Eloise Rowefalmouth bookseller, cornwallAs part of the Ron Johns bookselling empire (which includes Cornish staples such as St. Ives Bookseller and The Padstow Bookshop), The Falmouth Bookseller has been on our radar for the past few years for its curated selection and vibrant community events. On our last bookshop tour of Cornwall this summer, we finally managed to stop by The Falmouth Bookseller for the first time to experience it all for ourselves.
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JR: Hi Eloise, thanks for joining me. How’s your summer been?
ER: It's been pretty good overall, really. It’s been quite up and down with the weather, which I think had an impact. But yeah, overall it's been a good summer, and it's staying busy at the moment, which is quite nice.
JR: I was going to ask, I mean, I take it for most people the season's kind of over when the kids go back to school, but you’ve also got the uni lot turning up.
ER: Yes, yeah. It's Freshers' Week this week, actually, so we have all the new students coming down, and their parents too. But we also have a really solid local population. Christmas is actually our biggest season, probably even more than summer.
JR: That's interesting. I was talking to Penzance's The Edge of the World, and they said they’re lucky to have a busy tourist season, but there's always a bit of a lull before Christmas kicks in.
ER: Yes, definitely. Normally, I'd say the same, but it's stayed surprisingly busy this year. We might have a busier late-season with tourists, like those without kids in school. We’ve also had a couple of big cruise calls, and our cruise ship calendar this year is pretty solid through October. So yeah, we’re staying busier than normal, which is nice.
JR: I guess I never really considered the cruise ships being that big of an influx, but obviously, they are.
ER: It depends. The really big cruise ships don't have much of an impact because they all get bussed out. It’s a shame because people see a 3,000 or 5,000-person cruise ship and we see pretty much none of those people since they're all on tours. But the smaller ships, the ones that can dock in Falmouth, do come in. They're always looking for their du Mauriers and Pilchers, and that’s what makes them happy.
JR: For you, then, during the summer, were there any standout titles? Anything that did particularly well?
ER: So, for us, 13 Cornish Ghost Stories, published by Mabecron, did amazingly. Other than that, the thing people love about indie bookshops is finding unusual books. While we sell the main big titles, it’s the fun, unusual books that people love. We get all sorts of tourists—families, people on boats, a wide range—so it's hard to pin down just one or two things. But anything Cornish always does well, and local-specific books work nicely as souvenirs. So yeah, 13 Cornish Ghost Stories was the big one this summer.
JR: Yeah, I saw that everywhere! It’s like you’re tripping over that book, but it’s good to see, and great to see it coming from an independent press too.
ER: Yeah, exactly.
JR: So, Eloise, how long have you been with the business? Can you tell us a bit about your role at Falmouth Bookseller?
ER: Yeah, I've been here since 2015. I started part-time while I was doing a master's, and when I finished that, I took over as manager. I’ve been here ever since. This year, I also had the challenge of opening a café above the shop. So now we have a bookshop café, which has been lovely. That was my big project at the beginning of the year—getting that all arranged and off the ground. It was hard work, but it's been really worthwhile. People have responded really positively, and it’s given us a space to do all sorts of things like silent book clubs and craft meetups. It's been a really nice challenge to work on and make our own.
JR: Yeah, and obviously, it’s great for you to make your own mark on things and have your own targets and projects to look forward to. But also, for anyone who's been in the shop, you've got a lot of choice considering the size of the building. There’s not a lot of bare shop floor space, so having somewhere to go for events and book clubs must alleviate some pressure on the shop floor as well.
ER: It's been pretty good overall, really. It’s been quite up and down with the weather, which I think had an impact. But yeah, overall it's been a good summer, and it's staying busy at the moment, which is quite nice.
JR: I was going to ask, I mean, I take it for most people the season's kind of over when the kids go back to school, but you’ve also got the uni lot turning up.
ER: Yes, yeah. It's Freshers' Week this week, actually, so we have all the new students coming down, and their parents too. But we also have a really solid local population. Christmas is actually our biggest season, probably even more than summer.
JR: That's interesting. I was talking to Penzance's The Edge of the World, and they said they’re lucky to have a busy tourist season, but there's always a bit of a lull before Christmas kicks in.
ER: Yes, definitely. Normally, I'd say the same, but it's stayed surprisingly busy this year. We might have a busier late-season with tourists, like those without kids in school. We’ve also had a couple of big cruise calls, and our cruise ship calendar this year is pretty solid through October. So yeah, we’re staying busier than normal, which is nice.
JR: I guess I never really considered the cruise ships being that big of an influx, but obviously, they are.
ER: It depends. The really big cruise ships don't have much of an impact because they all get bussed out. It’s a shame because people see a 3,000 or 5,000-person cruise ship and we see pretty much none of those people since they're all on tours. But the smaller ships, the ones that can dock in Falmouth, do come in. They're always looking for their du Mauriers and Pilchers, and that’s what makes them happy.
JR: For you, then, during the summer, were there any standout titles? Anything that did particularly well?
ER: So, for us, 13 Cornish Ghost Stories, published by Mabecron, did amazingly. Other than that, the thing people love about indie bookshops is finding unusual books. While we sell the main big titles, it’s the fun, unusual books that people love. We get all sorts of tourists—families, people on boats, a wide range—so it's hard to pin down just one or two things. But anything Cornish always does well, and local-specific books work nicely as souvenirs. So yeah, 13 Cornish Ghost Stories was the big one this summer.
JR: Yeah, I saw that everywhere! It’s like you’re tripping over that book, but it’s good to see, and great to see it coming from an independent press too.
ER: Yeah, exactly.
JR: So, Eloise, how long have you been with the business? Can you tell us a bit about your role at Falmouth Bookseller?
ER: Yeah, I've been here since 2015. I started part-time while I was doing a master's, and when I finished that, I took over as manager. I’ve been here ever since. This year, I also had the challenge of opening a café above the shop. So now we have a bookshop café, which has been lovely. That was my big project at the beginning of the year—getting that all arranged and off the ground. It was hard work, but it's been really worthwhile. People have responded really positively, and it’s given us a space to do all sorts of things like silent book clubs and craft meetups. It's been a really nice challenge to work on and make our own.
JR: Yeah, and obviously, it’s great for you to make your own mark on things and have your own targets and projects to look forward to. But also, for anyone who's been in the shop, you've got a lot of choice considering the size of the building. There’s not a lot of bare shop floor space, so having somewhere to go for events and book clubs must alleviate some pressure on the shop floor as well.
ER: Yes, yeah. The shop's lovely in the way it's laid out, with all the little bits and places where you find little surprises. But it does mean we don't have space for seated events. We can sometimes squish a launch in when people can mill around and avoid the pillars, posts, and steps, but it doesn’t really lend itself to proper events. We’ve always had to look elsewhere. We have a great relationship with The Poly down the road for big events, and we used to have a good relationship with Dolly, the previous owner of the café upstairs, for smaller events. But when she sold the café, we had to make sure events were worthwhile for both of us. Now that it’s our space, we have more freedom to play and do slightly more. We don’t just have to stick to traditional, “Here’s an author, let's do a reading and interview” events. We’re trying to come up with fun, bookish events that still have the right vibe. It’s nice having a relaxed space made for people to be in a different way.
