New month-long books and culture festival coming to High Peak

Bookstock will be taking over the High Peak Bookstore and Cafe from Saturday April, 22 until May, 20.

The new festival is the brian child of book shop owner Louisa McPhie.

She said: “Ever since I took over the bookstore I had a vision and a dream to put on something which brings people together and celebrates locals artists and writers and for the shop to become a creative hub.”Louisa says she has been organising Bookstock since last autumn and is now excited to see all her hard work pay off.

She said: “Everything has to start somewhere and this year is the first year but in five years time I want to be the festival that authors add to their book tours and that becomes a date in the calendar that people make time for.”Throughout the next month there will be nightly performances from bands and at weekends there will be author visits.

And Louisa is paying all of her acts for performing, just like a real festival.

She explained: “I know some places would have bands play for exposure but I wanted to support the talent we have here and further afield.

“Also I’ve mixed up the acts so while most of them are folksy music there are also some different performances such as a flute quartet and vintage songs with tap dancing.

“I want to use Bookstock to expand people’s horizons and give them music they may not have heard before.”Louisa, although nervous about the inaugural festival she says the reception has already been promising and has had to re print the programmes as they have flown out.

She said: “For me it will be a success if every band has an audience and every author has some one to read to.

The cafe will be open in the evening serving food for the first time at night and there will also be food trucks popping up at the Brierlow Bar, venue in Buxton.

The full line and tickets can be viewed at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/highpeakbookstoreandcafe although tickets can be bought on the door as well.

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