New Children's Bookshop - Herne Hill
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim
We want to engage community support to help us bring a children's bookshop back to Herne Hill!
Hello,
We are Frann & Anja, the founders of Words & Pictures Children’s Bookshop - opening Spring 2024 in Herne Hill.
Saddened by the closure of Herne Hill's wonderful Tales on Moon Lane, we had the idea of filling the hole left in the community with a children’s bookshop of our own.
Frann -
I am a local mum to two children (1 and 7). I am also a multi award-winning author and illustrator. My career in children’s books began at 14 as a weekend worker in the children’s section of a bookshop. I studied illustration at Kingston University and since graduating have published over 30 books. It has been a long-time dream of mine to be involved in opening an independent bookshop. As an author, I know how important bookshops are not just to the industry but to the communities they serve. I can’t wait for Words and Pictures to become an inspiring part of the lives of local children.
Anja -
We moved to Herne Hill when I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter - 17 years ago - and grateful to discover the best community and friends. My career has included TV production, copywriting and editing work. Throughout it all, I was always reading, writing, and I eventually discovered City Lit and the Writing for Children courses. I fell in love with children’s books all over again as an adult and I found another wonderful community of people in the book world. I am so excited to be able to bring Words and Pictures bookshop to life this spring and, in doing so, keep the magic of children’s books on Half Moon Lane.
We Need Your Help!
But this is a very ambitious project. Despite our passion, the cost of living crisis makes starting a business incredibly challenging - so we need your support!
We are offering a selection of exciting rewards and with your help, we will use the funds raised to create a space where children can explore the wonders of literature and foster a lifelong love for reading.
The rewards include memberships, tote bags and the opportunity for school visits from author and bookshop founder, Frann Preston-Gannon.
We also aim to offer engaging storytelling sessions, interactive workshops, as well as inviting some of the UK’s most celebrated authors to connect with our community.
We look forward to a Spring 2024 opening and would very much appreciate your support!
Frann & Anja
This project successfully funded on 31st March 2024