When I worked in a second-hand bookshop – so easily pictured, if you don’t work in one, as a kind of paradise where charming old gentlemen browse eternally among calf-bound folios – the thing that chiefly struck me was the rarity of really bookish people. [From George Orwell's "Bookshop Memories" - read it here]
I thought I had read pretty much all there was to read by George Orwell but reading Shaun Bythell's utterly charming book "The Diary of a Bookseller" convinced me otherwise. Orwell had worked part-time in a bookshop while he was working on "Keep the Aspidistra Flying", and by way of illustration of the similarities between bookshop life today and in Orwell's time, Shaun Bythell begins each chapter of his book "The Diary of a Bookseller" with an extract from Orwell's "Bookshop Memories".
Call me crazy but I've always wondered what will happen one day to all my books because no-one else reads them. The house, the cottage, and the old garage converted to a "library" are all overflowing with them. However, after reading Shaun Bythell's books, I realise I'm not so crazy after all. It appears there are way more crazier people in the world. It also appears that most of them seem to frequent Shaun's bookshop.
I had ordered Shaun Bythell's two books, "The Diary of Bookseller" and "Confessions of a Bookseller" from the Book Depository on the 2nd of July, and they arrived last Friday. In these honest and wryly hilarious diaries, Shaun Bythell reveals the highs and lows of life in the book trade, as he contents with eccentric customers, bin-foraging employees and a perennially empty till. Along the way he takes you on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends lost classics and introduces you to the thrill of the unexpected find. I loved them both!
And I would love to visit his bookshop! After all, for any avid reader, there’s nothing more satisfying than stepping into a bookstore. Its a trifecta of sensory experiences: the smell of paper, the sight of stocked shelves, and the faint jingle of the bell above the door that notes visitors' arrival – it’s a book lovers' antidote to the weight of the world.
Generally, this experience is a temporary one, lasting anywhere from ten minutes to an entire afternoon, depending on the level of biblio-philia. But that’s not the case at Shaun's other venture, a B&B called "The Open Book", where guests not only sleep at the bookshop but also run it. It's a radical idea but for book lovers who travel from all over the world to "The Open Book", an overwhelming enthusiasm for reading is the only necessary qualification. Here’s how it works:
- Book in at airbnb for approx. $167 a night for at least a week
- On the first day, create a small, front-of-house display that gives the local community an idea of who's running the store
- After that, run the bookstore during the day and cozy up in the little apartment above at night
As Airbnb explains: "Nestled into the pristine lowlands, The Open Book is a charming bookshop with apartment above in the heart of Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town. Live your dream of having your very own bookshop by the sea in Scotland...for a week or two." But don’t pack your bags yet though. It's booked for years ahead – essentially, as far as Airbnb will take reservations. But interested bibliophiles are welcome to put their name on the ever-growing waitlist on their facebook page - and maybe read a book or two - or their blog - in the meantime.
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P.S.
Shaun Bythell's "Diaries" and "Confessions" are not the only captivating memoirs of life spent in this glorious but all-consuming profession, and I've since become aware of the existence of similar memoirs which I shall be working my way through in weeks to come:
"The Intimate Thoughts of John Baxter, Bookseller"
"The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop"
"A Pound of Paper - Confessions of a Book Addict"
"The Bankrupt Bookseller"
"Bits from an old Book Shop"
And then there is "Three Things you need to know about Rockets" by Jessica Fox, Shaun Bythell's on-and-off partner and lifelong friend.
