In pictures: Bognor Regis bookshop unleashes the magic of fiction, with talk from New York Times bestselling author

Billed as a celebration of the life-changing power of books, the day featured a range of cosplayers and props designed to bring fan-favourite fictional worlds to life.Alongside a city guardsman inspired by Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels and video game super soldier Master Chief, was a violin-wielding witch, and a red shirt plucked straight from the Starship Enterprise. Joining in on the fun was a bright red dalek, a Back to the Future DeLorean, and the mystical sword in the stone – primed for anyone brave enough to try it.

New to this year was a talk by New York Times Bestselling author AJ West, author of The Betrayal of Thomas True, who conducted a Q and A session with curious leaders.

“I’ve been following Heygates online for nearly three years and just admiring the shop from afar, but never quite managing to get here,” he said. “So when I started organising my tour for The Betrayal of Thomas True, this is a bookshop that I knew I had to come to. I’ll be visiting up to 100 independent bookshops all over the United Kingdom, but there’s a smattering that I absolutely knew, 100 per cent, I needed to visit and Jason’s is one of them.

"It epitomises the joy of the independent bookshop; it’s quirky, eccentric, it’s got character and it gives a personal service to the reader.”

It’s sometimes difficult for businesses to live up to the social media version of themselves but, in this regard, Mr West said Heygates has nothing to worry about: the shop was everything he imagined and more.

“I think a lot of people – children and adults alike – are intimidated by the idea of reading a novel,” he explained. “But what’s so brilliant about Jason and this bookshop is that he makes books and reading fun and surprising and filled with joy. As they are and as they should be. I can’t imagine anyone walking into this shop and being made to feel unwelcome or unworthy of the books on the shelves.”