Cash award for Retford bookshop that believes 'there's a book for every child'
A book shop in Retford has been awarded £1,000 by HarperCollins as part of a new initiative celebrating independent bookshops in the National Year of Reading.
Wonderland bookshop was personally nominated by children’s author Rashmi Sirdeshpande, in recognition of its contribution in helping their work reach readers.
The initiative, called 'The Bookshop I'd Like to Thank', sees HarperCollins UK distribute £21,000 to 21 independent bookshops across the UK, each chosen by one of the publisher's authors.
This money can be used however the bookshop sees fit during the National Year of Reading – the UK-wide campaign encouraging the nation to read more.
Helen Tamblyn-Saville, Owner at Wonderland Bookshop said: "We're so thrilled to have been nominated by Rashmi Sirdeshpande to be part of this initiative.
"Rashmi's Hari Kumar series is a joy, and she is such a brilliant champion of inclusive and accessible children's books.
"As a bookshop, we try to make books accessible, believing that there really is a book for every child, whether it is fiction, non-fiction, prose, comic, or audio.
"We would love to bring a dedicated children's book festival to our town, to thank everyone for their support over the years, and hopefully this grant will help to make that happen! Thank you Rashmi and HarperCollins."
Rashmi Sirdeshpande said: “I chose Wonderland Bookshop in Retford as the Bookshop I'd Like to Thank because it's an amazingly inclusive bookshop that is always so supportive of my work (and marginalised voices as a whole!). And the book selection is top class.”
Wonderland Bookshop, established in 2019, was awarded Children’s Bookseller of the Year in the 2025 British Book Awards.
It provides a broad selection of children’s books, hosting authors and illustrators, and organising school events.
Tom Dunstan, sales director at HarperCollins UK, said: "Independent bookshops take risks on books, build relationships with readers, and champion authors in ways that simply can't be replicated anywhere else.
“The Bookshop I'd Like to Thank is our way of saying that HarperCollins hugely appreciates and values what they do.
"We're enormously grateful to all our authors – the warmth and passion in their nominations has been remarkable."
Wonderland Bookshop can be found at 64 Carolgate, Retford, and is open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday.
Visit wonderlandbookshop.co.uk or at Instagram.com/wonderlandbookshop and Facebook.