Book-ish raises funds to secure future before property goes on market

The owners of award-winning independent bookshop Book-ish are raising funds to "secure their future", seeking to buy their premises before it goes on the open market.

Emma and Andrew Corfield-Walters, who co-own the store in the Welsh market town of Crickhowell, have launched a GoFundMe page in an effort to buy the property they currently rent.

This year the shop's landlord decided to sell the property, offering the bookshop to the pair. However, due to the past "horrific" 18 months, the store is also struggling with funds. 

The goal is to raise £30,000 by 31st January 2022 before the building is put on the open market. As of 18th November, the total raised stood at £3,350.

Speaking to The Bookseller, Emma Corfield-Walters said: "We’ve been given a fantastic opportunity to secure our place on the high street but it’s not come at the best of times. After battling to survive and thrive throughout the pandemic, banks aren’t looking too kindly on our skewed accounts with regards to securing a commercial mortgage. As you can imagine, our funding options are pretty narrow. 

"Our landlord has his own deadline for selling the property and although we’ve been given first refusal, it’s now a race against the clock to secure the building before it gets offered on the open market, with all the risks to the business that involves. We’ve set up a GoFundMe page in order to plug the gaping hole in the funding between what the banks will lend and what we need to secure our future."

The couple opened the independent bookshop at 23 High Street in Crickhowell in 2010, before relocating to its current premises at number 18 in 2017. The bookshop occupies two floors, a cafe, a bar and an events space. Last year it won Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards.