Al VereyVerey Books, Pooley BridgeFor this week’s Spotlight, we’re catching up with our very first bookseller feature from last year’s bookshop day, back in October.
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JR: It’s great to catch up again, it’s been quite a while. So, you've been open for a couple of years now. You're one of the newest indies in the Lake District, still, after those two years. We’ve come out of a pandemic into a recession and you opened a bookshop. Now, I know that you're a reader and that you’ve been a teacher, you were a guide. Was it a tour guide?
AV: I was tour-guiding at The Wordsworth Trust, yeah.
JR: Did you have any experience as a bookseller before you opened the doors?
AV: None whatsoever. I had never even worked in a bookshop. All I had was a love of books and a sufficiently uncomfortable relationship with teaching so I wanted to leave. And the pandemic kind of furthered all those things, furthered the dream of the bookshop and the uncomfortable relationship with teaching. And yeah, I think like lots of people, my life changed through the pandemic and I just decided to give it a shot.
JR: And were you living locally already?
AV: Yes, I was living about five minutes away. So I knew Pooley Bridge, I knew the area. I knew the building I wanted. In fact, I had a weird moment sitting in the car outside the shop, long before it was my shop. Just having this weird feeling about building. And, yeah, there was a connection. But at that point it wasn't for sale and I didn't really know I was going to open a bookshop. But yeah, just after the pandemic, it was suddenly on the market.
Obviously one needs money to be able to do these things and I had come into some inheritance money so the stars aligned and I bought the shop. And then I had to learn how to become a bookseller! I've done Patrick Neale’s course online about how to start and open your first bookshop, so I did that. And that gave me an idea of where to start in terms of joining the Booksellers Association. And they provided some mentorship. And in fact, Patrick then became my mentor. So anyway, yeah, the wheels started turning quite quickly after I bought the building, thought, ‘Oh shit, what do I do now?’ But yes, once you kind of got involved with the Booksellers Association, it started happening quite quickly.
JR: It's never as easy as just opening the doors and people coming in, so what were your first steps, and what were you thinking when you stood in an empty shop and thought, right, what next? Or did you always have a vision for 50% bookshop, 50% cafe?
AV: Yes, the cafe was always part of the plan, because the building, the shop, previously had been a cafe and ice cream and all that. It was known for its cafe side of things, and I could see Pooley Bridge demands, well it doesn't demand, but everyone is offering a food option, food and drink. It's what a tourist destination, it's what people want as they walk around the lake. So that was a no-brainer. However, the bookshop was always the primary reason for existence, and I always wanted that to come first, I wanted to be a bookshop and a little cafe attached. The relationship between the two has slightly changed over the last two and a half years, and the cafe has grown - not at the expense of the bookshop, but nevertheless, the cafe has grown. So anyway, yes, it was always a bookshop and a cafe.
The building layout was not quite right for what I wanted to do, the kitchen they had was absolutely vast, and just the layout of the shop didn't quite suit. So we had to get the builders in. I engaged an interior designer, she helped come up with a layout for the shop and how the flow of customers would work and all of that. So yeah, we had to, there were a few months where we were just thinking and planning the layout, and coming up with logos and colour schemes and all of that. And then we did quite a lot of interior work, new ceilings, new alarm systems, new floors, new walls. It was full on, we really went for it. Also in the back of my mind, I know have been to lots of bookshops, the ones that I liked were the ones that looked great: yes, they sold bookshops, they sell fantastic books, but the ones that appealed to me have a kind of sheen, and it really helps. The books also have a sheen. And if you can provide a really nice background, with lots of natural light, and get as many books facing out as possible, and have the smell of coffee in the air, I know it's quite an intoxicating mix. So that's what I was aiming for, that's why I did spend quite a bit of money on doing out the shop, so that it had this kind of quality, this kind of high quality, where I would give the books the best possible advantage to look great, and in my mind, it would give them a better chance to sell.
JR: So, you open in the spring, you open in the February which obviously is a bit of a downtime for the lakes. Though not necessarily a quiet one -
AV: - which was a good thing because, by the time we opened, I was so terrified of a customer actually coming in. I was quite happy to open on February the 4th, or whatever it was, when it was really quiet and we all took an intake of breath when the customer walked in.
AV: I was tour-guiding at The Wordsworth Trust, yeah.
JR: Did you have any experience as a bookseller before you opened the doors?
AV: None whatsoever. I had never even worked in a bookshop. All I had was a love of books and a sufficiently uncomfortable relationship with teaching so I wanted to leave. And the pandemic kind of furthered all those things, furthered the dream of the bookshop and the uncomfortable relationship with teaching. And yeah, I think like lots of people, my life changed through the pandemic and I just decided to give it a shot.
JR: And were you living locally already?
AV: Yes, I was living about five minutes away. So I knew Pooley Bridge, I knew the area. I knew the building I wanted. In fact, I had a weird moment sitting in the car outside the shop, long before it was my shop. Just having this weird feeling about building. And, yeah, there was a connection. But at that point it wasn't for sale and I didn't really know I was going to open a bookshop. But yeah, just after the pandemic, it was suddenly on the market.
Obviously one needs money to be able to do these things and I had come into some inheritance money so the stars aligned and I bought the shop. And then I had to learn how to become a bookseller! I've done Patrick Neale’s course online about how to start and open your first bookshop, so I did that. And that gave me an idea of where to start in terms of joining the Booksellers Association. And they provided some mentorship. And in fact, Patrick then became my mentor. So anyway, yeah, the wheels started turning quite quickly after I bought the building, thought, ‘Oh shit, what do I do now?’ But yes, once you kind of got involved with the Booksellers Association, it started happening quite quickly.
JR: It's never as easy as just opening the doors and people coming in, so what were your first steps, and what were you thinking when you stood in an empty shop and thought, right, what next? Or did you always have a vision for 50% bookshop, 50% cafe?
AV: Yes, the cafe was always part of the plan, because the building, the shop, previously had been a cafe and ice cream and all that. It was known for its cafe side of things, and I could see Pooley Bridge demands, well it doesn't demand, but everyone is offering a food option, food and drink. It's what a tourist destination, it's what people want as they walk around the lake. So that was a no-brainer. However, the bookshop was always the primary reason for existence, and I always wanted that to come first, I wanted to be a bookshop and a little cafe attached. The relationship between the two has slightly changed over the last two and a half years, and the cafe has grown - not at the expense of the bookshop, but nevertheless, the cafe has grown. So anyway, yes, it was always a bookshop and a cafe.
The building layout was not quite right for what I wanted to do, the kitchen they had was absolutely vast, and just the layout of the shop didn't quite suit. So we had to get the builders in. I engaged an interior designer, she helped come up with a layout for the shop and how the flow of customers would work and all of that. So yeah, we had to, there were a few months where we were just thinking and planning the layout, and coming up with logos and colour schemes and all of that. And then we did quite a lot of interior work, new ceilings, new alarm systems, new floors, new walls. It was full on, we really went for it. Also in the back of my mind, I know have been to lots of bookshops, the ones that I liked were the ones that looked great: yes, they sold bookshops, they sell fantastic books, but the ones that appealed to me have a kind of sheen, and it really helps. The books also have a sheen. And if you can provide a really nice background, with lots of natural light, and get as many books facing out as possible, and have the smell of coffee in the air, I know it's quite an intoxicating mix. So that's what I was aiming for, that's why I did spend quite a bit of money on doing out the shop, so that it had this kind of quality, this kind of high quality, where I would give the books the best possible advantage to look great, and in my mind, it would give them a better chance to sell.
JR: So, you open in the spring, you open in the February which obviously is a bit of a downtime for the lakes. Though not necessarily a quiet one -
AV: - which was a good thing because, by the time we opened, I was so terrified of a customer actually coming in. I was quite happy to open on February the 4th, or whatever it was, when it was really quiet and we all took an intake of breath when the customer walked in.
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JR: And they're soggy in February weather! They've got wet dogs with them, too. It isn't necessarily a perfect mix for a bookshop. Obviously, Lake District clientele are going to be quite used to the wet weather. But bookshops and water don't mix particularly well. How have you found that mix?
AV: Well, there was never a point when I was not going to let dogs in. Everybody has, or most people have dogs in the Lakes. We provide a dog towel on wet days for people when they come in. And there have been occasions, many occasions when a dog has shaken itself all over the lower shelf of the classic section or whatever it might be. But mud comes off, you let it dry and then a couple of hours later you can go around with a cloth and you can just make them as good as new. And if it's really badly damaged then you just have to suck it up, but not letting dogs in would keep out 30-40% of customers, I think, so it's worth it on the whole. And people generally are pretty good if they're dripping wet, they are careful around the books and there haven't been that many occasions where it's been a real problem. JR: You've had two summers now, the peak season for your business, how have you seen things change since you've been open? |
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Have you noticed much more footfall as those years have gone on? Do you think your customer base has changed at all?
Are you selling different kinds of books in those two years?
AV: Our football's definitely increased. I still don't know if that's because we are better known and people are seeking us out or if just holiday trends have changed post-COVID and people are tending to holiday more in the Lake District than they were previously. But definitely, our football has increased. The books we sell, the kinds of books we sell, very much depends on the seasons. So I've definitely picked up on that trend and from about October to March we have a lot more of our locals around and we tend to sell more nature-based, local guides, anything to do with Cumbria. There's more of a focus on those kinds of non-fiction, things like The Salt Path, and pretty books about Cumbria. Those do much better in those months. And during the summer months, the focus is very much on holiday reads and also, we sell quite a few just really beautiful editions of classics. I'm not entirely sure why but I think we're in a gifty area, so yeah, we do quite well with lovely editions of Jane Austen or whatever it might be.
JR: Do you think there's a Wordsworth pull at all?
AV: I don't think we get it, it doesn't feel like it did in Grassmere in terms of the kind of literary pull and literary connection. We get a bit of that and there are certain editions of Wordsworth that do sell primarily, I think, because they have a gifty, beautiful shine to them. But yeah, I don't think we are a literary focus in the way that Grassmere is.
No, but I often feel we get a crowd, a holidaying crowd from the north of England that don't go to bookshops in their normal lives and they come to somewhere like Pooley Bridge and they wander round and they suddenly find they're in a bookshop. And I often feel this might be the one point in the year where they are in a bookshop and that's possibly why we sell a certain kind of book. I'm not trying to put my finger on it, but maybe that's why we sell some classics and things that you can get in the supermarket, frankly, for half the price, we can sell here because I think people aren't necessarily bookshopping in supermarkets and they suddenly find they're in a bookshop and they'll pick up something like Colleen Hoover, which they could get in any supermarket, but they suddenly discover it with us and pay a bit more for it. Anyway, that's my theory.
JR: Normally when I'm talking to booksellers, I do talk about the location quite a bit, because quite often it's the landscape of other booksellers that can shape what a bookshop sells. If you've got a Waterstones on your front door, or you've got a WH. Smiths or a supermarket, then that generally affects the kind of books that most indies sell. Now, obviously, the Lake District has a great range of independent bookshops, but they're all quite rural. There's a bit of driving in between. Your supermarkets aren't necessarily on your doorstep. And for the most part, people are heading to a particular location and staying there, so you've got a concentrated clientele.
We normally talk about how large a shop is and the first time we spoke, you gave me a very specific answer, which was quite nice. You said you had 4,631 books in stock. Do you feel like the book selection has changed or decreased at all, or is it just reshuffled in a different way since then?
AV: I'm still learning how to be a bookseller, and I know I'm reordering books that have been good sellers for us, but I'm still trying to work out going year on year. Should I still be reordering this book that sold well in 2022 and quite well in 2023?
Should I be reordering that in 2024 and it still sells? Or should I cut my loss for that one and get a new book and kind of start a journey with a new book? At the moment I'm playing it quite safe, so there are books in the shop that were here in 2022 and that we’re still selling in 2024 because they're still selling. So as a bookseller, I'm still learning this part of it, however, of course, I see reps from the publishers and there is a constant stream of new books coming in all the time. I kind of feel my way as to how the book is, if I think the book will continue to sell or if after selling one copy I delete and do not reorder. So I think there are books still in the shop that have been here all the way through. There are new books coming in. I'm trying hard not to become a shop full of the books that you find in every bookshop, so that's the balance of finding your sellers that just keep rolling and then trying to bring in something that makes you look new and different and offering something slightly eccentric or something people wouldn't expect, but also wanting those to sell as well.
