The Bookshop Band

BACK FOR 2025!

The award winning Bookshop Band came to life as an artistic collaboration with their local bookshoop Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in 2010. They write and perform songs inspired by books and released 13 book-inspired albums collaborating with over 100 authors, including Philip Pullman, Louis de Bernieres and Margaret Atwood.

Between them Beth Porter and Ben Please bring the books to the stage along with a multitude of instruments, including cello, harmonium, glockenspiel, guitars and ukuleles which, along with their distinct voices, create a cinematic sound that draws the audience right in to a highly intimate performance, at once touching and mesmerizing, heart wrenching and funny. No previous knowledge of the books is required as the band guide the audience through the stories behind each song’s inspiration.

The band have toured extensively around the UK, Europe, Canada and America, and are equally at home in a bookshop or literary festival, an arts centre, in a folk club or on a festival main-stage. They have been commissioned by the BBC, The V&A, and most recently by Aardman Animations to compose the music and songs for their Oscar and BAFTA Nominated musical Robin Robin, with the band earning an Ivor Novello Award nomination for their score. For the last three years The Bookshop Band have been working with Pete Townshend (The Who) on their 14 studio album, due for release late 2023.

Beth has performed and recorded with Peter Gabriel, The Proclaimers and is part of The Lost Words Spell Songs alongside musicians including Karine Polwart, Kris Drever and Julie Fowlis. The band are now based in Wigtown, Scotland’s Book Town.

“I am enchanted, such variation and delicacy…
such latent power, really great work. It reminded me of my days listening to Sandy Denny and Fairport [Convention] and The Incredible String Band… – a great discovery and inspiration.”

Pete Townshend, The Who

“The band are great!
If I had a bookshop I’d stock all their albums.”

Margaret Atwood

“It’s a modern day Twinkle meets fairytale-land for adults. You’ll be smitten.”

BBC 6Music