Funding supports Tuam independent bookstore

TUAM’s recently opened bookstore is among the two independently run bookstores in Galway to receive funding under the Community Prize Fund initiative.

Turning Pages on Circular Road is run by a book enthusiast from France, Clémence Blet-Rezzoagli, who chose Galway to be her home and moved here around five years ago.

Clémence always wanted to open her own store and she saw the lack of an independent bookshop in Tuam as an opportunity for her.

Even though she is a fan of fiction and horror, her shop caters for all customers tastes and offers a diverse range of books.

Through this initiative Turning Pages along with the popular Charlie Byrnes Bookstore in Galway will receive a grant of up to €5,000 in support of developing new and engaging activities for the benefit of their local community.

The fund was created in 2025 for Books at One via The One Foundation as a new avenue of support for both independent stores and their surrounding communities.

The aim is to further strengthen the importance of independent bookstores as creative venues for community engagement and connection across the country.

This year the fund has been awarded to 23 bookshops compared to 21 awardees last year.

From storytelling events, creative workshops and youth programmes, The Community Prize Fund helped support a wide variety of different projects, responding to the unique needs of each bookstore’s local community.

Clémence had previously told The Tuam Herald that she was planning to host some book clubs in the community to bring more book enthusiasts together and this fund could be a great support in executing those plans.