THE founder of a well-known Malvern bookshop has died aged 77.

Jenny Morgan set up the Amnesty Bookshop in Edith Walk, off Bellevue Terrace, 15 years ago.

The shop raises funds for the human rights charity of the same name and is now staffed by volunteers.

“Her tact and diplomacy were outstanding,” said Lorna Cartledge, a worker at the shop.

"She made all volunteers feel that their contribution, however small, was valued. She seemed so gentle, but she actually had a core of steel.”

Mrs Morgan's family moved to Cowleigh Road in Malvern from Birmingham in 1986.

She set up the shop in 1999 with son Owen having been motivated by a strong belief to challenge human rights abuses around the world.

They also wanted to expand Malvern’s range of book-buying opportunities.

“The bookshop has become a significant attraction for visitors to the town,” said shop volunteer Sue Wolfendale.

“It’s part of what we can offer tourists.”

Mrs Morgan’s passion for the written word extended to writing her own fiction.

Her historical murder mystery for children, “Wind from the Sea” was shortlisted for the Welsh Arts Council’s prestigious Tir na nOg Prize (corr) in 2003 and was commended for its “engaging and sensitive approach” to challenging subjects.

She also played a key role in the development of the National Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital in the West Midlands, a pressure group which succeeded in introducing unrestricted visiting for children throughout the country.

In her youth, Mrs Morgan had been an enthusiastic pilot, flying the Thruxton Jackeroo, a biplane converted from the de Havilland Tiger Moth.

She died after a long illness earlier this week and is survived by her husband Elfed, her children Tabitha and Owen, and by her much loved grandson Edward.

Her funeral will take place on Wednesday, April 9 at St James' Church in West Malvern.