Donors

Sedbergh has been England’s Booktown since 2005.  The project is run by Sedbergh Booktown Literary Trust (charity no. 1115782). In common with many other projects we were closed for several years because of COVID restrictions and are now back as the national and internationally recognised Booktown for England.

Major events in 2026

  • October 16th to 18th, Death in the Dales. Three days of dastardly doings with members of the Crime Writers Association.

Medium and Long-term ambitions

When the Booktown started we took over the tourist office and used space in the building to run a co-operative second hand book shop. In 2012 a separate Sedbergh charity bought the building and continues to run the bookshop successfully, however we need more books in Sedbergh so……….

In coalition with Sedbergh Town bodies………Our grand design – 37-39 Main Street, Sedbergh. This 8,000 sq.ft building occupies a premier position on Main Street.  It is Grade 2 listed and has been largely unoccupied and semi-derelict since the 1990’s. It is one of the most historic buildings in the town with foundations going back to at least 1500. This property is a blight on our town and a problem to our planning authority, the Yorkshire Dales National Park.  If the town could somehow become the owners of the buildings, current thinking by a co-operative community share offer, we could run the usable ground floor as a Booktown shop and café and raise the funds for the renovation of the rest of the building through heritage funders.  The purchase and community ownership of this building would benefit the town and the Booktown and ensure the long-term survival of the Booktown project for the people of Sedbergh and region.

Funding for charitable causes is in short supply at the moment.  Our programme this next year is costed at around £15,000 and we expect to earn around half of that or more with ticket sales.  However, simply aiming to break-even on our activity is not enough!  We would like to emulate the success of Hay on Wye which has been Wales’s Booktown for 50 years, we would like to enhance the literary legacy of Cumbria, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales for many years to come.

To do this we need to employ a part-time Director and a part-time Media Secretary to work towards that permanent on-street presence in Sedbergh, as well as continuing to expand our activity.

Please help – any contribution would be a huge help, but a regular donation would be even better.  You can donate through our Just Giving page or direct bank transfer to Sedbergh Booktown Literary Trust account number: 34533273, sort code: 010481.

To discuss a more formal sponsorship with the opportunity to advertise your business at all our events please ring 01539 621770 or email booktown@sedbergh.org.uk

Volunteers

Stewards attend events free of charge so why not sign up and come along, you’ll be pouring tea and selling tickets, nothing too strenuous and we guarantee it’ll be fun!

Trustees are the decisions and ideas people, we aren’t a formal bunch so we’ll appreciate your input whatever it is. Trustees are registered with the Charity Commission and Companies House and should we go bust you would only be asked to pay £10.

Friends of Sedbergh Booktown: The ‘Friends’ of a charity or group usually run themselves as a separate entity from the body they befriend. They hold events and fund-raising drives to help the charity. Is there someone out there who feels this might be something they would like to do? Please let us know by one of the methods below.

So that’s it, your Booktown needs you.

booktown@sedbergh.org.uk
Phone 015396 21770
Or call in at the Sleepy Elephant,  41 Main Street, for more info.