In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?When Sarah Mullen was asked to set up a children’s book festival in a leafy suburb of Birmingham in 2012, she couldn’t find an independent bookseller to run the bookstall. “So we all rolled up our sleeves and did it ourselves,” she says. Pregnant with her third child, she had recently given up her job as a solicitor to work for the Bournville Village Trust. Mullen’s task was to set up the Bournville BookFest, which ran for 10 years before being brought to a halt by the Covid pandemic. But far from accepting defeat, she rolled up her sleeves once again and “pivoted the whole thing into a bookshop”. Two years on, the Bookshop on the Green is thriving – a living rebuttal to the once widely held idea that the digital era meant certain death for the neighbourhood bookstore.When I visit early on a Friday morning, a turquoise vintage Smith Corona typewriter holds centre stage in the Bookshop on the Green. Beside it stands Bradley Taylor, a poet whose job is to write poems on demand for anyone who asks. He has composed a lot of Batman and football poems for the children who pile in on Saturdays, he says, before sitting down to tap one out for me about the joy of bookshops. In the multitasking tradition of small retailers, Taylor also works in the shop. He made his cosplay debut last month as the... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2023-07-27 09:00:32 UTC ]
Walker has acquired a middle grade adventure story set in Cornwall from the Sunday Times chief travel writer Chris Haslam, writing as C J Haslam. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-28 02:47:59 UTC ]
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Nearly 200 participants, including a distinguished roster of children’s book authors, gathered on November 16 in Manhattan to discuss how faith and art inform each other, during "Walking on Water: The Madeleine L'Engle Conference." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A new bookshop has been opened in Farnham, Surrey, as a “gift” to say thank you to the town. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-24 14:46:01 UTC ]
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Peter Spier’s take on The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night is full of mischief and beauty. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2019-11-21 12:30:01 UTC ]
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John Lewis' Christmas advert has come under fire as author and former bookseller Jen Campbell highlighted the similarities between the advert and her children’s book Franklin’s Flying Bookshop (Thames & Hudson). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-18 10:24:18 UTC ]
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A bookshop that runs independently Meanwhile, Amazon keeps shittin’ on us endlessly Essentially, the rent keeps rising relentlessly Let the tourists come around, go on a spending spree Stop by, exchange ideas, sip some coffee There will be a cultural revolution in this city Enter me, the Drama... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-12 21:44:15 UTC ]
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ANN PATCHETT IS an American writer and independent bookseller who has authored eight novels, three books of nonfiction, co-authored a children’s book, and edited two books of essays. Her latest novel is The Dutch House, which was released this September. Patchett has received numerous awards and... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2019-11-12 20:00:45 UTC ]
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Another Story Bookshop is focused on social justice and diversity, continuing the mission its founder established over 30 years ago. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-11-09 10:00:11 UTC ]
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Who doesn’t love an independent bookshop? Think of the Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail! Think of the Travel Book Co. in Notting Hill! Embryo Concepts in Funny Face! Black Books from the British sitcom of the same name! Think of the real brick-and-mortar bookshop in your own community.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-08 19:34:19 UTC ]
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Publishers in many countries are finding success with nonfiction children’s books that offer illustrated explanations of complex concepts. The post Agent Stephanie Barrouillet: Nonfiction Leads Global Children’s Book Scene appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-11-04 06:30:22 UTC ]
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One of Yang Hongying's most successful series now is 12 years old and has sold more than 70 million copies. Her total unit sales exceed 160 million units. The post Yang Hongying: One of China’s Bestselling Children’s Book Authors appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-11-01 05:30:25 UTC ]
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On this All Hallow’s Eve eve, let Benjamin Percy, who has the most notable voice in American letters (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, smash that play button), lull you to sleep with a reading of the surprisingly controversial classic children’s book Goodnight Moon, which he posted on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-30 15:15:53 UTC ]
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Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine EvaristoSince studying Lara as a student, I have been a fan of Bernardine Evaristo’s work, and am delighted to see her win the Booker Prize this year. Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of twelve black characters with different backgrounds and experiences, most... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2019-10-30 09:49:28 UTC ]
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Independent bookshop Telling Tales has moved aboard a purpose-built canal boat to roam through London's canals and beyond. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-30 00:02:15 UTC ]
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The soon-to-launch platform aims to give booksellers an edge against the e-tail giant. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Beano has launched a new book subscription service for children offering newly published books across a wide range of authors and genres. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-23 16:43:46 UTC ]
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Almost 6,000 copies of Girl, Woman, Other sold in the week after Evaristo’s win alongside Margaret AtwoodBernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other more than doubled its lifetime sales in the week following its Booker prize win, with joint winner The Testaments by Margaret Atwood also flying off... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-10-22 16:25:45 UTC ]
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The only store in Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, to exclusively sell new books will open on 26th October. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-21 06:24:17 UTC ]
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The head of Otava Publishing, one of Finland’s largest books beasts as well as an owner of its biggest bookshop chain, says the domestic market has been ‘bipolar’—but reckons new formats present a massive opportunity for brave publishers. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-18 03:01:17 UTC ]
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Puffin has acquired the first children’s book from author–illustrator Keri Smith, Wreck this Picture Book, due to publish in autumn 2020 as part of a global release. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-16 10:22:48 UTC ]
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