A new bookshop, bar and events space called Prologue has opened inside the Weir Mill development in Stockport town centre, right by Stockport Interchange.

It is run by Ben Johns and his mother Karen, who took over Simply Books in Bramhall in 2024. According to the Manchester Evening News, Simply Books was named the North regional winner of Independent Bookshop of the Year in 2025 and was a finalist in the North England category for the Independent Bookshop prize at the British Book Awards 2026.

Prologue held its official opening on Saturday 3 October. Ahead of the launch, Ben Johns told the Manchester Evening News: "I feel like this is something that Stockport has really been needing. 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."

Alongside books across genres including crime, horror, young adult and cooking, the venue works as a coffee shop and bar, and as a space for book talks, open mics, comedy, book clubs, language classes and jazz-infused chess sessions. The drinks list includes literary-themed cocktails and mocktails, such as a fig negroni based on The Bell Jar and a toffee apple mocktail inspired by Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree. Pastries come from Pollen and other local suppliers.

The space is designed to run from day into evening and stays open until around 9pm, 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," Ben said. "Most people don't like going to bars on their own, and so I think we can offer a really good alternative to that."

Upcoming events include a talk with Fifty Shades of Grey author E L James on 20 October.

Prologue joins women's sports bar Rita Ray's and wine bar Bodega at the Grade II listed mill, with Jane Eyre and Social Trattoria due to follow. The development also includes 253 loft-style and new-build rental apartments.

Prologue is at Unit 1, Fabric House, Weir Mill, 4 Woodhead Lane, Stockport, SK3 0GS.

Sources: Manchester Evening News. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.