Green Pastures: Norfolk’s Celebrated Christian Bookshop Champion

Amid a diverse literary landscape, a Christian bookshop in Dereham has achieved a notable accolade by being named one of the 20 “Bookshop Champions” by the Booksellers Association for this year’s Independent Bookshop Week.

Green Pastures stands out as the sole specialist Christian bookseller in Norfolk and Suffolk, having previously garnered the prestigious national “Best Christian Bookshop” award last year.

The Booksellers Association’s selection of champions involved an open submission process among its members, aiming to highlight the wide-ranging and profound contributions of independent bookshops and the foundational values they share.

This year’s Independent Bookshop Week, marking its 20th anniversary, is scheduled for 13-20 June. As part of the festivities, a special poem will be crafted by author Matt Goodfellow.

Helen Cockburn of Green Pastures expressed, “Our bookshop in Dereham is a place of joy for our community. It has become rather like a bookish living room for some of our customers. People drop in and relax. A welcome smile awaits with the offer of a free coffee/tea and a friendly chat. We want people to come in, browse books, and even listen to a story at our listening station in a comfy corner of the shop.

“Please support us during Indie Bookshop Week. We want more people to enjoy reading good books, so give us a shout of encouragement on our socials and drop in. It makes all the difference.”

Emma Bradshaw, the Head of Marketing and Communications at the Booksellers Association, remarked, “We’re honoured to announce Green Pastures as one of our Bookshop Champions, following an open submission process across our membership. The quality of entries made the selection incredibly challenging, and the final selection beautifully reflects the variety, creativity and value independent bookshop bring to readers of all ages.

“We cannot wait to see the fantastic work they do be an integral part of our celebrations.”