A CREDITON bookshop has given a bundle of books worth £50 to the winner of a recent promotional competition.

The Bookery offered the prize to those who signed up to its newsletter by the end of December.

The winner was Francisca Van Holthoon, who signed up to the newsletter and loyalty programme at the bookshop.

Mrs Van Holthoon visited the Bookery on Saturday, January 18 and chose four titles: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, The Architecture of Modern Empire by Arundhati Roy, Shadow by Michael Morpurgo and Shattered by Hanif Kureishi.

“It is so refreshing to find an independent bookshop in this era of online shopping,” she said.

“Nothing can quite replace the joy of offline browsing. Crediton's High Street has seen many shops come and go.

“I am thrilled that the Bookery has managed to not just survive but positively thrive. A credit to the bookshop and to its customers!”

The Bookery’s newsletter is circulated on a regular basis and provides information about community outreach activities led by its volunteers, author events, promotions and other news. You can sign up to the newsletter in person or online by visiting: thebookery.org.uk.

You can also join the bookshop’s loyalty programme and get one point for every purchase over £10. Accumulating 10 points provides a £10 discount off the next purchase.

Separately, the Bookery holds “Soup and Stories” sessions every Friday from 12.30pm to 2pm. Free soup and hot drinks are available. All are welcome and no registration is required.

Its next free afternoon author event will see Clare Bainbridge speak on life in ancient Rome when she visits the bookshop on Tuesday, February 11 at 3.30pm.

Ms Bainbridge has written three detective novels set in ancient Rome in around 40 BC: Unquiet Spirits, Saturn’s Gold and Citizens and Slaves.