Arts, Verwood | Posted on May 28th, 2026 | return to news

Verwood mayor praises successful book fair

Recently elected Mayor of Verwood, Cllr Simon Gibson, praised the organisers of a Spring Book Fair held in the local Memorial Hall on 23 May.

The Verwood Book Fair was held in the local Memorial Hall on Saturday 23 May. Organised by Tegan and Emily, the book fair helps raise money for local charities. This year’s fair attracted a steady flow of members of the public of all ages on one of the hottest days of the year.

After visiting the stalls, the mayor said: “Emily and Tegan have done a good job. It is lovely to see them inspiring young people to read more.

“There are some amazing authors in our local area and it’s great that they have the opportunity to display their talents here in Verwood.”

As well as being the place to meet popular local authors and buy signed copies of their books, there were several book-related stalls selling and promoting their wares. These included April Showers Publishing (a Dorset-based micropublisher) founded by TC Emerys; hand-bound notebooks made locally by bookbinders Phil and Carol Yates; and quirky bookmarks and handmade cloth Kindle and book covers by Chelsea. Many more stallholders filled the Memorial Hall.

A separate area packed with second-hand books attracted anyone wanting to buy books in good condition at bargain prices.

Attending author Janine Pulford said: “This is my first book fair and it’s been very successful. One thing is for sure, Verwood townsfolk and the wider community love to read. I literally couldn’t believe how many books some people managed to carry away in their arms.”

Tegan and Emily said: “Our second-hand book stall sales and other fundraising efforts behind the scenes are going towards raising money for local book projects, including a Verwood-based free book swap library.

“The next Verwood Book Fair is on Saturday 17 October at Verwood Memorial Hall. We will have new stallholders as well as our second-hand stalls.”