First Draft Books

We are proud to be part of the @the_rebel_reading_society We have been Rebels for over a year now.. The boys have loved championing authors and their books - they have been exposed to soo many different books thanks to @the_rebel_reading_society It also inspired them to apply for their reading Blue Peter Badge They’re had lots of amazing opportunities to meet some of their favourite authors thanks to Rebel events and even interview some of them too and be part of the media team. Plus, they’ve found a new love of championing books - raving about them 🤣 They love reading their books - they love telling everyone that listens about their amazing books. They also love telling authors about @the_rebel_reading_society too. James @the_rebel_reading_society is doing some incredible work getting authors and books into schools and to families, but MORE importantly getting physical books into children’s hands - keep up the great work! Are you part of the @the_rebel_reading_society ? If NOT, why Not? Check out their page for more details - we can’t wait for you to join us. @piccadilly.press @usborne_books @simonkidsuk @walkerbooksuk

I can’t quite believe what I’m about to announce … folk legend Steve Knightley is going to be our special guest on Tuesday 19th May @firstdraftdevon Bovey Tracey - and what’s more, he’s going to sing a couple of his songs. My dad took me to a #showofhands gig when I was 14. That same night, I immediately started learning Exile. The message blew me away and shaped my belief in the power of protest writing and social commentary to build empathy. I went on to teach refugees in London and volunteer in Calais. The teenage me - a kid from the Devon sticks who’d never met anyone from anyone further away than Ashburton’s exchange town in Brittany - was shaped by Steve’s powerful words and music. Thank you, @steveknightleyofficial I can’t wait to meet you. There may be tears. @oldbarnbooks

Really looking forward to my Devon and Cornwall events! Hope you can join me in Bovey Tracey on Tuesday 19th May. Book your FREE place at @firstdraftdevon This gorgeous bookshop is less than three miles from where I went to primary school! @oldbarnbooks

Signing books across @visitdevon This will never get old! @waterstones_exeter @waterstonesnewtonabbot @eastgatebookshop @firstdraftdevon @winstonessidmouth @ivybridgebookshop Curious Otter - Ottery St Mary ~ Devon is a book lovers dream! ~ @midascampaigns x @chiselbury ~ @devonlifemag @exeterlivingmag

By coincidence, I was a gardener for over 40 years, but was seldom 'reluctant'....

📣📚 Tomorrow, we reveal the #IndieBookAwards 2026 shortlist, the only book awards curated by independent bookshops. But first, meet our judges! ⤵️ 📚 Fiction & Non-Fiction Judging Panel 📚 Dawn Williams (Chapters Bookstore — Dublin) Jack Mountford (Paper Moon Bookshop — Guildford) Leslie Leggett (First Draft Books — Devon) Pao Salcedo (Lighthouse Bookshop — Edinburgh) Sadie Young (Chepstow Books & Gifts — Monmouthshire) 📚 Children’s Fiction & Picture Book Judging Panel 📚 Alison Brumwell (The Little Bookshop — Leeds) Dan Fridd (Bookbugs and Dragon Tales — Norwich) Elaine Sinclair (Daydreams Bookshop — Milngavie) McKenna Adare (O’Mahony’s — Limerick) Sanchita Basu De Sarkar (Children’s Bookshop — Muswell Hill) ☀️Meet Your Summer Reads 📆 Friday 8 May ⏰ 9am #IndieBookshopWeek

Some places just feel special the moment you walk in… 💜 @gracefavourhome is one of those rare independent shops where everything has clearly been chosen with care…no mass-produced feel, just genuinely unique pieces you won’t see everywhere else. And just when you think you’ve seen it all… tucked around the back is a tiny bookshop, @firstdraftdevon 📚 It’s the kind of place you go in for ‘a quick look’ and leave with something you absolutely love. If you’re near Bovey Tracey or exploring the area soon, this one’s DEFINITELY worth a visit! #SupportSmallBusiness #HiddenGemsUK #BookshopFinds #DevonLife #BoveyTracey

May is bursting at the bookish seams with exciting events across Devon! 💥 On the way this month is @literature_works ’ final 23-26 season of author events at Quay Words, @ExeterPride and their chilled-out Literary Lounge, writing groups, Doohickie Productions & @exeterphoenix ’s Open Door Festival, and a unique combo of book club and pudding tasting @bookandpuddingclubsuk ! 📚 We’ve compiled some of our highlights for May, but there’s plenty more on our Events Calendar to seek out — head to the link in our bio to see all on offer across Devon 👀

I still like to go into bookshops and see if any of my books are there. I'm hoping they already sold book 2??

Introducing AFTERNOON HOURS OF A HERMIT, the much-anticipated second novel from Patrick Cottrell, publishing in the UK and Europe on 22 September 2026. When Korean adoptee Dan Moran receives a photo of his deceased brother in the mail, the mysterious letter – addressed to his deadname – drags him back to Milwaukee’s airless suburbs. There, armed with an eye for inquiry and his favourite existential turtleneck, Dan navigates estrangement and mistaken identity, urgently trying to decode the three names his brother left scrawled in marker on his fingertips. AFTERNOON HOURS OF A HERMIT is a heartbreaking and Bernhardian investigation into memory, identity, and the act of writing itself. Preorder your copy now via @bookshop_org_uk @foylesforbooks @waterstones @blackwellbooks or at your local independent. #afternoonhoursofahermit #patrickcottrell #bookstagram #lgbtqfiction #independentpublishing

I’ve been reading about Banana Yoshimoto lately. I’ve never read her work and I’m so excited. I have an intuitive feeling that I’m about to open a door to a writer who will absorb me and inspire. This beautiful looking novel is from @firstdraftdevon 🌱 @bananayoshimoto2017 #bananayoshimoto #novelist #writingcommunity #storytelling #shortstorywriter