JR: And it allows you to take some risks as well. You don’t just have to choose events that will sell out. You can go for the more unusual things, smaller presses, or something the team loves but maybe isn't a household name yet. ER: Yeah, we’ve always tried to do that. But at the end of the day, we still need to make sure the events pay their way. It’s not fun for anyone to sit in a room with only two people! But, as you said, we’ve built up a base where people come to our events because they enjoy the events themselves. So whether it’s crime, local, or famous, people come because they know it’ll be a nice evening. Having that constant attachment to the café space is great. People enjoy being in the café, so they come to events. |
It’s kind of a win-win. We can put on more things, and people come to more things. And it’s nice to have the flexibility where, if something doesn’t work, it’s not a big deal. If we have to cancel an event because only one ticket sold, we can. Or if we’ve only sold six or seven tickets, we can decide it’s still worth it. That flexibility is really helpful.
JR: I want to talk more specifically about your role in the shop. Day-to-day, I know being a shop manager can mean a lot of different things in different places. I know the shop is owned by Ron Johns, who also owns St Ives Bookseller and co-owns Padstow Bookseller, and runs Mabecron Books the publisher. So how hands-on is Ron? Does he leave most of it to you?
ER: He’s really good at trusting his managers. He influences us, but he trusts us too, which makes it a lovely space to work in. Day-to-day, I make all the decisions in the shop. It’s up to me what we buy, reorder, and what events we put on. But it’s nice having someone with so much experience to turn to if I’m unsure about something. Ron is a different demographic, so getting advice from someone who’s seen it all over the years is really valuable. Sometimes we disagree, but it’s always with respect. He respects my reasons for disagreeing, and I respect the fact that sometimes he knows something I don’t. It’s a good balance.
He’s very good at trusting us and doesn’t micromanage. He usually comes down once a week, especially in the summer when he's bringing up stocks for Mabecron. And he loves coming down for his coffee at the café now—he says he’s spoiled and can’t have coffee anywhere else! So he’s present and involved, but without interfering. He loves books, and he’s excited when we get new deliveries. But if you ask him to put a Book Token through the till, he’ll run away!
JR: That wealth of knowledge is amazing, especially since he's been doing this for a long time, hasn’t he?
ER: Exactly. Realistically, he doesn’t need to be on the shop floor behind the till, but he loves being in the shop, helping someone pick a book about, I don’t know, military history—his interest—or chatting to people about Murakami. It’s amazing. And having the other two bookshops, Padstow and St Ives, means I’ve also got Ron’s opinions, but I can also talk to two other people. We can crowdsource our thoughts and opinions on things, especially when you’re unsure about something. It’s great to have that independence, not feeling like you’re always being watched or controlled, but having backup when you need it is lovely.
JR: Absolutely. Do you ever have any crossover with the staff? Do you ever work in each other's shops at all?
ER: Not generally, mostly because they’re so far apart. It doesn’t seem far on the map, but if you’ve been to Cornwall, it’s not that close! I’ve done a couple of shifts in St Ives just to cover things. One of them was when Ron published the Soggy the Bear books, which were among the first books he published. The author, Philip Moran, passed away a few years ago, and since Ron and all the staff knew him well, they wanted to attend his funeral. I said I’d cover the shop for them. So, on those kinds of occasions, the one-offs, I step in. I think I also covered in Padstow once, though I can’t remember why—it might have been a festival or something. We also have a manager’s meeting at least once a year, where we all get together and chat. We try to do it in different places so we can visit the different shops. It’s nice to walk around and see things that are local to that area that you might not stock yourself. But generally, we don’t work in the other shops—we’re self-sufficient. But if needed, we’re there.
JR: It’s that emergency support that, I suppose, other businesses wouldn’t necessarily have, which is nice.
ER: Yeah, exactly. I think it’s particularly helpful during festivals. Each shop has its own, like Padstow does the North Cornwall Festival, and I’ve done a couple of others. We used to do Port Eliot, and there’s one at Goonhilly every couple of years. It’s in those outside-the-shop situations where it’s helpful to have a larger pool of staff to pull from.
JR: Yeah.
ER: So, it’s more in those scenarios where we have crossover between the shops.
JR: Yeah. And what kind of support do you have in-store? How big is your team?
ER: Here, in the shop alone, I’ve got, let me see, one, two, three, four, five other people, plus me. Then there’s the café, which is quite separate, but with the café team included, we’re probably close to nine or ten people. Yeah, so it’s a nice size. Not enormous, but everyone gets along really well, and it’s fun because we all read differently, so we get lots of different input.
JR: I want to talk more specifically about your role in the shop. Day-to-day, I know being a shop manager can mean a lot of different things in different places. I know the shop is owned by Ron Johns, who also owns St Ives Bookseller and co-owns Padstow Bookseller, and runs Mabecron Books the publisher. So how hands-on is Ron? Does he leave most of it to you?
ER: He’s really good at trusting his managers. He influences us, but he trusts us too, which makes it a lovely space to work in. Day-to-day, I make all the decisions in the shop. It’s up to me what we buy, reorder, and what events we put on. But it’s nice having someone with so much experience to turn to if I’m unsure about something. Ron is a different demographic, so getting advice from someone who’s seen it all over the years is really valuable. Sometimes we disagree, but it’s always with respect. He respects my reasons for disagreeing, and I respect the fact that sometimes he knows something I don’t. It’s a good balance.
He’s very good at trusting us and doesn’t micromanage. He usually comes down once a week, especially in the summer when he's bringing up stocks for Mabecron. And he loves coming down for his coffee at the café now—he says he’s spoiled and can’t have coffee anywhere else! So he’s present and involved, but without interfering. He loves books, and he’s excited when we get new deliveries. But if you ask him to put a Book Token through the till, he’ll run away!
JR: That wealth of knowledge is amazing, especially since he's been doing this for a long time, hasn’t he?
ER: Exactly. Realistically, he doesn’t need to be on the shop floor behind the till, but he loves being in the shop, helping someone pick a book about, I don’t know, military history—his interest—or chatting to people about Murakami. It’s amazing. And having the other two bookshops, Padstow and St Ives, means I’ve also got Ron’s opinions, but I can also talk to two other people. We can crowdsource our thoughts and opinions on things, especially when you’re unsure about something. It’s great to have that independence, not feeling like you’re always being watched or controlled, but having backup when you need it is lovely.
JR: Absolutely. Do you ever have any crossover with the staff? Do you ever work in each other's shops at all?
