Ruth Jones

Ruth Jones MBE is well known for her television work, most notably BBC One’s multi-award-winning Gavin and Stacey, co-written with James Corden, in which she played Nessa Jenkins. The 2019 and 2024 Christmas specials of this well-loved show garnered viewing figures of 18 million and 21 million respectively. Ruth also created and co-wrote several series of Stella for Sky TV, for which she was BAFTA nominated. Other TV work includes Hattie, Nighty Night and Saxondale. In 2024 Ruth played Mother Superior in Sister Act the Musical at London’s Dominion Theatre. Her latest acting roles are Elena Ravenscroft in the Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben's Run Away and Mrs Bennet in the BBC adaptation of Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister.

Ruth’s novels have sold over a million copies. Never Greener was a Sunday Times bestseller for fifteen weeks, three weeks at number one, as well as WHSmith Fiction Book of the Year 2018, a nominated Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards, and a Zoe Ball Book Club pick. Her second novel, Us Three, and her third novel, Love Untold, were also instant Sunday Times bestsellers. Love Untold was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year, as well as a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Ruth's latest novel is By Your Side

Celebrating Independent Bookshop Week

Ruth Jones picks her favourite indie bookshop

Book-ish in Crickhowell. Image: book-ish.co.uk

Book-ish in Crickhowell is one of those bookshops that’s hard to leave once you’ve wandered in. Emma and her team always seem genuinely interested in helping people find something they’ll love, and the shelves are full of books you don’t see everywhere else. I especially like how connected the shop feels to the town itself, with events and recommendations that make it feel more like a community space than just a shop. I just love it!

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