An Ayrshire Gem
The Book Nook Stewarton
Sarah Frame
The Book Nook Stewarton is an independent bookshop in Stewarton, which opened in December 2020. Stewarton residents are rightly proud of having an independent bookshop in the town, and even more so since The Book Nook won the Scottish title of Independent Bookshop of the Year in the prestigious British Book Awards 2024.
The bookshop is a multi-award winning business, having also collected Favourite Family Business UK 2022, Bookshop of the Year in the Scottish Independent Retail Awards 2024, finalist in The Ayrshire Business Awards 2023 and the personal award to the bookshop founder, Sarah Frame, of a highly esteemed MP HERoes Award in 2023, all of which contributes to putting Stewarton and Ayrshire firmly on the literary map.
These accolades have helped expand the customer base geographically and book lovers now visit The Book Nook from across the region and have been thrilled to discover that Stewarton is a friendly and welcoming town with a thriving High Street and a range of great places to eat.
The Book Nook is seen as a vital asset to the local community, offering book clubs, children’s clubs and activities, school liaison, toddler sessions, and has built a strong reputation for holding regular (and free) author events which are very popular.
Guest authors who have been to Book Nook events are too many to mention, but have included well-known writers such as Andrew O’Hagan, Quintin Jardine, Lin Anderson, Ambrose Parry, Donna Ashworth, Karen Campbell, Doug Johnstone, Alex Gray and Billy Sloan. Every June, The Book Nook holds its own ‘mini’ Book Festival, with bookish events and fun for all throughout the week.
More author events are scheduled through to the end of this year, including top New Zealand writers Vanda Symon and Michael Bennett, Jenny Colgan, Mairi Kidd, Graeme Macrae Burnet, The Hebridean Baker and Chris Brookmyre.
Sarah Frame is passionate about books and loves sharing that passion with her customers, providing them with personalised recommendations, advising them on new books, prize-winning books, emerging and notable authors and is building a vibrant community of book lovers who enjoy spending time browsing, chatting about books and relaxing with a coffee in the welcoming space.
Sarah is looking forward to working with Ayrshire Magazine to extend that community still further so watch this space for book recommendations, exclusive interviews with her visiting authors and, most exciting of all, a brand new virtual book club. AM readers will also get opportunities to order exclusive editions of books, and discounts for setting up book subscriptions.
If would like to hear more, or if there is anything else you would like to see included in the partnership between Ayrshire Magazine and The Book Nook Stewarton, please get in touch.
Web: www.booknookstewarton.co.uk
Facebook: thebooknookstewarton
Instagram: booknook_sarah