JR: It's a funny juggle because you want to have your own little flavour, your own reading tastes, your staff’s reading tastes. I know that your Book of the Month gets chosen by the whole staff. Is that something you're quite keen to do, to share the responsibility of pushing staff books?
Are you selling different kinds of books in those two years?
AV: Our football's definitely increased. I still don't know if that's because we are better known and people are seeking us out or if just holiday trends have changed post-COVID and people are tending to holiday more in the Lake District than they were previously. But definitely, our football has increased. The books we sell, the kinds of books we sell, very much depends on the seasons. So I've definitely picked up on that trend and from about October to March we have a lot more of our locals around and we tend to sell more nature-based, local guides, anything to do with Cumbria. There's more of a focus on those kinds of non-fiction, things like The Salt Path, and pretty books about Cumbria. Those do much better in those months. And during the summer months, the focus is very much on holiday reads and also, we sell quite a few just really beautiful editions of classics. I'm not entirely sure why but I think we're in a gifty area, so yeah, we do quite well with lovely editions of Jane Austen or whatever it might be.
JR: Do you think there's a Wordsworth pull at all?
AV: I don't think we get it, it doesn't feel like it did in Grassmere in terms of the kind of literary pull and literary connection. We get a bit of that and there are certain editions of Wordsworth that do sell primarily, I think, because they have a gifty, beautiful shine to them. But yeah, I don't think we are a literary focus in the way that Grassmere is.
No, but I often feel we get a crowd, a holidaying crowd from the north of England that don't go to bookshops in their normal lives and they come to somewhere like Pooley Bridge and they wander round and they suddenly find they're in a bookshop. And I often feel this might be the one point in the year where they are in a bookshop and that's possibly why we sell a certain kind of book. I'm not trying to put my finger on it, but maybe that's why we sell some classics and things that you can get in the supermarket, frankly, for half the price, we can sell here because I think people aren't necessarily bookshopping in supermarkets and they suddenly find they're in a bookshop and they'll pick up something like Colleen Hoover, which they could get in any supermarket, but they suddenly discover it with us and pay a bit more for it. Anyway, that's my theory.
JR: Normally when I'm talking to booksellers, I do talk about the location quite a bit, because quite often it's the landscape of other booksellers that can shape what a bookshop sells. If you've got a Waterstones on your front door, or you've got a WH. Smiths or a supermarket, then that generally affects the kind of books that most indies sell. Now, obviously, the Lake District has a great range of independent bookshops, but they're all quite rural. There's a bit of driving in between. Your supermarkets aren't necessarily on your doorstep. And for the most part, people are heading to a particular location and staying there, so you've got a concentrated clientele.
We normally talk about how large a shop is and the first time we spoke, you gave me a very specific answer, which was quite nice. You said you had 4,631 books in stock. Do you feel like the book selection has changed or decreased at all, or is it just reshuffled in a different way since then?
AV: I'm still learning how to be a bookseller, and I know I'm reordering books that have been good sellers for us, but I'm still trying to work out going year on year. Should I still be reordering this book that sold well in 2022 and quite well in 2023?
Should I be reordering that in 2024 and it still sells? Or should I cut my loss for that one and get a new book and kind of start a journey with a new book? At the moment I'm playing it quite safe, so there are books in the shop that were here in 2022 and that we’re still selling in 2024 because they're still selling. So as a bookseller, I'm still learning this part of it, however, of course, I see reps from the publishers and there is a constant stream of new books coming in all the time. I kind of feel my way as to how the book is, if I think the book will continue to sell or if after selling one copy I delete and do not reorder. So I think there are books still in the shop that have been here all the way through. There are new books coming in. I'm trying hard not to become a shop full of the books that you find in every bookshop, so that's the balance of finding your sellers that just keep rolling and then trying to bring in something that makes you look new and different and offering something slightly eccentric or something people wouldn't expect, but also wanting those to sell as well.
