Tracy Kenny is the co-founder, and manager, of Kett’s Books, a volunteer-run independent community bookshop in Wymondham. With its ‘breath-taking’ new home opening in the Market Place, thanks to the interior design skills of Jack Kinsey, Tracy shares the story so far
How long have you been the manager of Kett’s Books?
For 10 years – since 2013 when Kett’s Books became a CIC. I was there even before the famous night in the pub, when a group of strangers got together to save the town’s bookshop from closing!
How would you describe the bookshop?
Kett’s Books does all the things a bookshop should do, but we do it to draw people together. So, you are likely to be served by a volunteer who’s happy to be there, and who is happy to see you, too.
We sell new books that are a good fit for a community in Wymondham – lots of fiction, crime, children’s, and natural history. We also stock the brand-new books that the whole country is talking about. Because we can’t possibly stock everything, one of our favourite things to do is ordering in – we can usually get most books for next day. We also sell cards and some gifts. Our selection changes every single day, and the job the volunteers love best is opening the boxes, because they never know what treats will be inside!
As we’re a community bookshop we want to share the love of reading with people around us, especially those who might not call themselves a reader. One way we do that is to invite authors to come talk about their books and take questions from the audience. We can usually do this for free. With our new location will be able to do so much more, including bringing our many book clubs back into our own space.
One of our biggest groups of supporters is the Friends of Kett’s Books, who are a group of people who want to do a bit more than just buy books. They pay £20 a year to become a card-carrying supporter of the community business, and in return they get 10% off almost everything they buy, sometimes 20%, and invitations to Friends-only events. The Friends were huge supporters in helping us achieve the move into Market Place.
What’s happening on Saturday, September 30?
On Saturday we will be opening Kett’s Books at 11 Market Place. About 50 volunteers have put thousands of hours into making this move happen, and we can’t wait to show off the beautiful new interior and our larger range of books. We’ll have treats, games, and activities throughout the day. We are expecting visits from our supporters at South Norfolk District Council, as well as many of the authors we have built good relationships with over time.
What can you tell us about your new home for Kett’s Books, and Jack Kinsey’s involvement?
It’s just breath-taking, so much more than we could have hoped for. The new home for Kett’s Books is in a wonderful historic building right on Wymondham’s Market Place, next to Cecil Amey. It’s a wrench to leave our lovely former home at Wharton’s Court, and all our neighbours and friends there, this new premises gives us the opportunity to share so many more books, space for more customers to enjoy browsing, some comfy seating, and lots more events – for both adults and children.
We didn’t originally plan to work with Jack Kinsey, but some of our volunteers know him, as he lives near to Wymondham, and they approached him on our behalf. We had loved his designs on BBC1’s Interior Design Masters, so through conversations we realised we shared a vision, and were delighted when he accepted our invitation to work with us. We couldn’t be happier with his design. He’s completely captured the essence of Kett’s Books, as the design is perfect for the building, and reflects Wymondham and its history. The creative bits – no spoilers! – he personally installed, and it was great fun working with him. But I must give credit to the thousands of hours our volunteers put in making the rest of the design happen. This is truly a bookshop built by the community.
Looking ahead, what’s happening next month, with the Wymondham Words Festival?
We are delighted to be working in partnership with Wymondham Arts Forum to organise the return of the Wymondham Words Festival, which takes place October 26-29. The festival is a celebration of writing, poetry and words taking place in venues across Wymondham including our new shop.
People can discover the history hidden in Norfolk’s coastlines, get talking with Louis de Bernières about his new book, join in a writing workshop, and recite poetry in an open mic! There are loads to do, and together we and local poet George Szirtes have put together an amazing line up made up of familiar favourites and exciting names on the literary scene.
You can book tickets via the events link on our website www.kettsbooks.co.uk,or directly in the bookshop. There are a mixture of free and paid events so that anybody can join in on the fun, but booking is a recommended for any events, as space is limited.
And there are lots more events this season too – including an event with children’s author David Farr on October 12. Details are on the events page of our website.
Do you think that Wymondham is becoming ‘the place to be’?
Across all its history Wymondham has been about people who work together for the community good, and that spirit, on top of being a beautiful town with a great high street and super energy, means I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. So many people live nearby who haven’t really come in to discover it – they are in for a treat.
So many historic buildings, active community groups, and brilliant businesses are working to attract people to town, and we hope this new setting for us will draw even more visitors in, so we all benefit, including everyone who lives here. Wymondham is a ‘must visit’ destination for people around the country. We hope to get that message across to more of our Norfolk neighbours as well!
What are your hopes and dreams for Kett’s Books?
Our opening on Market Place physically puts community at the centre of a town which already has community at its heart. We know that the internet is a shopping option, but we are hoping that by joining in with our neighbours in creating reasons to come into town, people will see that you get so much more than just ‘a thing’ when you shop locally – you get fresh air, exercise, friends, and a network that is happy to see you. Shopping at Kett’s Books, and all our high street businesses, is an investment in keeping the town we love the way we want it to be. So, we hope to see loads of book lovers decide to start buying their books from us and enjoying the rest of the town as well.
Kett’s Books reopens at 11 Market Place, Wymondham, NR18 0AS at 9.30am tomorrow, Saturday September 30. Visit Kett’s Books (kettsbooks.co.uk) and follow on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Featured images supplied by Tracy Kenny.
Absolutely thrilled that Tracey and her team of volunteers are moving to bigger premises and right in the middle of Town. Ketts Books is one of Wymondham’s retail gems and we can’t wait to see the new place. Good luck everyone!