The Paper Cat in Herne Hill celebrates its second birthday and is shortlisted for Children’s Bookseller of the Year

The Paper Cat Children’s bookshop, opened its doors on 25 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill in September 2024 and has fast become a fixture of the local community. Co-owners, Lesley …

Aug 6, 2026 - 14:19

The Paper Cat in Herne Hill celebrates its second birthday and is shortlisted for Children’s Bookseller of the Year

The Paper Cat Children’s bookshop, opened its doors on 25 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill in September 2024 and has fast become a fixture of the local community.

Co-owners, Lesley Preston, Frann Preston-Gannon and Anja Stobbart, are excited to celebrate the book shop’s upcoming second birthday on Saturday 19th September.

This celebration is extra special as 2026 has seen the shop shortlisted for Children’s Bookseller of the Year at The British Book Awards and also allocated the Penguin Random House Bookshop Grant as part of The National Year of Reading.

The grant means the shop can fulfil its aim to give free books to children from schools with high pupil premium numbers alongside organised author visits. Some feedback from one local school really summed up the importance of the grant and work of The Paper Cat:

‘Our Reception children felt incredibly lucky and valued, and parents were genuinely touched by such kindness.

Every child now has a beautiful book to enjoy at home that they can relate to, and they have the unforgettable memory of meeting a real-life illustrator.’

The Paper Cat team will mark the shop’s birthday with a celebration that includes goodie bags, balloons and live music, alongside a raffle and the chance to win a fabulous book bundle! The date is also the perfect time, post summer holidays to jump into the autumn term and see many local faces again after the school break.

“We feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a lovely community and love to kick off the autumn with our birthday celebration – we like to think it’s something for our customers to look forward to and help with the transition from summer to autumn.” Anja Stobbart, Co-owner

“Paper Cat, like so many bookshops, is run by the warmest, most enthusiastic team, who spend the day with perma-smiles etched on their faces. Their kindness, and excitement to be around books, is contagious.” said Nate Lessore, children’s author.