JR: It's a funny juggle because you want to have your own little flavour, your own reading tastes, your staff’s reading tastes. I know that your Book of the Month gets chosen by the whole staff. Is that something you're quite keen to do, to share the responsibility of pushing staff books?
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AV: Yeah, and I'm keen for this shop not to be just a reflection of my taste, and I know that all the staff working here have got their own individual reading tastes and habits, and I definitely want to tap into that. Especially, I mean, I'm in my forties, I did English at university, worked at the Wordsworth Trust. I know I'm quite refined in what I like, and I know that that does not sell well in Pooley Bridge. So I'm keen to tap into everyone else's tastes, and broadly speaking, their books sell a lot better than mine do!
And the advantage of having a relatively small stock is that we can do lots of facing out of books and big piles and those ones definitely sell faster than if we have them all crammed on the shelves. So yes, it definitely has its advantages. JR: On your website, I see it says that this is all 40 years in the making. I think there are a lot of people out there with aspirations of running their own shop, like yourself. Has running an indie bookshop lived up to the dream, do you think? AV: Yes, yes it has. I've discovered I really like being my own boss and the weight off my shoulders from the teaching world and suddenly feeling like I can choose what I do in the shop. |
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I don't have to answer to anyone. I'm still getting used to that. I'm still expecting my old headmaster to turn up at any moment and have to explain myself. I love that. And yes, I am enjoying the job, although frequently the job is a cafe job. Frequently there are days where I do very little book stuff and I spend my days making cappuccinos and serving cake. I don't mind that either, I've worked in cafes before and I knew beforehand that I quite liked waiting and I quite like making coffee, so that's fine. But I think for me the best bit of bookselling is getting it right - getting the right book in at the right time. And it’s deeply satisfying when they all sell. I’m sure that’s the same for all booksellers, you’re always looking for that key to the next success.
JR: Yeah, when you just can't order enough.
AV: Yes, exactly. Yeah, it’s always looking for that next one.
JR: Are there any examples of books that have maybe come as a bit of an unexpected surprise selling like that?
AV: Yeah, the one that springs to mind from last year was A Woman in the Polar Night [Christiane Ritter], which one of the reps got me to read and it's just fantastic. And so [I] just started pushing them out and we sold loads of them and everyone who reads it thinks it's brilliant. That's been great. And we did really well with Rory Stewart [Politics on the Edge] but he has a kind of connection, he was the MP previously, anyway, his book has done really well. Those are the two that jumped to mind.
JR: I know you host a number of events in-store, which is obviously a really interesting, quite exciting thing. I was curious, as a Lake District bookshop with what you'd maybe expect to be a fairly transient customer base, are your events just reaching your regular customers or do you think you're able to tap into some of that passing trade?
AV: I think you're right. I think the passing trade is difficult. We're about to try a kind of social evening where people can just come in off the street and buy some tapas and wine and there will be an author there signing books, but that's almost incidental. The focus is the late opening and summer vibes. So we're going to try that. But generally speaking, yes, the crowd who come to our events are local and regular customers. And sometimes we struggle for numbers and other times we don't at all. And that's when I realised that our messages aren’t getting through, either through social media or through press releases. But when we've done events on wild swimming, paddle boarding, fell running, particularly the sporty ones, we've sold out easily.
It's getting the right book but then there are these groups. You know, there's obviously a big wild swimming crowd, and so when you can offer something that appeals to a particular community locally, then it seems to be just word of mouth. Those have done really well. Whereas when we get an author of a conventional novel or something, they don't seem to do quite as well. The sort of literary community isn't as predominant.
JR: I see you have an event coming up Caro Giles. I'm a big fan of that book.
AV: Yeah. And that'll be an interesting one.
JR: I mean, the book is very much a love letter to the North East coast, it's about those kinds of small communities. And that could very well translate to the Lakes. But it's about lockdown, it's about motherhood, and it's about all of these different things. I feel like a lot of nature writing has become more than just nature writing or travel. I imagine those will do quite well for you here.
