We now operate a “pop up bookshop” at school events, school book fairs, Festivals and at Theatres supporting author book tours.

For just over twenty years, The Hayling Island Bookshop ran a village bookshop and gained a reputation for the quality of personal service and our innovative events programme. In 2025 we closed our village bookshop to focus on our extensive events and Festivals business.

Since 2006 we have run events for over a quarter of a million people with hundreds of authors in hundreds of different venues.

Authors we have run or supported events for include Sir David Attenborough, Sir Terry Pratchett, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Anne Widdecombe, Kate Mosse, Anthony Horowitz, Louis de Bernieres, Sandi Toksvig, Julian Fellowes, Sir Andrew Motion, Lord Robert Winston, Alan Titchmarsh, Claire Tomalin, Sir Patrick Moore, Bill Bailey, Clare Balding, Michael Palin, Lenny Henry, Michael Morpurgo,  and many more.

In partnership with Portsmouth School Library Services, we help to run author events in schools for thousands of children each year. The Bookshop has in the past supported events for Havant Literary Festival, The Portsmouth Festivities,Southampton Children’s Book Festival, Goodwoof and South Downs Food Festival.

Since 2010 we have organised and run Portsmouth BookFest in partnership with Portsmouth City Library Service.

In 2009 The Hayling Island Bookshop was named as South of England Independent Bookshop of the year and in 2011 we were invited to The House Of Commons as finalists in the 2011 Parliamentary Best Small Shops Awards.

Bookshop proprietor Marie Telford was a long serving member of the Advisory Panel for the Independent Booksellers Forum within the Booksellers Association.

Ordering and Delivery Service

Although our village bookshop is now closed, for local customers who don’t have internet access, we will take orders from this website or by phone. We also provide free delivery on the Island and by arrangement within the surrounding area.