Celebrating Independent Bookshop Week
Huw Aaron picks his favourite indie bookshop
Cant a Mil, Cardiff
When I was a child, I couldn’t get enough of comics – from Beano to Dandy to Asterix and Tintin, it felt like I was surrounded by amazing stories to choose and immerse myself in. Fast forward to 2026 and I believe we’re once again in a golden age of children’s comic books and I’m so proud to have contributed some titles to the growing number of graphic novels and comic books available now.
The role of booksellers has been a huge part of this graphic novel boom – from personal recommendations to hand-selling at events. And most importantly giving customers the time and opportunity: to pick up a book, to flick through the pictures, to read the last page, to chew on the corners. And make a book choice based on all the senses, and not just pixels on a screen.
Cant a Mil, my incredible local independent in Cardiff, have been an amazing example of the impact a passionate and knowledgable bookseller can be, welcoming readers in both English and Welsh and guiding them towards finding exactly the right next read. The support they’ve shown my books throughout my career has been fantastic and now I’m delighted to support them during IBW 2026.
