Serenity Booksellers expands to Stockport after two years, building on the success of their Romiley store.
Chris and Kelly Willocks own Serenity Booksellers. They first opened in Romiley in April 2023. It quickly became popular and people love the store’s clubs and signings.
Big names visited the shop, including Alex Williams, Martin Hibbert, Tawseef Khan, and Peter James. Kate Mosse, a literary star, visited too.
Chris and Kelly opened a second store in Stockport town center late last year. Locals already love it.
Both stores have many books. They sell children’s books, fiction, and non-fiction books. The shops host writing and poetry groups, plus kids enjoy story time and they also have a book club each month.
Kelly said the community support is amazing. She loves talking about books, plus people find new authors at events and in book clubs. She enjoys connecting people with new reads.
Chris and Kelly are excited about Stockport and want to see it thrive. Stockport has a new park, and a council program will help it grow, plus they plan new homes and offices, and restaurants and bars are becoming renowned.
Chris worked in corporate management before. He said Stockport has energy and many new faces are becoming regulars and he enjoys meeting them.
Opening a bookshop was a worry at first because so many buy books online. Supermarkets also sell them, so they were concerned.
Kelly has retail experience in Australia, so they researched the UK market. They found people still prefer physical books, as e-books exist, but books are still desired. People love supporting local businesses that offer value, so they want to ensure people return to Serenity Booksellers.
Their events often sell out fast, plus authors sign copies at the shop. Next year, they will co-host a crime fiction festival called Stockport Noir 2026.
The events feature many authors. Louise Hegarty, John Ironmonger, and Jess Kidd are coming, and Adelle Stripe and Nussaibah Younis are attending. Jonny Sweet will also appear at the stores to mark the Murder Squad anniversary, which celebrates crime writers.
The event takes place May 21 at Stockport Masonic Guildhall. Six crime fiction writers will attend, including Ann Cleeves, Martin Edwards, and Chris Simms. They will have a panel and a Q&A session and book signings will also be happening.
Kelly hopes the shops spark joy and she wants people to love reading. She wants a community space in Stockport where people can chat and browse books, attend events for all ages, and book clubs and writing groups can gather.
The Romiley shop’s address is SK6 4EA, while the Stockport shop is at SK1 1UD.