About Us

The Hayling Island Bookshop is one of the last remaining independent bookshops in the area and has gained a reputation for the quality of personal service and their innovative Author signing events. Authors we have run or supported events for include Sir David Attenborough, Terry Pratchett, Jacqueline Wilson, Anne Widdecombe, Ian Whybrow, Kate Mosse, Derek Landy, Chris Ryan, Darren Shan, Charlie Higson, Anthony Horowitz, Louis de Bernieres, Sandi Toksvig, Julian Fellowes, Sir Andrew Motion, Lord Robert Winston, Alan Titchmarsh, Claire Tomalin, Sir Patrick Moore and many more.

In partnership with Portsmouth, Hampshire and Southampton School Library Services, we help to run author events in schools for thousands of children each year. The Bookshop also helps organise and run events for The Portsmouth Festivities and Southampton Children’s Book 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 is a member of the Advisory Panel for the Independent Booksellers Forum within the Booksellers Association and, with her husband Colin, regularly meets with other independent booksellers to share experiences on how to keep small bookshops alive and well in the UK. They are also active in the local community using their event management experience to sponsor and organised the Hayling Island Scarecrow Festivals which ran annually between 2007 and 2012 and attracted thousands of residents and visitors each year.

The Hayling Island Bookshop is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. We offer our customers a wide range of products and services including books, CD’s, DVD’s, educational toys and games, special interest books, audio books and much more.

More than just a bookshop!

Customers may purchase in store:

  • A good selection of general books plus next day ordering service
  • A large selection of books for children
  • Rare and out of print book search
  • A small selection of audio books and full range of book tokens
  • Special selections of books, DVDs and videos about Hayling Island and the local area
  • A selection of Greetings Cards
  • A selection of educational toys and games
  • School supply service (Teachers: please contact us for details and terms)

If we don’t have what you are looking for in store you can order it from us.

Ordering and Delivery Services

We operate an ordering service for books, videos, CD’s, DVD’s, audio tapes, maps, computer software and computer games. Books are usually available the “next day” (in most cases)*

We can also locate out of print or difficult to find books and ship copies from around the world.

For customers who are working during shop opening hours or who are unable to visit to us, we will take orders from this website or by phone. We also offer free delivery on the Island and by arrangement within the surrounding area.