Prologue, a new book shop, bar and events space, opens inside Stockport's Weir Mill on Saturday (October 3), with over 350 people already signed up to its membership club and more than 30 book clubs established.
Co-owner Ben Johns, who runs Simply Books in Bramhall with his mother Karen, said the venture fills a gap in the town. “I feel like this is something that Stockport has really been needing,” he said ahead of the opening. “We’ve already had over 350 people sign up to our membership club. We’ve got over 30 different book clubs set up, and spaces have already sold out.”
A new chapter for Weir Mill
The venue is set within the Weir Mill development, near Stockport Interchange, joining the women's-focused sports bar Rita Ray's and wine bar Bodega, with Jane Eyre and Social Trattoria also on the way. The refurbished Grade II listed mill includes 253 loft-style and new-build rental apartments.
Alongside selling books across genres including crime, horror, young adult and cooking, Prologue will operate as a late-night coffee shop and bar, and host events such as book talks, open mics and comedy shows. It will also serve as a meeting space for book clubs, language classes and jazz-infused chess sessions.
Community-focused space
Ben highlighted the demand for specific clubs, saying: “We’ve got a club called Unhinged Women, which caters to a really specific subgenre of contemporary fiction, and we’ve already had to open more of those sessions just because of the demand. It's lovely that we're able to help people find their community here. That's something we've always been big on.”
Simply Books, which the pair took over in 2024, was named the North regional Independent Bookshop of the Year winner in 2025 and was a finalist in the North England category for the Independent Bookshop prize at the British Book Awards 2026.
Day-to-night venue with literary drinks
The space features cubby-hole seating and can be adapted and closed off for specific classes and events. It has its own coffee shop and bar offering wines, beers, cocktails and mocktails with literary themes, plus pastries from Pollen and other local suppliers with seasonal choices.
Drinks include the O’Fashioned, inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray, with Kerrygold-washed Tullamore, honey and thyme; a fig negroni featuring Plymouth gin, campari, fig and walnut, based on The Bell Jar; and a toffee apple mocktail based on Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, featuring Bottivo 0% apple, caramel, ginger and cinnamon.
Ben said the venue is designed for day-to-night operations, staying open until around 9pm each night depending on events. “We have a bar, but it doesn’t specifically cater around alcohol and I think that’s something that’s quite needed everywhere, not just in Stockport. Most people don’t like going to bars on their own, and so I think we can offer a really good alternative to that. We want people to come in, relax with a good book, enjoy one of our events, and just have somewhere to spend their evening without any pressure.”
Upcoming events include talks with gothic romantasy author Adalyn Grace on October 8 and Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James on October 20. Prologue is at Unit 1, Fabric House, Weir Mill, 4 Woodhead Lane, Stockport, SK3 0GS.