ER: Not generally, mostly because they’re so far apart. It doesn’t seem far on the map, but if you’ve been to Cornwall, it’s not that close! I’ve done a couple of shifts in St Ives just to cover things. One of them was when Ron published the Soggy the Bear books, which were among the first books he published. The author, Philip Moran, passed away a few years ago, and since Ron and all the staff knew him well, they wanted to attend his funeral. I said I’d cover the shop for them. So, on those kinds of occasions, the one-offs, I step in. I think I also covered in Padstow once, though I can’t remember why—it might have been a festival or something. We also have a manager’s meeting at least once a year, where we all get together and chat. We try to do it in different places so we can visit the different shops. It’s nice to walk around and see things that are local to that area that you might not stock yourself. But generally, we don’t work in the other shops—we’re self-sufficient. But if needed, we’re there.
JR: It’s that emergency support that, I suppose, other businesses wouldn’t necessarily have, which is nice.
ER: Yeah, exactly. I think it’s particularly helpful during festivals. Each shop has its own, like Padstow does the North Cornwall Festival, and I’ve done a couple of others. We used to do Port Eliot, and there’s one at Goonhilly every couple of years. It’s in those outside-the-shop situations where it’s helpful to have a larger pool of staff to pull from.
JR: Yeah.
ER: So, it’s more in those scenarios where we have crossover between the shops.
JR: Yeah. And what kind of support do you have in-store? How big is your team?
ER: Here, in the shop alone, I’ve got, let me see, one, two, three, four, five other people, plus me. Then there’s the café, which is quite separate, but with the café team included, we’re probably close to nine or ten people. Yeah, so it’s a nice size. Not enormous, but everyone gets along really well, and it’s fun because we all read differently, so we get lots of different input.
JR: Exactly, and that’s the fun part—talking to everyone, seeing what they’re into, sharing recommendations and opinions. That’s always really helpful.
ER: Yeah, definitely. Like, if someone asks for a sci-fi recommendation, I don’t read that, but I can go ask someone who does. Or, I already know what they’d recommend, so it’s great. We have that pool of knowledge. JR: And do you split up the shop into different roles for different sections? Like, do you have a specialist kids' bookseller, or is it more of a free-for-all? ER: It’s pretty much a free-for-all. There are definitely sections certain people know more about. For instance, if someone asked for a fantasy book featuring a dragon, I’d pass that over to Maisie. But it’s not so much that we all know everything about all the books. It’s more like, if Maisie were here, or if Megan were here, what would they recommend? Or if Rebecca read a book, and I know she loved other books by the same author, I’d factor that in. We learn from each other rather than having designated experts in specific areas. Since we only usually have me and one other person in the shop during the day, we can’t afford to have someone focused on just one thing. We all need to know a bit of everything. JR: That makes sense. You’ve got a bit of everything in the shop. Do you find yourself leaning towards stocking certain genres or subjects because you're in a touristy area? Like, do you have more non-fiction than fiction, or lots of local history and nature books? |
ER: Yeah, it’s tricky. We really do a bit of everything. We have our regulars, but we also get tourists who come because of Cornwall’s nature and maritime history. Falmouth has a lot of military history too, so that’s a big interest. Plus, we get students who love photography, graphic novels, and illustration, so we have a strong selection in those areas. We try to keep all sections interesting while also having the bestsellers. I wouldn’t want to get rid of any section. Every genre gets looked at and appreciated.
For example, when I first started, the fantasy section was tiny—just Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, and Terry Pratchett. But now, it’s exploded, and we’ve had to move it a couple of times to accommodate the demand. I could probably make it even bigger! So, while we do react to bigger trends, it’s more about adding to the selection rather than cutting anything out.
JR: Yeah, reacting to trends can be tricky, and we often find ourselves playing catch-up. Are there any trends you’ve noticed in the past couple of years that have impacted the shop? Like, romantasy and young adult have really exploded recently.
ER: Definitely. The fantasy and sci-fi sections have expanded a lot—they now have significant space in the shop. I’d also say there’s been more emphasis on making books look beautiful. One thing I often say about the rise of e-books is that it pushed publishers to step up their game. I think books had become a bit throwaway, and to be honest I think some publishers got lazy. But now, with competition from online retailers and supermarkets, publishers are making a lot more effort—creating special indie editions, signed copies, and making books that people want to own and display.
So, we’ve been focusing more on creating spaces to display these beautiful editions. Instead of just shoving everything on a shelf, we want to showcase books properly. And I think that’s something that’s really expanded over the last few years—giving books the space they deserve to be admired.
JR: Exactly, yeah. You don’t want to reduce your stock too much, but you do want to create those face-out displays to show off the books at their best, don’t you?
ER: Yes, absolutely. That’s something Ron is really passionate about. He hates seeing shelves full of spines because it looks overwhelming, and people don’t always know where to start in a bookshop with so many options. Face-out displays help catch attention and draw you in. And then, there are the recommendation cards, which you don’t get online or in supermarkets where they only stock bestsellers. We want to highlight books we love personaly, not just the ones that sell well.
JR: Definitely. And you’ve been here nearly 10 years now, right?
ER: Yeah, yeah, it is… gosh, it’s coming up on 10 years!
JR: You’ve seen a lot—trends come and go, what with the pandemic, and then the shop’s growth. Falmouth must have changed a lot too. Have you noticed any shifts in your customer base over the years?
ER: Maybe a little. I think the pandemic changed things. It was stressful and scary for businesses, but one positive outcome was that people started appreciating the high street more. A lot of big high street shops closed down, and I think it hit home for people—this idea that if you don’t use your local shops, you’ll lose them.
In the year or two after the pandemic, specifically, we had customers coming in and saying they were doing all their Christmas shopping in town, rather than online. So, I think there’s been a general increase in people engaging with the high street. It’s not necessarily a demographic change in terms of age, but I’ve noticed younger generations—students especially—are more engaged in the idea of supporting local businesses. Not just giving their money to Jeff Bezos. They want to shop at independents and be part of the community. They’ll come in, buy a book, and then head upstairs to the café, post it on Instagram, and really feel part of the town. Or, whatever it is, you know. So, we’re seeing more of everyone now, which is great.
For example, when I first started, the fantasy section was tiny—just Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, and Terry Pratchett. But now, it’s exploded, and we’ve had to move it a couple of times to accommodate the demand. I could probably make it even bigger! So, while we do react to bigger trends, it’s more about adding to the selection rather than cutting anything out.
JR: Yeah, reacting to trends can be tricky, and we often find ourselves playing catch-up. Are there any trends you’ve noticed in the past couple of years that have impacted the shop? Like, romantasy and young adult have really exploded recently.
ER: Definitely. The fantasy and sci-fi sections have expanded a lot—they now have significant space in the shop. I’d also say there’s been more emphasis on making books look beautiful. One thing I often say about the rise of e-books is that it pushed publishers to step up their game. I think books had become a bit throwaway, and to be honest I think some publishers got lazy. But now, with competition from online retailers and supermarkets, publishers are making a lot more effort—creating special indie editions, signed copies, and making books that people want to own and display.
So, we’ve been focusing more on creating spaces to display these beautiful editions. Instead of just shoving everything on a shelf, we want to showcase books properly. And I think that’s something that’s really expanded over the last few years—giving books the space they deserve to be admired.
