Sussex

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="600" height="600" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/kelly_chapter34_SQ.png" alt="Kelly Wickson, owner of Chapter 34 bookshop in Sussex" class="wp-image-85180" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/kelly_chapter34_SQ.png 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/kelly_chapter34_SQ-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/kelly_chapter34_SQ-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit: Petra Harrington</figcaption></figure>



We&#8217;re always on at the kids to read but when was the last time you found the time to lose yourself in a great book? In a world of tattered attention spans, mental exhaustion, and the temptations of doom scrolling, it&#8217;s easy to fall out of the habit. 



Enter Shoreham-on-Sea&#8217;s <a href="https://www.chapter34.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chapter 34</a>. The shelves of this indie bookshop are stacked with reasons to rediscover the joy of reading but if you need more, try reduced stress, improved sleep and a sharper mind. The store celebrates its third birthday this autumn, but owner and founder Kelly Wickson isn&#8217;t one for resting laurels. Instead, she&#8217;s celebrating by launching a fresh way to help us reconnect with this most vital act of self-care: <a href="https://www.chapter34retreats.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chapter 34 Retreats</a>. 



The first takes place in Finland&#8217;s Hawkhill Nature &amp; Wilderness resort this October. Spanning five contemplative days, the itinerary includes two book club sessions, guided forest walks, shared meals, and unstructured time for full immersion in the restorative landscape. Readers stay in cabins with private saunas, wood burners, and lake views from peaceful terraces. (We&#8217;re already feeling calmer!) 



Keen to learn more and pick up tips about how to get back into the habit of reading, we tracked down Kelly. She also shared which upcoming novel she&#8217;s currently most excited about and why books are great for body and soul both. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/reading_book_cushion.png" alt="Open book on cushions" class="wp-image-85182" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/reading_book_cushion.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/reading_book_cushion-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/reading_book_cushion-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/reading_book_cushion-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



How did you get into the book business?



Although I have always enjoyed reading, the business of books is actually a pretty new adventure for me. About 18 years ago, after being made redundant from a corporate job, I started a wedding business, chauffeuring brides in my 1965 Beetle, Belle. That grew into Belle&#8217;s Events, a vintage wedding fair business, and I also ran vintage markets at Spitalfields for a while.&nbsp;



After the pandemic, I was ready for a fresh start. On a trip to Margate, I wandered into The Margate Bookshop and had one of those lightbulb moments: Shoreham-by-Sea needed a bookshop. So I started looking for the perfect space, somewhere with room for events too. It turned out that I was right and the local community has supported us from day one.&nbsp;



What makes Chapter 34 stand out?



How the books are arranged is something we’re constantly being praised for, rather than fiction and non-fiction, we have categories such as ‘Nostalgic Narritives’, ‘Bonds that Bind’, ‘Natures Narrative’ and ‘Dark Matter’. Within these categories are fiction and non-fiction books, customers tell us they often find something they wouldn’t usually have picked up. 



We also have an event space above the shop which is home to a children’s reading group, regular poetry, art classes, an Italian class, pilates, yoga and most recently vagal toning sessions.



What’s the best part about owning a bookshop? And the worst?&nbsp;



Best – the community we have created.&nbsp;



Worst – I don’t have time to read everything I’d like to.&nbsp;



Where did the idea for reading retreats come from?&nbsp;



Retreats were always part of the plan, it was just a matter of when. They&#8217;re pretty much an extension of our beautiful independent bookshop, taking what already happens inside the bookshop and carrying it into landscapes where time slows down and conversations can deepen.&nbsp;



We currently have six book clubs at Chapter 34, one of the most popular, our ‘Nature Nurturer’s Book Club’ is run by Carmen, my right-hand woman. With Carmen’s passion for nature writing, my previous event work, and of course the opportunity for guests to step away from the strains of everyday life, the concept developed.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/books_woods.png" alt="Woodland mini libraries" class="wp-image-85181" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/books_woods.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/books_woods-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/books_woods-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/books_woods-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



What can people expect from the experience?&nbsp;



Guests will be catered for in true Finnish style and staying in cosy, stylish cabins built from local materials, nestled in the woodland beside the lake.



