A brand new guide to Ullapool has just been published called: ‘This is Ullapool.’ This short guide gives the history of the village, a short selection of walks, the geology and also some recommended places to visit in the area.
The book itself is £6.99 and copies are on sale in the shop now. Alternatively if you can’t make it in, please phone or email us and we can arrange to send out copies to you.
01854 612918 / ullapoolbookshop@btconnect.com
Prize Winners announced for the inaugural UW500 (Ullapool Words 500): 30th JULY 2020.
Ullapool Bookshop is delighted and proud to announce that the inaugural winners for the UW500 (Ullapool Words 500) Creative Writing Competition have been declared today. The UW500 was born out of the Coronavirus crisis from a creative writing idea, which would give children and Adults a creative focus during the period of lockdown. In total over 40 entries were received with a large number of entries competing for the prizes in not only the Adults category, but especially the Children’s categories. Ullapool Bookshop Manager and overall administrator of the UW500 Katharine Douglas, said ‘I am thrilled and humbled that so many wonderful short stories were received from not only people living in Ullapool, but also Scoraig, Achiltibuie, Dundonnell, Lochinver and Inverkirkaig. The level of interest just proves that there is a need for the UW500 and I am very grateful to those who made it happen in such a short period of time and during lockdown, when the country was in crisis. We will certainly aim to make this competition an annual event. ’
Adult Judge Stephen Keeler said ‘Literary judges always say that ‘the quality floats to the top,’ and that winning entries usually announce themselves readily and at once. The winning entry in the UW500 did exactly that and therefore was easy to spot. Every single entry had something to commend it. I was delighted to have been asked to be involved in judging the UW500.’
And now on to the winners:
For the Adult Category (500 word short story based on the theme of holidays):
Phil Jones, Lochinver 1st Prize £50 book token
Alastair Cunningham, Ullapool 2nd Prize £30 book token
Kizzy Cochrane, Ullapool 3rd Prize £15 book token
Children’s Category 5-8 years old:
1st Prize (5-8 years old category): £50 book token NIALL MACLEOD
2nd Prize (5-8 years old): £30 book token DANIEL MASON
Children’s 9-18 Category:
1st Prize: £50 book token AMELIE POMEROY-SOOS
Joint 2nd Prize: £30 book token DOUGAL MASTERSON / TACITA ANGELL
Joint 3rd Prize: £15 book token LAILA INGLIS / MARIANNE MACKENZIE
Due to the large number of entries in the 9-18 Category, Katrina Thomson, owner of the Ullapool Bookshop who is supporting the book token prizes, has decided to award 2 x 2nd and 2 x 3rd prizes. ‘because there has been such a large turnout of children in the 9-18 category, we felt it was only right to award 2 additional 2nd and 3rd prizes.’
All of the winning entries will also be published in a short story collection, which will be available from the Ullapool Bookshop in Autumn 2020. The winners will be notified by either phone or email on 30th July and they will each receive a letter confirming their prizes. Thanks are also due to Ullapool Harbour Trust, Ullapool Community Trust (Community Benefit Fund) and Angus Bruce Photography, whose donations will make this publication possible.
Contact: Katharine Douglas, Ullapool Bookshop Manager
01854 612918 (07742 191 210)
ullapoolbookshop@btconnect.com
From Mon 20th July: The Captain’s Cabin will be open Mon – Sat 11am-5pm and Sun 12noon-5pm
From Mon 20th July: Ullapool Bookshop will be open Mon – Sat 10am-5pm (closing for lunch) and Sun 12noon-5pm
We were thrilled to welcome classes from Ullapool Primary School to Ullapool Bookshop on Thursday 5th March. In total 6 different groups come and we had 113 World Book Day vouchers which were redeemed in total in one day, surely a new record for the bookshop. Clearly a lot of effort and thought had gone into the day, we saw some fabulous outfits from teachers and children alike and the final group were even treated to storytime from the Bookshop Manager too! Here are a couple of photos from the day. 
ULLAPOOL BOOKSHOP WELCOMES
WORLD BOOK DAY ON THURSDAY 5TH MARCH
REDEEM YOUR WORLD BOOK DAY TOKEN AT THE ULLAPOOL BOOKSHOP FROM THURSDAY 27TH FEBRUARY-SUNDAY 29TH MARCH.
When you get your book token, all you need to do is to take it to your local bookshop, where there are TWELVE exclusive, new and completely FREE World Book Day books. Or, if you’d prefer, you can use your book token to get £1 off any full price book instead. And if you’d rather get an audiobook, that’s fine too! It’s your choice, just as long as the book or audiobook costs at least £2.99
Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm / Sunday 10am-5pm / 
01854-612918
The 2019 Highland Book Prize saw over 80 books by 50 different publishers submitted and reviewed by a panel of 105 volunteer readers comprised of industry professionals and avid readers.
We are delighted to be able to reveal the books on the shortlist for the 2019 Highland Book Prize. They are:
The Frayed Atlantic Edge: A Historian?s Journey from Shetland to the Channel by David Gange (William Collins)
Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie (Sort of Books)
Spring by Ali Smith (Penguin Random House)
Moder Dy by Roseanne Watt (Polygon)
Author / photographer visit:
I was thrilled to have an unexpected visit from Author and Landscape Photographer Colin Prior today at the Ullapool Bookshop. It was a real privilege to talk to him about the Bookshop, his landscape Calendars and also to hear a little bit about 2 new books which are in the pipeline. Thanks for stopping by Colin,? and it was lovely to chat to you and to show you our bookshop.
Our online shop has now been updated with lots of new items for sale. Please do pay us a visit!
Today the longlist has been announced for the 2019 Highland Book Prize which will be awarded at the 2020 Ullapool Book Festival.
The Highland Book Prize 2019 Longlist:
Once again the Ullapool Bookshop is celebrating the Winter Lights switch on here in Ullapool, with a special event. On Thursday 28th November, we will be hosting a Poetry and Shopping evening in the bookshop from 5.30pm-7.30pm. Local poet Stephen Keeler will be giving a personal poetry reading for 5-10min every half hour throughout the event (from 6pm onwards) and wine, soft drinks and canapes will be served to all guests. The poetry readings will be taken from 4 of the ‘Poems instead of a card,’ poetry pamphlets published by Candlestick Press.
We also have been donated a beautiful Christmas Spirit (the most recent Candlestick Press Christmas publication) mug, which will be raffled as a prize on the evening for one lucky recipient.
Please do join us and shop locally for some wonderful Christmas books, gift wrap, Christmas cards and a few lovely book gifts too.
Thank you.