JR: Exactly, yeah. You don’t want to reduce your stock too much, but you do want to create those face-out displays to show off the books at their best, don’t you?
ER: Yes, absolutely. That’s something Ron is really passionate about. He hates seeing shelves full of spines because it looks overwhelming, and people don’t always know where to start in a bookshop with so many options. Face-out displays help catch attention and draw you in. And then, there are the recommendation cards, which you don’t get online or in supermarkets where they only stock bestsellers. We want to highlight books we love personaly, not just the ones that sell well.
JR: Definitely. And you’ve been here nearly 10 years now, right?
ER: Yeah, yeah, it is… gosh, it’s coming up on 10 years!
JR: You’ve seen a lot—trends come and go, what with the pandemic, and then the shop’s growth. Falmouth must have changed a lot too. Have you noticed any shifts in your customer base over the years?
ER: Maybe a little. I think the pandemic changed things. It was stressful and scary for businesses, but one positive outcome was that people started appreciating the high street more. A lot of big high street shops closed down, and I think it hit home for people—this idea that if you don’t use your local shops, you’ll lose them.
In the year or two after the pandemic, specifically, we had customers coming in and saying they were doing all their Christmas shopping in town, rather than online. So, I think there’s been a general increase in people engaging with the high street. It’s not necessarily a demographic change in terms of age, but I’ve noticed younger generations—students especially—are more engaged in the idea of supporting local businesses. Not just giving their money to Jeff Bezos. They want to shop at independents and be part of the community. They’ll come in, buy a book, and then head upstairs to the café, post it on Instagram, and really feel part of the town. Or, whatever it is, you know. So, we’re seeing more of everyone now, which is great.
JR: Right, and it’s about making the right decisions about where to spend their money. In recent years, we’ve seen so many new bookshops pop up, and it seems the book sector is bucking trends. While other sectors may be struggling, bookshops appear to be thriving, especially in Cornwall with its fantastic selection of shops.
ER: Absolutely. Ron often points out that bookshops were among the first to be affected by Amazon. They started by choosing books because they’re easy to ship, store, and sell—ISBN numbers made it all simple. Now, they don’t care about losses. Bookshops had to adapt quickly. We may not be able to compete on price and sell them for the pennies that they do, but we can offer signed copies, host events, and provide knowledgeable staff who genuinely want to recommend books. We’re not an algorithm here. So, I think bookshops have a head start because they’ve learned had longer to learn. JR: Mm-hmm. As an outsider visiting the area, it seems like there's a really strong bookshop community here. It feels like everyone is catering to their respective high streets and towns without overly competing against each other. |
ER: The tricky part about Cornwall is the seasonality. We’re fortunate to have a larger local population, but many places experience a lull for two to three months. It's tough. Many newcomers underestimate how seasonal things can be and how hard you have to work. It’s not easy to make a profit off just tourists; you have to appreciate the local community, too.
JR: That leads me to my next point about events. I know you've mentioned events and the café, which offers a little more flexibility. Looking online, I see you have local author Joe Jakeman coming in tomorrow, and next week, you have Angela Harding, as well, which is exciting!
ER: Yes, that’s really cool!
JR: What kind of audiences do you typically get? Are they mostly regulars, locals, or do students from the university join in?
ER: To be honest, it’s mostly our regulars who come to events. The challenge here is getting publishers to send authors down this far. It’s much easier even if you’re closer to main train lines, like in Devon. Sometimes I think, if we were in Bath, or somewhere, we could attract more famous authors. I’ll reach out to twenty publishers and maybe get one response. It’s a hard sell to get people down here. Sometimes we do get people, but we just can’t fill the seats. We’ve even had to cancel events because when the weather's nice, people prefer to be at the beach, which is completely fair enough. That’s one of the perks of living here. But it makes planning events more challenging. We can’t rely on the big-name events that other places can easily secure. I know I can pitch for someone like Richard Osman, but I won’t get a chance. It’s a shame because when we do get those people here, people down here really appreciate it. A couple of years ago, I managed to pitch to get some well-known fantasy authors, like Samantha Shannon, to visit.
JR: Yeah, yeah, sure.
ER: And she, if she'd been up country, I'm sure she could have got a much bigger audience. We still managed to get a really good turnout for us. But it meant so much to everybody, like getting those names down here, I think, has a big impact because it doesn't happen as often. People normally have to go up to Bristol or something to see famous people - as they say. So, I think that is definitely one of the hurdles, the distance. It is hard getting people over that stumbling block.
JR: Yeah, it's interesting because, you know, I mean, I talk to a lot of booksellers, and I’ve worked in bookshops as well. Everything you're saying resonates across the UK too. I mean, you’re talking to a northern bookseller here, struggling to get people past Manchester. It’s like nothing exists after Manchester and before Edinburgh. It’s about trying to fill in the map a bit, saying, "You've got all these amazing places and amazing people who are trying their hardest to get audiences and authors to these areas because of how special it is."
ER: And I think one of the things that other booksellers have probably said, and you've probably seen it, is Fane. I think Fane is ruining book events across the board. We’ll try to get a big author, and they’ll say, "Oh no, they’re already booked because they’re doing it through Fane." Fane books the theatres and does all the ticket sales, but they don't sell the books or even get a local indie bookseller to handle the books. I don’t care if I get the ticket money for whoever it may be, but if we could just sell books at these events, it would make a big difference for us. We might sell 80 to 100 books to a huge theatre crowd, which makes a massive difference for the turnover of independent bookshops. It’s a real struggle now. It started because, as you said, it’s hard work convincing people to fill in those gaps on the map. They’ve got to work more on accommodation, transfers, and coordinating things. So a lot of the time, it’s easier to just do X, Y, Z or Fane.
I think now, it's got to the point where it's not even reaching the public in-house. It’s in the contracts at the agent level—they're booked to do 10 theatre shows across the country. I think some bookshops don't even get a look in anymore. We’ve got venues and can do huge audiences, and we were doing that five or six years ago. But now, I struggle to get anyone who isn't second or third on a list, if you know what I mean. It’s getting harder to get the best out of anymore.
JR: That kind of leads me to the book festival, especially Falmouth Books Festival. It was launched in 2021, right? I think the first one was October 2021. It’s sort of supported by the university and run by Colin Midson, right? What kind of support or involvement does that actually look like from your end?
ER: It’s tricky, to be honest. The university isn’t really involved. Colin basically plans it. The university sponsored it a couple of years ago, but last year they didn’t have any sponsorship or involvement. I’m not sure about that, to be honest. I don’t have much to do with the behind-the-scenes planning. We handle the books, so we turn up with them. Colin programs it, contacts people, and I get to put my two cents in about what might or might not work based on what I see in the shop. But we pretty much just turn up with the books and sell them.
JR: Yeah, which, for a lot of bookshops, is the most involvement they'd have with a festival. But looking at that lineup—Val McDermid, David Baddiel, Rick Stein—it’s impressive. Rick has a slightly closer relationship with you guys, though, right?
ER: Yes, that very much was Ron’s doing.
