A DELIGHTED bookshop owner said there were "whoops of joy" after the shop was awarded bookshop of the month.

Book and gift shop Script Haven on the High Street, Worcester, has been named Bookshop of the Month for November by National Book Tokens which are available in shops across the country.

Script Haven's owner, Leena Batchelor, called the accolade an "honour".

Ms Batchelor said: "This is an incredible honour.

"National Book Tokens are in hundreds of bookshops nationwide and their events newsletter reaches thousands of people across the country.

"To be selected for this is an amazing opportunity and will help raise our profile and the work we're doing to promote the benefits of reading even further."

Ms Batchelor described her team's reaction as one of disbelief. She added: "There were whoops of joy and shouts of disbelief - we had no idea it was coming.

"So to get the email on Thursday (October 31) was a delight."

The news was even more surprising considering the bookshop opened a little over a year ago.

Ms Batchelor said: "Considering we've only been open for 14 months, this is huge.

"After these opening months, we have got used to the rhythms of the year in terms of when retail and our shop in particular is busier.

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"For us, the holiday periods are always busy with families and children but we do regular events too - around three to five every week.

"We support lots of creatives and authors, giving them a prominent position on the High Street."

Script Haven already plans to host Worcester's first dedicated children's literary festival, called Curious Minds, which will run in Easter 2025 from April 13 to 18.

The shop will now feature more heavily on National Book Token's website and social media as a result of the award.

On the criteria for being picked, Ms Batchelor said: "They look at the website and social media of those shops who accept their tokens, and there are many across the country.

"Factors such as making books accessible and keeping reading alive were key to it - we want to get more young people into reading."

UPDATE: The article incorrectly read that Curious Minds was Worcester's first dedicated literary festival. It is Worcester's first dedicated children's literary festival.