Five Leaves Bookshop

16/08/2026

It's a varied and exciting week coming up in Nottingham. Whether you're a disciple of dance music, someone who enjoys tasting new national cuisines, or you want to know how to be involved in wider movements to tackle the climate crisis, there'll be something here for you…

15/08/2026

14/08/2026

Well, our friends The Bookcase Lowdham are closing after thirty years. They announced it months ago and their last year has ticked round. The Bookcase was inspirational as a village bookshop which organised what was for a couple of decades the biggest book festival in the region but never lost sight of being the local bookshop for the very active village of Lowdham. Local people were and are so proud of it.
We were encouraged by them to open our own bookshop.
Jane Streeter, who owns the shop, was involved in the wider booktrade for many years being the first person from a village bookshop to be President of the Booksellers Association.
We hope they have a great last day and thank Jane and her team for all they have done.

🌟 S A V E 🌟 T H E 🌟 D A T E 🌟

Join us for our 30th birthday and final day at The Bookcase!

There’ll be bubbly 🍾 cake 🍰 freebies 🆓 discounts ❗️a story trail 📕 a build your own wormery activity 🪱 character costumes 😄 speeches 🎤 a book reading 📖 and a chance to share some memories 🩷

⏰ 10am-4pm
⏰ Story trail of “The Bookworm” all day in the wooded area behind the village hall, plus a build your own wormery activity 🪱 (timing of this TBC)
⏰ 10.45am and 1.45pm Jess will be reading “Child of Books” 📕
⏰ 11am and 2pm Jane will be making a speech 🎤

⭐️ Special Offers ⭐️

20% off all children’s books and non book items!
ANY 2 paperbacks for £15
ANY hardback for £15

We can’t wait to celebrate this special day with you all!

From everyone at The Bookcase x

12/08/2026

leftlion.co.uk/features/2026/08/putting-down-roots-the-story-of-the-windrush-generation-and-st-anns-allotments-explored-in-a-new-book/
Published by Five Leaves

Colin Haynes’ book, Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners, tells the story of men whose love for gardening gave them much more than callaloo and oxheart tomatoes. It shares the true story of a group of Windrush residents who turned the neglected, overgrown Hungerhill Gardens, or St Ann's Allotments, as they...

08/08/2026

We are sorry to hear that David Young has died. David was the author of a pamphlet on Nottingham Castle and gave regular and well-received talks to visitors there until his health got in the way. His last talk was at Bromley House fairly recently.
David got in touch when he was very ill to let us know the situation. He gave us the last 25 copies of his pamphlet on Nottingham Castle. We'd sold 150 copies in the last year and told him that if we sold 150 of every book in the shop we'd buy the Castle and name a room after him.
Sadly, that was our last contact with him. The staff here always welcomed his visits, and he was pleased to deliver another ten, another twenty of the pamphlets, and they are back on the front desk again. Our condolences to his friends and family.

05/08/2026

Karen Stevens and Jonathan Taylor (ed) Creative Writing and the Critical Commentary: Reflection, Influence, Process (Bloomsbury), under review by Julie Gardner on fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk/reviews/

03/08/2026

The funeral of Tony Challis - author of Rainbow Candles, published by Five Leaves New Poetry - will be Tuesday 18th August at 4.00 at Wilford Hill Crematorium NG27FE. No dress code and all welcome. There will be a gathering afterwards, with the venue confirmed on the day.
Tony was an all-round good guy, a former teacher, a Humanist and an ever-present figure at anything literary or gay in Nottingham and at the Edinburgh Fringe. One of our most regular customers, and regular attenders at bookshop events - but he was a regular attender at thousands of events and had the busiest diary.
Lots of people will be automatically looking round at events, catching themselves wondering where Tony was.
Tony was also hugely popular in this city, and had a large friendship network going back to his earlier homes and activities.
He is much missed.

02/08/2026

Struggling to find us? Here is a handy video map!

31/07/2026

My new Collected Poems volume comes out on 10th Sept and is available to pre-order online.

I'll be doing a special book launch At Five Leaves Bookshop in the centre of my home town of Nottingham on 21st Sept. It will be my only appearance in Nottingham this autumn.

There's only 40 tickets available and they go on sale today at five pounds fully redeemable against the purchase of one of my books. There's a link below. There's a good chance it will sell out so do get yourself a seat as soon as you can.

I know a few of you have seen me already this year. The Five Leaves event will be particularly special with totally different material. I hope you can make it.

fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk/events/not-bad-for-a-fiver-revisited-with-henry-normal/