JR: That leads me to my next point about events. I know you've mentioned events and the café, which offers a little more flexibility. Looking online, I see you have local author Joe Jakeman coming in tomorrow, and next week, you have Angela Harding, as well, which is exciting!
ER: Yes, that’s really cool!
JR: What kind of audiences do you typically get? Are they mostly regulars, locals, or do students from the university join in?
ER: To be honest, it’s mostly our regulars who come to events. The challenge here is getting publishers to send authors down this far. It’s much easier even if you’re closer to main train lines, like in Devon. Sometimes I think, if we were in Bath, or somewhere, we could attract more famous authors. I’ll reach out to twenty publishers and maybe get one response. It’s a hard sell to get people down here. Sometimes we do get people, but we just can’t fill the seats. We’ve even had to cancel events because when the weather's nice, people prefer to be at the beach, which is completely fair enough. That’s one of the perks of living here. But it makes planning events more challenging. We can’t rely on the big-name events that other places can easily secure. I know I can pitch for someone like Richard Osman, but I won’t get a chance. It’s a shame because when we do get those people here, people down here really appreciate it. A couple of years ago, I managed to pitch to get some well-known fantasy authors, like Samantha Shannon, to visit.
JR: Yeah, yeah, sure.
ER: And she, if she'd been up country, I'm sure she could have got a much bigger audience. We still managed to get a really good turnout for us. But it meant so much to everybody, like getting those names down here, I think, has a big impact because it doesn't happen as often. People normally have to go up to Bristol or something to see famous people - as they say. So, I think that is definitely one of the hurdles, the distance. It is hard getting people over that stumbling block.
JR: Yeah, it's interesting because, you know, I mean, I talk to a lot of booksellers, and I’ve worked in bookshops as well. Everything you're saying resonates across the UK too. I mean, you’re talking to a northern bookseller here, struggling to get people past Manchester. It’s like nothing exists after Manchester and before Edinburgh. It’s about trying to fill in the map a bit, saying, "You've got all these amazing places and amazing people who are trying their hardest to get audiences and authors to these areas because of how special it is."
ER: And I think one of the things that other booksellers have probably said, and you've probably seen it, is Fane. I think Fane is ruining book events across the board. We’ll try to get a big author, and they’ll say, "Oh no, they’re already booked because they’re doing it through Fane." Fane books the theatres and does all the ticket sales, but they don't sell the books or even get a local indie bookseller to handle the books. I don’t care if I get the ticket money for whoever it may be, but if we could just sell books at these events, it would make a big difference for us. We might sell 80 to 100 books to a huge theatre crowd, which makes a massive difference for the turnover of independent bookshops. It’s a real struggle now. It started because, as you said, it’s hard work convincing people to fill in those gaps on the map. They’ve got to work more on accommodation, transfers, and coordinating things. So a lot of the time, it’s easier to just do X, Y, Z or Fane.
I think now, it's got to the point where it's not even reaching the public in-house. It’s in the contracts at the agent level—they're booked to do 10 theatre shows across the country. I think some bookshops don't even get a look in anymore. We’ve got venues and can do huge audiences, and we were doing that five or six years ago. But now, I struggle to get anyone who isn't second or third on a list, if you know what I mean. It’s getting harder to get the best out of anymore.
JR: That kind of leads me to the book festival, especially Falmouth Books Festival. It was launched in 2021, right? I think the first one was October 2021. It’s sort of supported by the university and run by Colin Midson, right? What kind of support or involvement does that actually look like from your end?
ER: It’s tricky, to be honest. The university isn’t really involved. Colin basically plans it. The university sponsored it a couple of years ago, but last year they didn’t have any sponsorship or involvement. I’m not sure about that, to be honest. I don’t have much to do with the behind-the-scenes planning. We handle the books, so we turn up with them. Colin programs it, contacts people, and I get to put my two cents in about what might or might not work based on what I see in the shop. But we pretty much just turn up with the books and sell them.
JR: Yeah, which, for a lot of bookshops, is the most involvement they'd have with a festival. But looking at that lineup—Val McDermid, David Baddiel, Rick Stein—it’s impressive. Rick has a slightly closer relationship with you guys, though, right?
ER: Yes, that very much was Ron’s doing.
JR: And I assume some of those events are huge spikes in sales for you, no? And that’ll make October a good start for your Christmas period.
ER: To be honest, festival book sales aren’t the same as one-off events. Oftentimes, people spend money going to four or five events, so they’re loath to buy a book at each one. They might pick one book to buy. So, while ticket sales might be really good, the book sales don’t always translate. It really depends on the individual. You can have a small audience, but if the person on stage is fantastic and remembers to tell people there are books for sale, that’s always helpful. You’d be shocked at how often that doesn’t happen. You can have a huge, sellout audience and sell very few books, or a much smaller audience and sell as many books. Festivals are a lot of work and manpower, so they’re not always as good as people think. A one-off event often does better. Festivals are good for exposure for the town, but there isn’t always a monetary payoff. JR: Yeah, that makes sense. In my experience working for festivals up here, you might get told you have X number of people coming, but you don’t necessarily see that at the bookstall, do you? People might buy festival tickets and see everyone, but that doesn’t mean 100-plus people are at every event. ER: Yeah, exactly. It’s hard to pitch the prices—you don’t want them to be unaffordable, but if they’re too cheap, people don’t care. You get a lot of no-shows. You might have a sold-out 170-person theatre and only 120 show up. Festivals are tricky. |
JR: Yeah, and it’s nice for social media or a website footer to mention these things, and it’s great for the local area. But as a bookseller, it’s tricky to balance that, especially with costings.
ER: Yeah, and the returns afterward are costly. You buy books for a 300-person audience, sell 30, and then have to return the rest. Publishers are great and they’ll authorise that but each box costs £9 or £10 to return, and it’s a lot of heavy lifting.
JR: Yeah, people forget how heavy books are in full boxes!
ER: Yeah, especially at The Poly, the space we use next door. I love that building, but there are a lot of stairs.
JR: There are a lot of stairs. I was thinking of you guys when I popped in there because I knew you had an event coming up. Those boxes are heavy! I was feeling for you.
ER: Exactly, yeah. You don’t need to be ging to the gym if you’re a bookseller!
JR: I wanted to change direction slightly because we always end up talking about books, obviously. We want to talk about what’s getting you excited and what’s been really good from the year so far.
But I want to go back to the beginning briefly and talk about your entry into the book world. I know you said you were at university, you did the MA. Can you tell us a little bit about how you started at the bookshop and how your role grew over the years?
ER: So, I came down to Exeter at the campus here in Penryn, and I did English Lit. I finished that—it was a BA—and I went home. I’m originally from Dubai, born and raised there. While I was at university, I had a part-time job at an independent children’s bookshop in Dubai. During the uni holidays, I’d go home and work at the bookshop. I kind of started just working in the shop, then it became a little more, and then a little more, and a little more. Eventually, they offered me a job. They said, "When you graduate, would you come and work here?" So I did. I finished university, went back home, and worked at Book Land for about two and a bit years.
