Winchester’s P&G Wells to spark literary week with Robin Ince and book bedazzling

A literary explosion is coming to Hampshire next June as P&G Wells Bookshop, the city’s 233-year-old independent, unveils the most ambitious program in its history for Independent Bookshop Week 2026. The seven-day extravaganza launches on Monday, June 15, with a headline event featuring comedian, author and broadcaster Robin Ince, who will celebrate the paperback release of his new book Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal alongside the poetry collection Let the Quiet Ones Rise.

The week will feature over 20 events, including an exclusive conversation between freelance writer Natasha Poliszczuk and novelist Emily Howes about Howes’ latest novel Mrs Dickens, which reimagines the early marriage of Charles and Kate Dickens. Attendees will explore how Dickens’ growing fame as a novelist clashed with Kate’s reality as a wife managing an increasingly famous husband’s unrealistic expectations. Howes’ previous novel The Painter’s Daughters will also be discussed.

The centerpiece of the adult program is the inaugural Book Bedazzling Workshop, where participants will transform plain hardcovers into dazzling, rhinestone-encrusted pieces using professional tools and guidance. Spaces are limited to 12 per session to ensure hands-on time for each attendee.

Children’s activities will run daily, with storytimes tailored to ages 3 to 10, interactive quizzes, and a scavenger hunt through the shop’s historic oak shelves. On Saturday, June 20 at 2pm, the bookshop will host the inaugural meeting of the Young Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Group, open to readers aged 11 to 16. Participants are asked to bring a favorite title from the genre and join a discussion on world-building and speculative fiction.

Steve Scholey, the shop’s manager since 2019, said the program reflects a deliberate shift toward creative participation over passive attendance. “We’re not just hosting events; we’re inviting people to make something tangible,” he said. “The bedazzling workshop is a metaphor for how books carry stories, but also how readers can leave their mark.” Scholey also announced the launch of a new loyalty scheme during the week, offering points for event attendance, purchases, and referrals.

P&G Wells was named Independent Bookshop of the Year for South East England at the 2025 British Book Awards, a title that has driven a 15% increase in footfall over the past 12 months. The shop’s address at 11 College Street places it steps from Winchester Cathedral and the Great Hall, making it a natural hub for literary pilgrims. With no chain store competition within a five-mile radius, the bookshop thrives on community loyalty and curated curation.

The full schedule, including times and booking links, will go live on the bookshop’s website on April 1. Scholey urged early registration: “These events are designed to spark connection—whether through laughter, creativity, or shared imagination—but they only work if people show up.”