, CircleTales board games, a vintage typewriter station, and a Reading Nook.
Bookshops and Booksellers: Bookbag (Exeter) | The Bookery (Crediton) | Dogberry & Finch Books (Okehampton) | Fieldfare Books (Sidmouth) | Gnash Comics (Ashburton) | Graham York Rare Books (Honiton) | Harbour Bookshop (Kingsbridge) | Liznojan (Tiverton) | Oxfam Bookshop (Exeter) | Sanctuary Bookshop (Lyme Regis) | Stevensbooks & The Mint Press (Exeter) | The Ivybridge Bookshop (Ivybridge) | Winstone’s (Sidmouth)
Arts & Literary Activities: CircleTales (Exeter) | Francis Kay Vintage (Exeter) | Inky Fingers Printshop (Exeter) | The Novel Cure Bibliotherapy (Somerset)
Food & Drink: Good Game | Authentic Thai | Cake or Death | Yarde Farm Ice Cream | Frobishers | Shepherd’s Hut Cafe
