Bookery Manchester

Bookery Manchester (often called The Bookery) is an independent bookstore, gift shop and cafe in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. It opened in 2018 with a stated vision that "every community deserves places where people can gather," and it has since become a local gathering place combining bookselling with events, gifts, puzzles and games. The store is open every day from 8:30am to 7:00pm and describes itself as "Manchester's Independent Bookstore." The shop's core offer is a constantly evolving inventory of books: new releases, up-and-coming independent authors, and backlist titles, supported by bookseller recommendations. Beyond books, Bookery Manchester sells cards and gifts with a literary flair — candles, mugs, accessories and stickers — as well as non-book gifts, puzzles and party games, including tabletop role-playing games. A cafe component is part of the format, reflected in the store's own description as a "Bookstore, Gift Shop & Cafe." Programming is central to the brand. The store hosts weekly events including author visits, live music, storytimes, political visits and workshops, and it runs a monthly book club on the third Thursday at 6pm, with a 20% discount on the club's selected book. Children's programming includes Saturday storytime at 11:30am under the store's tree and a reading-themed BINGO card that rewards kids with a prize. The store also invites authors and creators to request events. The physical space is deliberately designed for comfort and wonder: a welcoming couch around a fireplace, a reading tree in the children's room, and whimsical flying books overhead. The store's own history credits Liz Hitchcock with bringing the original vision to life in 2018, Liz Cipriano with shaping the early book collection, and Cassie Doran with strengthening and expanding the store through and after the COVID-19 period, helping establish it as one of New Hampshire's enduring independent bookstores. The team page lists Liz as founder/dreamer and Cassie as manager, alongside booksellers and an event coordinator. Bookery Manchester is a private, independent retail business rather than a chain or listed company. Its identity is closely tied to Manchester's community: in the store's words, "The real story of The Bookery is, and always has been, the community that gathers inside it."

Bookery Manchester opened in 2018 in Manchester, New Hampshire, founded by Liz Hitchcock, who brought what the store describes as "the entrepreneurial optimism and knowledge that Manchester deserved." The founding vision was simple and community-oriented: every community deserves places where people can gather, where curiosity, conversation and connection are encouraged, and where visitors can lose track of time in what the store calls its "community living room." The physical design reflected that intent from the start, with a welcoming couch gathered around a fireplace, a reading tree tucked into the children's room, and whimsical flying books overhead, all intended to create a sense of comfort, delight and wonder. In the early years, Liz Cipriano brought her love of independent bookstores to the project and helped shape the store's book collection. Together, these contributions formed the foundation of The Bookery. The store's own account then describes the arrival of COVID-19 as a difficult chapter that only reinforced why places like The Bookery matter. As the store evolved, Cassie Doran took the original vision and made it even stronger by listening to the community's needs and expanding the offering. Cassie helped establish The Bookery as one of New Hampshire's enduring independent bookstores while ensuring it remained much more than a store: it flourished into a place for conversations and clubs, author talks, community gatherings, a platform for local artists, and countless small interactions that transform neighbors into friends. By the mid-2020s the store operated as a combined bookstore, gift shop and cafe, open every day from 8:30am to 7:00pm, with a team that includes the founder, a manager, booksellers and an event coordinator. Its programming calendar features weekly events such as author visits, live music, storytimes, political visits and workshops; a monthly book club on the third Thursday at 6pm with a 20% discount on the club's selected book; and children's activities including Saturday storytime at 11:30am and a reading-themed BINGO card. The store also accepts event requests from authors and creators. In its own telling, The Bookery eventually stopped belonging to any one person and came to belong to Manchester, with the community that gathers inside it as the real story.

• 2020

  COVID-19 presents a difficult chapter that reinforces the store's community role.

• 2018

  Bookery Manchester opens in Manchester, New Hampshire, founded by Liz Hitchcock.

• 2018

  Liz Cipriano joins the early years, helping shape the store's book collection.

• Cassie Doran expands the store's vision and helps establish it as one of New Hampshire's enduring independent bookstores.

• Monthly book club established, meeting the third Thursday at 6pm with 20% off the club's selected book.

• Saturday kids storytime at 11:30am and a reading-themed BINGO card become regular children's programming.

Independent community bookstore, gift shop and cafe positioned as Manchester's 'community living room' with a strong events and local-gathering focus.

• Books

  A constantly evolving inventory from hot new releases to up-and-coming independent authors and backlist titles.

• Cards & Gifts

  Candles, mugs, accessories, stickers and more with a literary flair, plus non-book-related gifts.

• Puzzles & Games

  Classic and new puzzles and party games, including tabletop role-playing games.

• Cafe

  Cafe component reflected in the store's 'Bookstore, Gift Shop & Cafe' identity.

1. 1Bookery Manchester | Bookstore, Gift Shop & Cafebookerymht.com
2. 2Meet the Team — Bookery Manchester | Bookstore, Gift Shop & Cafebookerymht.com
3. 3Kids Storytimes & BINGO — Bookery Manchester | Bookstore, Gift Shop & Cafebookerymht.com
4. 4The Bookery's Story — Bookery Manchester | Bookstore, Gift Shop & Cafebookerymht.com
5. 5Bookery Manchesterwikidata.org