I worked in the warehouse, sorted out accounts, did all the ordering, and handled loads of things. We used to do a lot of school setups for private schools, organizing book fairs, and all sorts of stuff. So yeah, I had a lot of hats in Book Land, even helping them get computerised. We used to have a handwritten receipt book and a cash box, and I got them to use a computer stock system. That was very exciting. It was an amazing experience to have as my first proper job out of uni. The experience I gained was fantastic, and it was a lovely place to work—like a family.
Then, I moved back here to Cornwall. I applied for different things, including a Master’s degree through distance learning from Birmingham Uni. It was a full-time course, so I looked for part-time work alongside it. I started in the bookshop a day and a half a week, which was perfect. At that time, the manager left, and Ron was like, "Will you do it?" I said I couldn’t, not with a full-time degree, so I job-shared with someone else who had worked at the bookshop on and off for many years with Ron. She had loads of experience, and we job-shared until I graduated. After graduation, I took over fully, and since then, the responsibility has grown. So basically, I’ve only ever worked in books.
JR: You’ve had an English degree that’s been used, which is shocking! I know it’s hard to find a direct career for an English degree, isn’t it? But what’s funny is when I talk to people like you, who are career booksellers, it’s so interesting. People work their way up or carve out a corner of the world for themselves and make it their own. I think that’s really important.
The more I talk to people like that, it’s fascinating to see how everyone starts slightly differently. People like you, who did it straight from uni, probably have a different mentality. It’s less retail. Bookselling is a funny thing—it’s more cultural than just retail. It’s interesting to talk to people who’ve seen it on the shop floor and been able to introduce things they’re passionate about.
ER: Yeah, and I’m very lucky to work for someone like Ron, who’s willing to listen and grow. One of my favourite things is when people ask for book recommendations—I love doing that. But it’s also fun to have the freedom to, say, start a subscription, offer new products, or set up a festival, which I did this year. Thanks to a great team and Ron’s willingness to let me try things, I can challenge myself and reinvigorate the shop. It’s having someone like that would can. Everyone here is just as passionate, which makes it all achievable.
JR: Yeah, so how is your experience with the Falmouth Book Festival different from the one you arranged yourself?
ER: The one I set up isn’t in competition with Colin’s festival. I wasn’t trying to do the same thing or step on his toes. The Falmouth Book Festival has really well-known names and traditional programming—fiction that people know, it’s history, and people who talk politics—and there’s nothing wrong with that. People enjoy it. But I felt a big part of our demographic wasn’t being catered to—fantasy readers, people interested in folklore, more unusual topics, or health and wellbeing. So I curated something different.
My festival is called Wayward, and the tagline was "wild and willful authors and stories." It focused on things a bit more unusual, not mainstream. It ended up being smaller events, but it reached a different audience. Some people came who had never been to an event like that before, and it was lovely to engage with a different demographic.
It was a lot of work—the logistics of accommodation, transport, and everything—but in some ways, it was easier because I was in control of it. I knew exactly what the ticket sales were, who was where, and what books I needed. So, while it was more to take on, it also felt easier because I trusted myself to organise everything. I like being organised. It was a double-edged thing - it was a lot more to take on but it also felt a littl easier, in some ways.
JR: Sure, sure. And it was a different time of year too, wasn’t it? End of April, start of May? So, you had that spring vibe—people asre hopeful, and it’s getting busier again. The lineup was really interesting too—Ruth Allen, Lucy Holland, Marian Gibson. As you say, slightly less mainstream, but still really interesting people.
ER: Yes, and they were all really good events. I think I enjoyed all of them, and we had people who came to multiple ones. The authors were fabulous—they really liked it. Even the people who had said no this time mentioned it was due to their schedule but told us that they’d come back next time. A lot of the publishers and authors really liked the idea. There are so many book festivals out there now, and people always want the big names, which I understand because you want the sales. Obviously, I would love to book someone huge like Jacqueline Wilson—that would be incredible, that would blow my mind! But you can’t always get that. It was lovely to do something where everyone wanted to be part of something a bit different. I really enjoyed it. People kept asking, "When’s the next one?" So, I guess I’m doing it again!
JR: Well, I was going to ask—do you have plans already for next May?
ER: Yeah, a couple of people said to approach them next year, and I’ve started doing subs with some reps, so I’ve got the beginnings of some ideas for next time. Basically, it’s about getting through the summer, and then I’ll have time to think about the next one. I’d like to do it again. It went down really well, and it would be nice to build on it and maybe make it a bit bigger next time.
JR: Cool, and was that at The Poly this year?
ER: It was a bit of a mix. We did some at The Poly and some upstairs in the café, using that flexible space. A couple of events at The Poly didn’t sell as well, so we moved them to the café, and those ended up selling out. It was a really nice, full room rather than a half-filled theatre space.
Having the ability to move things around was great. The Poly has already booked out the week for me—they’re great. My main aim was not to overdo it. Rather than trying to overprogram and cram in too many events, we focused on doing one great event each night, with maybe one or two on the weekend. You run the risk of overprogramming, as that can be a risk, with so much going on.
JR: Yeah, it’s all about atmosphere, isn’t it? You want a full room five times rather than a half-empty room ten times.
ER: Exactly! I think we definitely achieved that. Even the ones I was worried about ended up packed when we moved them to the café. We were squeezing people in, left, right and center! It was really nice to have those full rooms, and the authors really enjoyed themselves. A couple of them have been back to Falmouth since, just because they loved coming to Cornwall.
ER: Yeah, and the returns afterward are costly. You buy books for a 300-person audience, sell 30, and then have to return the rest. Publishers are great and they’ll authorise that but each box costs £9 or £10 to return, and it’s a lot of heavy lifting.
JR: Yeah, people forget how heavy books are in full boxes!
ER: Yeah, especially at The Poly, the space we use next door. I love that building, but there are a lot of stairs.
JR: There are a lot of stairs. I was thinking of you guys when I popped in there because I knew you had an event coming up. Those boxes are heavy! I was feeling for you.
ER: Exactly, yeah. You don’t need to be ging to the gym if you’re a bookseller!
JR: I wanted to change direction slightly because we always end up talking about books, obviously. We want to talk about what’s getting you excited and what’s been really good from the year so far.
But I want to go back to the beginning briefly and talk about your entry into the book world. I know you said you were at university, you did the MA. Can you tell us a little bit about how you started at the bookshop and how your role grew over the years?
ER: So, I came down to Exeter at the campus here in Penryn, and I did English Lit. I finished that—it was a BA—and I went home. I’m originally from Dubai, born and raised there. While I was at university, I had a part-time job at an independent children’s bookshop in Dubai. During the uni holidays, I’d go home and work at the bookshop. I kind of started just working in the shop, then it became a little more, and then a little more, and a little more. Eventually, they offered me a job. They said, "When you graduate, would you come and work here?" So I did. I finished university, went back home, and worked at Book Land for about two and a bit years.
