It started with a simple idea: Wokingham deserves a proper, independent bookshop.
What began as a quiet dream over a year ago has turned into the biggest project of my life. The road to opening our doors has not been straightforward. There have been wrong turns, ‘what-if’ moments, plenty of tea, and a few lessons learned the hard way. The goal however remained the same: to create a space that feels like a community hub.
We nearly have our bookshop space and we are excited to share our progress along the way…
Before founding Greenwood Chapter, I spent 27 years within the professional IT services sector. Whist there, I founded the 'Get Lit! Global Book Club,’ - a bit of a passion project! Our reading adventure started in early 2023, born from an idea to get people from different continents and professional teams together – folks who might never cross paths in their day-to-day work - within a relaxed, informal space. Given it was global, they were actually dialling into our monthly meets from the comfort of their own homes… what could be more relaxed than that! We wanted a rhythm that felt natural, building a group that was welcoming, no matter where our members were based and it was important that everyone could participate as time allowed - so we gave the reins to everyone involved; we let the group nominate themes and vote on our next reads together. By the end of 2023, that little experiment had grown into a lively circle of friends. While this global community taught me how to bring people together, I know that running a physical bookshop is a whole new chapter for me (pun intended!). I am a newcomer to the retail world and have plenty to learn, but I am bringing over 20 years of volunteering experience to the bookshop. Having spent the last decade dedicated to Wokingham—specifically with the Wokingham Winter Carnival and the Wokingham Theatre—I have spent many hours behind the bar and in the box office. I would like to think I have learned that the secret to a great local venue is the people, and I look forward to bringing the same spirit of service and community to Greenwood Chapter.
In November 2023, the initial idea for an independent bookshop in Wokingham sparked.
The idea to open a bookshop in Wokingham gained traction, so I sat down in February 2024 and started to write my business plan.
By March 2025, I was learning the ropes at the Booksellers Association’s Introductory Course, and by July, I decided that 18 months of planning was enough. It was time to put words into action. I resigned from my corporate career in August 2025, ready to jump in full-time.
In September 2025, I set my sights on a property on Denmark Street.
When that fell through in December, I found myself back at the drawing board.
I spent January 2026 reassessing opening a shop outside of Wokingham. Each town had its pros, but none were the right fit. A heart-to-heart with a friend reminded me that I wanted to create something in the community that I live.
So, I planned to pivot to contract work for flexibility, whilst I waited patiently for a premises.
Just when things seemed quiet, a conversation at the hairdresser’s led me to Peach Street.
A property had come onto the market and within a day, we had put in an offer.
Sadly, our offer was rejected.
Mild panic set in and we started to think about alternatives; we even looked into buying a double-decker ‘book bus’!
By April 2026, I was balancing part-time corporate work and learning the basics of WordPress when, suddenly, the Peach Street landlord called back.
They accepted our offer!
We are working toward an ambitious timeline as we transform our Peach Street location!
