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 ]
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Amazon Prime Day came and went in July, but Amazon’s not done with its membership-only sales events for 2023. The company just announced that it will hold another Prime Day of sorts in October, potentially mirroring what it did at the same time last year. This year’s event is dubbed “Prime Big... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-08-08 19:00:44 UTC ]
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On the defense of textual and editorial standards as a better path for the bookselling industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-04 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Valerie Koehler says that if her book shop is forced to comply with a new state law regulating public school literature, she might go out of business. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-07-26 21:13:13 UTC ]
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Book Industry Charitable Foundation has announced BincTank, a new business incubator offering mentorship and support for booksellers looking to open stores serving historically underrepresented or marginalized communities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Book Industry Charitable Foundation has announced BincTank, a new business incubator offering mentorship and support for BIPOC booksellers. The program will run for three years. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The 28-page complaint claims that the law—which is set to take effect in September—would impose sweeping, vague, and unconstitutional content-based restrictions and unduly burden booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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We talk to Samuel Ross about the new Beats Studio Pro. It’s the first update to the Beats Studio line since 2017. I’m holding the box for Beats Studio3 headphones. They were released in 2017—in other words, a lifetime ago. The box is nothing short of peak packaging, with a hefty fiberboard... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-07-19 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Jerusalem's Educational Bookshop has focused on Palestinian literature and nonfiction since its first location opened in 1984. The post Jerusalem’s Educational Bookshop at 39 Years: ‘The Palestinian Point of View’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-07-11 18:34:49 UTC ]
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Two Pacific Northwest–based book workers have cofounded the Cercador Prize for Translation. A committee of five booksellers will nominate titles and award a winning translator $1,000. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The tech industry is reeling from the combination of a rough economy, the COVID-19 pandemic and some obvious business missteps. And while that led to job cuts in 2022, the headcount reductions have unfortunately ramped up in 2023. It can be tough to keep track of these moves, so we’ve compiled... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-29 15:28:56 UTC ]
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The lineup for this year’s fall regional booksellers shows is complete, with six shows being held across the country from August to October. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The nearly two-score indie bookstores scattered around the Windy City and its suburbs are succeeding by leaning into their unique qualities and filling distinct niches. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The final day of CI2023 was packed with a mix of educational sessions and author presentations—including a conversation with civil rights icon Ruby Bridges—and closed on an exuberant note with karaoke, bookseller-style. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Patricia J. Murphy, author of the picture book ‘Mama, Look!’ and dozens of other titles, explores how spirituality can help with difficult emotions in a new children’s book, ‘God is Everywhere: Wise Words for Little Ones.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers are developing new strategies and leveraging existing strengths in the ever-evolving audiobook market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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When the Next Big Idea Club launched in 2018, the centerpiece of its offerings was a box subscription. It still offers that service, but has company has shifted gears, now operating as an “audio-first company.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Over the past three years, the Dutton/Plume imprint, founded by actor and stand-up comedian Phoebe Robinson, has become a home for “strong voices, unique points of view, and undeniable talent." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Toronto Star books editor Deborah Dundas says that even though class divisions exist in Canada, we don't talk about them openly. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-05-27 08:00:00 UTC ]
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The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-05-22 13:34:43 UTC ]
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The independent bookselling community continues to grow, with membership in the American Booksellers Association reaching its highest levels in more than 20 years Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-05-22 13:32:22 UTC ]
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