I worked in the warehouse, sorted out accounts, did all the ordering, and handled loads of things. We used to do a lot of school setups for private schools, organizing book fairs, and all sorts of stuff. So yeah, I had a lot of hats in Book Land, even helping them get computerised. We used to have a handwritten receipt book and a cash box, and I got them to use a computer stock system. That was very exciting. It was an amazing experience to have as my first proper job out of uni. The experience I gained was fantastic, and it was a lovely place to work—like a family.
Then, I moved back here to Cornwall. I applied for different things, including a Master’s degree through distance learning from Birmingham Uni. It was a full-time course, so I looked for part-time work alongside it. I started in the bookshop a day and a half a week, which was perfect. At that time, the manager left, and Ron was like, "Will you do it?" I said I couldn’t, not with a full-time degree, so I job-shared with someone else who had worked at the bookshop on and off for many years with Ron. She had loads of experience, and we job-shared until I graduated. After graduation, I took over fully, and since then, the responsibility has grown. So basically, I’ve only ever worked in books.
JR: You’ve had an English degree that’s been used, which is shocking! I know it’s hard to find a direct career for an English degree, isn’t it? But what’s funny is when I talk to people like you, who are career booksellers, it’s so interesting. People work their way up or carve out a corner of the world for themselves and make it their own. I think that’s really important.
The more I talk to people like that, it’s fascinating to see how everyone starts slightly differently. People like you, who did it straight from uni, probably have a different mentality. It’s less retail. Bookselling is a funny thing—it’s more cultural than just retail. It’s interesting to talk to people who’ve seen it on the shop floor and been able to introduce things they’re passionate about.
ER: Yeah, and I’m very lucky to work for someone like Ron, who’s willing to listen and grow. One of my favourite things is when people ask for book recommendations—I love doing that. But it’s also fun to have the freedom to, say, start a subscription, offer new products, or set up a festival, which I did this year. Thanks to a great team and Ron’s willingness to let me try things, I can challenge myself and reinvigorate the shop. It’s having someone like that would can. Everyone here is just as passionate, which makes it all achievable.
JR: Yeah, so how is your experience with the Falmouth Book Festival different from the one you arranged yourself?
ER: The one I set up isn’t in competition with Colin’s festival. I wasn’t trying to do the same thing or step on his toes. The Falmouth Book Festival has really well-known names and traditional programming—fiction that people know, it’s history, and people who talk politics—and there’s nothing wrong with that. People enjoy it. But I felt a big part of our demographic wasn’t being catered to—fantasy readers, people interested in folklore, more unusual topics, or health and wellbeing. So I curated something different.
My festival is called Wayward, and the tagline was "wild and willful authors and stories." It focused on things a bit more unusual, not mainstream. It ended up being smaller events, but it reached a different audience. Some people came who had never been to an event like that before, and it was lovely to engage with a different demographic.
It was a lot of work—the logistics of accommodation, transport, and everything—but in some ways, it was easier because I was in control of it. I knew exactly what the ticket sales were, who was where, and what books I needed. So, while it was more to take on, it also felt easier because I trusted myself to organise everything. I like being organised. It was a double-edged thing - it was a lot more to take on but it also felt a littl easier, in some ways.
JR: Sure, sure. And it was a different time of year too, wasn’t it? End of April, start of May? So, you had that spring vibe—people asre hopeful, and it’s getting busier again. The lineup was really interesting too—Ruth Allen, Lucy Holland, Marian Gibson. As you say, slightly less mainstream, but still really interesting people.
ER: Yes, and they were all really good events. I think I enjoyed all of them, and we had people who came to multiple ones. The authors were fabulous—they really liked it. Even the people who had said no this time mentioned it was due to their schedule but told us that they’d come back next time. A lot of the publishers and authors really liked the idea. There are so many book festivals out there now, and people always want the big names, which I understand because you want the sales. Obviously, I would love to book someone huge like Jacqueline Wilson—that would be incredible, that would blow my mind! But you can’t always get that. It was lovely to do something where everyone wanted to be part of something a bit different. I really enjoyed it. People kept asking, "When’s the next one?" So, I guess I’m doing it again!
JR: Well, I was going to ask—do you have plans already for next May?
ER: Yeah, a couple of people said to approach them next year, and I’ve started doing subs with some reps, so I’ve got the beginnings of some ideas for next time. Basically, it’s about getting through the summer, and then I’ll have time to think about the next one. I’d like to do it again. It went down really well, and it would be nice to build on it and maybe make it a bit bigger next time.
JR: Cool, and was that at The Poly this year?
ER: It was a bit of a mix. We did some at The Poly and some upstairs in the café, using that flexible space. A couple of events at The Poly didn’t sell as well, so we moved them to the café, and those ended up selling out. It was a really nice, full room rather than a half-filled theatre space.
Having the ability to move things around was great. The Poly has already booked out the week for me—they’re great. My main aim was not to overdo it. Rather than trying to overprogram and cram in too many events, we focused on doing one great event each night, with maybe one or two on the weekend. You run the risk of overprogramming, as that can be a risk, with so much going on.
JR: Yeah, it’s all about atmosphere, isn’t it? You want a full room five times rather than a half-empty room ten times.
ER: Exactly! I think we definitely achieved that. Even the ones I was worried about ended up packed when we moved them to the café. We were squeezing people in, left, right and center! It was really nice to have those full rooms, and the authors really enjoyed themselves. A couple of them have been back to Falmouth since, just because they loved coming to Cornwall.
JR: Yeah, that’s amazing! It sounds really exciting, and I can’t wait to see what you do next year.
So, in the last few minutes or so, let’s talk books. Everyone has their personal tastes, but as a bookshop manager, I feel like you need a more holistic view on things. But when you're not working, what kind of books do you like to read? ER: I’d say my reading habits are pretty broad, in the sense that I’m covering two extremes of the spectrum, I suppose. On one hand, I love books that make you feel deeply—big, heart-shattering stories, often intense. One book I read last year and adored was Auē by Becky Manawatu, originally published by a tiny press in New Zealand. It's set in rural Kaikoura and is just incredible—intense, but beautiful. I love books that evoke big feelings, often involving trauma and heartache in some way, usually set in other cultures. As an expat kid, I find stories from other cultures far more interesting than reading about the UK, basically. On the other end, I also enjoy lighter reads, like the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore [Laurie Gilmore] —a bit of light-hearted entertainment to balance things out. JR: Definitely. ER: I think there’s always space for fun and light books. They often get a bad rap, but books are for enjoyment and escapism, too. Just because something is light doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. JR: Yeah, it’s nice to balance it out, especially when you're dealing with those big feelings. It’s good to have something to retreat to. |
ER: Exactly. It’s like a safety blanket—knowing what you’re going to get. As long as it’s well-written, I think those kinds of books are great. Some people dismiss them and thing they’re a load of rubbish, but I find that sometimes they're really well-done. Just because something follows a formula doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable.
JR: A hundred percent. PI mean, people read a lot of dystopian fiction, which I love as well. But you do need something to balance it out. It doesn’t mean it has to be crap either.
