After a nine-month absence, Waterstones is returning to Kingston.

More specifically, the booksellers will reopen their store at the Bentall Centre in town after the shopping hub underwent a months-long refurbishment.

Waterstones said that the new and improved site will officially open this weekend, "with children’s favourite Peter Rabbit cutting the ribbon on Saturday October 5 at 12pm."

A spokesperson for the nationwide bookstore chain said that Waterstones Kingston will be hosting book launches, signings and events in the future, "to give readers of all ages the opportunity to meet favourite authors".

The booksellers also plan to run book groups, quizzes, board game nights in-store.

Jennifer Shenton and Natalya Chapman, Bookshop Managers at Waterstones Kingston, will lead a bookselling team of twenty, with ten new bookselling roles created at the 12,000 sq ft bookshop.

"It’s a real joy to be bringing our bookshop back to the Bentall Centre, and in such style," Ms Shenton, who previously worked at Teddington Waterstones, said.

"I’ve been Bookshop Manager at a number of Waterstones shops across London but there is something particularly satisfying and exciting about coming back to re-open my local shop.

"We want our bookshop to be an inspiring place for all our book lovers and to act as a creative hub for the local community.

"I hope to see some familiar faces from my Teddington days!" She added.

Among the immediately obvious improvements in the new store are an expanded children's section and in-store cafe.

"By day Waterstones’ new bookshop cafe will offer speciality coffee, locally sourced cakes and handmade sandwiches and salads, whilst in the evening customers can choose from a menu of charcuterie and cheese plates and a specially selected range of wine and beer," a spokesperson said.