Of course, we have two book clubs planned. Guests will receive the first book club read at the end of August, giving everyone plenty of time to enjoy it before we head to Finland. Our second book club, on the final evening, will focus on a novella that will be waiting by their bed on arrival.



The itinerary also includes a fascinating conservation walk exploring bog plants, berries, ecosystems, and the myths and history of the landscape, mushroom foraging, and a traditional sauna ceremony. Of course, there will be plenty of time to simply sit back, relax, and read in the beautiful surroundings of Nuuksio National Park.



Why Finland? And do you have a favourite book set there?&nbsp;



I love Finland. I&#8217;m a huge Tove Jansson fan, and the Moomins have been a big part of my life. Add the saunas, the lakes, the forests and the incredible food, and there was nowhere else I wanted to take our first retreat. When I went to visit back in February, the surroundings and cabins won me over.



What kind of feedback have you received?&nbsp;



Everyone who has heard about Chapter 34 Retreats has been so enthusiastic. Of course, we have a few people from our existing community joining us but we still have four spaces available for Finland and a huge list of people waiting for news about the second retreat which will be taking place in the UK next April. The plan is to host 3-4 reading retreats per year.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/finland_readingretreat.png" alt="Forest resort in Finland" class="wp-image-85185" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/finland_readingretreat.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/finland_readingretreat-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/finland_readingretreat-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/finland_readingretreat-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/finland_readingretreat-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hawkhill Nature &amp; Wilderness, Finland</figcaption></figure>



We know that reading is vital for kids but why should we keep up the habit as adults?&nbsp;



Simple, it’s meditation, it’s information, it’s down time, it’s self-care. Let’s be honest, it’s joy.&nbsp;



We hear a fair bit about the psychological benefits of reading – do you reckon it’s good for the body as well as the soul?&nbsp;



Absolutely I do, it’s proven to reduce stress, to improve sleep and to sharpen the brain. What I have witnessed with the benefit of coming together to talk about books at book clubs and events we run here at the shop is extraordinary. Books not only start conversations, they create friendships and communities.&nbsp;



Technology (and life!) has left a lot of people struggling to find the time and concentration required to get properly lost in a book. What do you advise?&nbsp;



Start slowly. Making time to read for just 15 minutes each day will soon help you get back into the habit. I have one rule for reading, if you don’t like it, don’t finish it! Life is too short and there are so many excellent books out there.&nbsp;



I tend to leave my phone in another room, it really helps. There are so many great book clubs around, try one, you never know, you might love it. And of course, you could book yourself onto our retreat!



Is there a book or type of book that I recommend to people who are trying to find their way back to reading?&nbsp;



No, because everyone is different. What I do tell people to do is avoid books that intimidate them. At Chapter 34 we have staff recommendation shelves, I have been known to ask inquisitive readers to look at these and tell me which shelf appeals to them most then talk them through each book until we find one that appeals to them.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/meg_mason_novel.png" alt="Meg Mason audiobook jacket" class="wp-image-85184" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/meg_mason_novel.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/meg_mason_novel-800x800.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/meg_mason_novel-400x400.png 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/meg_mason_novel-768x768.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2026/07/meg_mason_novel-500x500.png 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Tell us about your own reading. What forthcoming title are you most excited about?&nbsp;



We are lucky enough to have an abundance of advance publishers&#8217; proofs sent to us at Chapter 34 and I recently read Sophie Standing There by Meg Mason, author of Sorrow &amp; Bliss, which sits on my recommendations shelf. I’m very much looking forward to its publication in August so I can start telling everyone to read it – it&#8217;s funny and heartbreaking, and I think it will resonate with so many readers. 



Is there a book you reread regularly?&nbsp;



No. I’m not that person, but I am a bit jealous of people who do reread.&nbsp;



Do you have a favourite place to read?&nbsp;



Bed. My own or a sun bed by a pool.



And finally, your current read?&nbsp;



The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett.



You can find the full itinerary for Chapter 34&#8217;s Finland Reading Retreat, along with everything else you need to know, on their <a href="https://www.chapter34retreats.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>.



Chapter 34 is proud to be part of <a href="https://www.thesundayletterproject.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Sunday Letter Project</a>. 



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