The Bookshop Band was formed in 2010 by three songwriter friends; Beth Porter, Poppy Pitt and Ben Please, as a collaboration with their local independent bookshop, Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, in Bath. The bookshop was looking to add a new and exciting angle to their author events programme, and so the band was tasked with writing and performing songs at the start of each event. In each case the songs were written especially for the event and were inspired by the work of the visiting author.