ER: Exactly. It’s not an excuse for bad writing—it’s about knowing what you want and reading what you enjoy at that moment.
JR: So, what are your go-to back-pocket staff recommendations? If someone came in today and asked for a suggestion, what are one or two of your favourites that are always in stock?
ER: It might sound cliché, but being a bookshop in Cornwall, I always have to recommend a Du Maurier. Rebecca is a classic, and I think it’s a great choice—readable, atmospheric, and timeless. There’s got to be something Cornish in the mix! And at the moment, to be honest, I’m recommending Auē to everyone, though I always give a heads-up that it’s pretty intense. I also recommend Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, though I always caveat that the cover is terrible and really doesn’t do it justice. It makes it look like one of those formulaic light reads, but it’s a fantastic, well-written book. Her books are great for getting people out of reading slumps—they’re very easy to read but interesting and engaging and keep people guessing.
JR: That’s a great one! It helps that she’s one of those best-selling authors now, so people are actively searching out for her next book. It’s exciting to see where those books take readers.
ER: Absolutely. If I can get someone to take Auē out of my hands, I’ll always try!
JR: Amazing - I’ll have to give that one a try. Okay, last question: Looking forward, is there anything you’re particularly excited about? We’re heading into the big release window—anything you’ve read in proof over the summer maybe that you're looking forward to?
ER: I was really excited about the new Jacqueline Wilson, which just came out. I think it’ll do well through Christmas. As a child raised on Jacqueline Wilson’s books, it’s amazing! I’m also excited about the sequel to Auē, though it's not out in the UK yet so that’s not very helpful. And I’m looking forward to a new book by Alice Feeney. She wrote Daisy Darker, which is set in Cornwall and was a great read, I really enjoyed. It’s not out until next year, though. One that’s coming out with Penguin soon is The Healing Season of Pottery [Yeon Somin], which looks like a lovely, cosy January read. It reminds me of those Japanese café and cat books—really warm and insightful.
JR: Oh yeah, those cosy Japanese books are great, actually, and often a lot weirder and than you think they’re going to be.
ER: Exactly. So yeah, it was supposed to be coming out in time for Christmas, but it got moved to January, which I’m a bit disappointed about. But I’m looking forward to it! But otherwise, in terms of the big ones, the Jacqueline Wilson is one that I read in proof which is now out and I get to talk about all the time, which is lovely.
JR: That’s really exciting. Did you get one of those “I Was Raised by Jacqueline Wilson” t-shirts?
ER: I’m currently wearing it right now!
JR: Oh, are you?! That’s so funny!
ER: And you know what? The best bit about it is that people notice it and ask about it, which gives me the chance to talk about Jacqueline Wilson all day, which is fantastic!
JR: Oh, one hundred-per-cent! My Instagram is full of my bookselling friends wearing those now.
ER: They’re great! They’re actually really good quality as well.
JR: Yeah, it’s rare to get really good book merch.
ER: No, exactly! When you do, you hang on to it. It’s pretty much becoming my uniform at the moment!
JR: Anyone who knows me will know that I’m pretty much always wearing my Klara and the Sun jumper, so I get exactly were you’re coming from.
Eloise, thank you so much for your time. I’ve had a blast chatting with you.
ER: No problem—it’s been really nice.
JR: Thanks again - have a great rest of your summer, too.
JR: A hundred percent. PI mean, people read a lot of dystopian fiction, which I love as well. But you do need something to balance it out. It doesn’t mean it has to be crap either.
ER: Exactly. It’s not an excuse for bad writing—it’s about knowing what you want and reading what you enjoy at that moment.
JR: So, what are your go-to back-pocket staff recommendations? If someone came in today and asked for a suggestion, what are one or two of your favourites that are always in stock?
ER: It might sound cliché, but being a bookshop in Cornwall, I always have to recommend a Du Maurier. Rebecca is a classic, and I think it’s a great choice—readable, atmospheric, and timeless. There’s got to be something Cornish in the mix! And at the moment, to be honest, I’m recommending Auē to everyone, though I always give a heads-up that it’s pretty intense. I also recommend Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, though I always caveat that the cover is terrible and really doesn’t do it justice. It makes it look like one of those formulaic light reads, but it’s a fantastic, well-written book. Her books are great for getting people out of reading slumps—they’re very easy to read but interesting and engaging and keep people guessing.
JR: That’s a great one! It helps that she’s one of those best-selling authors now, so people are actively searching out for her next book. It’s exciting to see where those books take readers.
ER: Absolutely. If I can get someone to take Auē out of my hands, I’ll always try!
JR: Amazing - I’ll have to give that one a try. Okay, last question: Looking forward, is there anything you’re particularly excited about? We’re heading into the big release window—anything you’ve read in proof over the summer maybe that you're looking forward to?
ER: I was really excited about the new Jacqueline Wilson, which just came out. I think it’ll do well through Christmas. As a child raised on Jacqueline Wilson’s books, it’s amazing! I’m also excited about the sequel to Auē, though it's not out in the UK yet so that’s not very helpful. And I’m looking forward to a new book by Alice Feeney. She wrote Daisy Darker, which is set in Cornwall and was a great read, I really enjoyed. It’s not out until next year, though. One that’s coming out with Penguin soon is The Healing Season of Pottery [Yeon Somin], which looks like a lovely, cosy January read. It reminds me of those Japanese café and cat books—really warm and insightful.
JR: Oh yeah, those cosy Japanese books are great, actually, and often a lot weirder and than you think they’re going to be.
ER: Exactly. So yeah, it was supposed to be coming out in time for Christmas, but it got moved to January, which I’m a bit disappointed about. But I’m looking forward to it! But otherwise, in terms of the big ones, the Jacqueline Wilson is one that I read in proof which is now out and I get to talk about all the time, which is lovely.
JR: That’s really exciting. Did you get one of those “I Was Raised by Jacqueline Wilson” t-shirts?
ER: I’m currently wearing it right now!
JR: Oh, are you?! That’s so funny!
ER: And you know what? The best bit about it is that people notice it and ask about it, which gives me the chance to talk about Jacqueline Wilson all day, which is fantastic!
JR: Oh, one hundred-per-cent! My Instagram is full of my bookselling friends wearing those now.
ER: They’re great! They’re actually really good quality as well.
JR: Yeah, it’s rare to get really good book merch.
ER: No, exactly! When you do, you hang on to it. It’s pretty much becoming my uniform at the moment!
JR: Anyone who knows me will know that I’m pretty much always wearing my Klara and the Sun jumper, so I get exactly were you’re coming from.
Eloise, thank you so much for your time. I’ve had a blast chatting with you.
ER: No problem—it’s been really nice.
JR: Thanks again - have a great rest of your summer, too.
Make sure you go and support Eloise and the team at the Falmouth Bookseller by checking them out on socials, head to the website to see which exciting events they have coming up, or pop in in person the very next chance you get - for cracking book recs and now coffees and cake upstairs.
Plus, look out for news on the Wayward Book Festival coming back to Falmouth in 2025! |