An independent Stoke-on-Trent business has been nominated as the West Midlands 'Bookshop of the Year' 2026.

Vellichor Books in Piccadilly Arcade, Hanley has received the recognition from My Local Awards West Midlands 2026.

My Local Awards celebrates local businesses which are nominated by the community, with winners selected via a public vote.

Mitch Hughes, director of Vellichor Books, said it is "exciting" to be nominated in a category with competition from across the West Midlands.

He said: "It's really nice to be nominated for something like this and to be known about on that sort of scale.

"It's huge for me and means a lot for the shop."

Alongside selling books, the store – which opened in 2024 - regularly hosts a wide variety of events from Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer evenings to life drawing classes and ghost hunts.

Mitch explained that the shop tries to offer "a bit of something for everyone".

As well as the events and books on offer, Mitch believes that the community that he has built over the last two and a half years is also key to the shop's success.

"We sell new and second-hand books, but I think what makes us really special is the community around the shop," Mitch said.

"I have made a lot of friends just by being here, and a lot of friends have become volunteers, which helped me massively."

He added: "For smaller businesses, the best way forward is to create that community because they want to see it thrive, and they're invested in it.

"I think that's important too, because the High Street isn't the same as it used to be. And we're not in London; we can't rely on just being there.

"We have got to do something special to stand out and I think offering just a little bit extra does help.

"It gives a people a chance to be proud of something and belong somewhere as well."

The winners of My Local Awards West Midlands 2026 will be announced 20 October.

To find out more about Vellichor Books, visit the website here.