The owners of a popular Crickhowell book store received an early Christmas present this year after completing the purchase of their High Street premises with help from a crowd-funding page.

Book-ish is a Welsh Independent book store situated on Crickhowell High Street, owned by Emma and Andrew Corfield-Walters.

The couple opened the bookshop at 23 High Street in 2010, before relocating to a larger premises at number 18 in 2017.

After learning that their landlord was selling the property, Emma and Andrew were delighted to learn that they had been given first option on purchasing the property. However after a difficult 18 months for the business, the store was struggling with funds and appealed for help online with Emma deciding to start a GoFundMe page aimed at raising the money needed to purchase the property and secure the future of the bookshop.

Bookshop owners, publishers and well-known authors pledged their support to the bookshop, raising £15,000 in less than a week.

With further support from booklovers and members of the local community the crowdfunder has now gone on to raise £28,490 from over 800 donations – surpassing the original target of £25,000 – and on December 23, Emma announced that they had been successful in completing the purchase of the property.

Posting on their GoFundMe page, Emma said: “My family, our team and I will forever be grateful to the book loving community from across the globe, we could never have done this without your support.

“We look forward to 2022 with great optimism and are already thinking how best to give back, to share books with those who need them and champion writers and illustrators.”

Since opening over 10 years ago the shop has proven a popular addition to the town high street and has been well-supported throughout the years by booklovers and the local community.

The bookshop occupies two floors, an event space as well as a café and bar, and in 2020 won Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards. Emma previously set up a crowdfunder in the summer to purchase copies of Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford’s You are a Champion book to give to local school pupils, raising £9,000 and purchasing 1800 books. Emma added: “I think it is every bookshop owner’s dream to own their own shop and have that security so I would like to thank everyone who supported us on our crowdfunder and privately through the shop, in helping us realise this dream. “I’m really looking forward to planning our future in Crickhowell.”