A west Wales bookshop has been championed for its vital contribution to cultural life.

Gwisgo Bookworm in Aberaeron was named in an unprecedented new report investigating the vital role bookshops play in Wales.

Gwisgo featured in the Booksellers Association report, which discovered “significant growth” since 2017 - Wales now being home to 116 bookshops, including 64 independent.

Niki and Karen, who run Gwisgo, were highlighted for their contributions to local community and cultural life, after the report found all 116 bookshops run activities and events, many absorbing the cost themselves.

Niki and Karen launched Gŵyl Llyfrau Aberaeron Book Festival in 2018 to uplift the many Welsh and English language writers in west Wales.

They bring together writers and publishers through free events - the pair simply aiming to break even.

The festival hosts upwards of forty authors across two days, hosting events such as one-to-one ‘meet the publisher’ sessions for aspiring writers and 90-minute writing workshops.

The pair describe the festival as “an expression of thanks to local people who support us the whole time”.

The report found three quarters of booksellers called for better access to grants to support community engagement, but the same number reported time as a barrier to applying for funding.

The cultural contributions recorded in the report include fostering children’s literacy and reading for pleasure, supporting libraries and local charities, acting as a cornerstone for Welsh language, and acting as trusted cultural and community hubs.

Karen said: “We’ve become an important part of the community - we have younger people working out what they like - we help broaden their horizons.

“We have older people for whom it's an important part of their week to pop in.”

Launched at the Senedd on 21 January, the report called for a Culture Voucher Scheme for 16-21-year-olds, similar to other successful European models.