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Book-ish is an independent bookshop, café and event space on Crickhowell High Street. Founded by Emma and Drew Corfield-Walters in 2010, it has grown from a small bookshop into an important part of the town’s cultural and community life.
The shop was named Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards in both 2020 and 2024. Its knowledgeable booksellers focus on connecting readers with the right books, encouraging conversation and helping children develop a lasting enjoyment of reading.
Book-ish also has a second shop on Frogmore Street in Abergavenny, but its original Crickhowell location remains home to the café and dedicated Loft event space.
The shelves cover fiction, crime, poetry, biography, history, politics, nature, travel, food, outdoor pursuits and Welsh and local-interest titles. There are dedicated sections for children and young adults, including picture books, activity books, graphic novels and books in Welsh.
Alongside books, visitors can browse stationery, cards, games, jigsaw puzzles and gifts for readers. Signed editions, independent bookshop exclusives, pre-orders and gift vouchers are also available.
Customers who cannot visit in person can order through the online shop. Book subscription services provide regular hand-picked titles, with options combining books with gifts or locally roasted coffee.
Book-ish Café has its own entrance on Silver Lane and provides a place to meet, read or take a break while exploring Crickhowell.
The café serves brunch dishes, lighter meals, cakes, pastries, tea and coffee. Ingredients are sourced locally where practical, including coffee roasted in Hay-on-Wye, meat from a Crickhowell butcher and smoked salmon produced locally.
Gluten-free and vegan cakes are regularly available, and the licensed café also serves wine, craft beer and cider. The menu and kitchen hours can change, so visitors should check the current café page before making a special journey.
Free Wi-Fi, accessible facilities and toilets, and baby-changing facilities are available in the café.
Book-ish runs an extensive programme of author talks, question-and-answer sessions, signings, book clubs and writing groups. Events range from intimate discussions in the Loft to larger appearances hosted at venues elsewhere in the region.
The programme also includes children’s activities, community gatherings and events exploring music, ideas and Welsh writing. Tickets and current details are available through the Book-ish events programme.
The Loft is reached by stairs and is not wheelchair accessible. Anyone with mobility or accessibility requirements is encouraged to contact the team before purchasing event tickets so that available arrangements can be discussed.
Combining independent retail, food and drink, and a year-round cultural programme, Book-ish gives visitors several reasons to stop while exploring Crickhowell: to discover a new writer, choose a thoughtful gift, attend an event or spend time with a book over coffee.
Browse more bookshops, café bookshops and literary events and festivals, or use the main button for Book-ish's current books, café information and event programme.