AV: Yes. Yes, they do. And again, I've noticed the same thing. And fingers crossed for Caro, we should get a good audience. Yeah, the ones we haven't sold many tickets for have been poetry. Which is a hard sell.
JR: Yeah, when you just can't order enough.
AV: Yes, exactly. Yeah, it’s always looking for that next one.
JR: Are there any examples of books that have maybe come as a bit of an unexpected surprise selling like that?
AV: Yeah, the one that springs to mind from last year was A Woman in the Polar Night [Christiane Ritter], which one of the reps got me to read and it's just fantastic. And so [I] just started pushing them out and we sold loads of them and everyone who reads it thinks it's brilliant. That's been great. And we did really well with Rory Stewart [Politics on the Edge] but he has a kind of connection, he was the MP previously, anyway, his book has done really well. Those are the two that jumped to mind.
JR: I know you host a number of events in-store, which is obviously a really interesting, quite exciting thing. I was curious, as a Lake District bookshop with what you'd maybe expect to be a fairly transient customer base, are your events just reaching your regular customers or do you think you're able to tap into some of that passing trade?
AV: I think you're right. I think the passing trade is difficult. We're about to try a kind of social evening where people can just come in off the street and buy some tapas and wine and there will be an author there signing books, but that's almost incidental. The focus is the late opening and summer vibes. So we're going to try that. But generally speaking, yes, the crowd who come to our events are local and regular customers. And sometimes we struggle for numbers and other times we don't at all. And that's when I realised that our messages aren’t getting through, either through social media or through press releases. But when we've done events on wild swimming, paddle boarding, fell running, particularly the sporty ones, we've sold out easily.
It's getting the right book but then there are these groups. You know, there's obviously a big wild swimming crowd, and so when you can offer something that appeals to a particular community locally, then it seems to be just word of mouth. Those have done really well. Whereas when we get an author of a conventional novel or something, they don't seem to do quite as well. The sort of literary community isn't as predominant.
JR: I see you have an event coming up Caro Giles. I'm a big fan of that book.
AV: Yeah. And that'll be an interesting one.
JR: I mean, the book is very much a love letter to the North East coast, it's about those kinds of small communities. And that could very well translate to the Lakes. But it's about lockdown, it's about motherhood, and it's about all of these different things. I feel like a lot of nature writing has become more than just nature writing or travel. I imagine those will do quite well for you here.
AV: Yes. Yes, they do. And again, I've noticed the same thing. And fingers crossed for Caro, we should get a good audience. Yeah, the ones we haven't sold many tickets for have been poetry. Which is a hard sell.
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JR: This is a hard sell anywhere, unfortunately.
AV: We did a musical one a couple of months ago with The Bookshop Band. That was brilliant, they were a sellout. We might try and do some more musical ones because there's clearly a thirst for that. JR: Well, you also did a cello one, right? AV: Yes, yeah, The Highway Cello by Kenneth Wilson. JR: Those kind of slightly niche, maybe slightly unusual ones are great. Now, you also do your Saturday Storytimes. How well are they attended? AV: They are, it depends on the time of year, they're busier during the summer when there are just more children around and parents and stuff but yeah they do well. I think it's quite well established now that it happens, it's free, and we ask people to book a ticket just so that we know for numbers. Often people don't book tickets and they just turn up so it's quite hard to tell if it's going to be a busy week or not. Sometimes no one turns up but on the whole, we get somewhere between five and ten kids a week. |
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And often what I find, well, I don't know if it's just my reading style, but sometimes the children I'm reading to will just leave, and I'll be reading to the parents.
JR: Ha! Well, hopefully, that just means that the books are so attractive that they're just getting distracted. I did see online as well, your Walking Book Club. Is that something you've started? Is that something that was maybe aspirational early on?
AV: That's right, there was a lady who wanted to use the shop as a base for doing walks and then coming back and having coffee but that hasn't quite taken off. My wife's actually thinking about doing something similar and giving it a go. I think that there is a community that that would appeal to around here but it hasn't actually come to anything yet.
JR: And do you run any other kind of book clubs at the minute?
AV: Yes, we're doing a book a month, well, every two months. We have book club nights where I think there are about 14 people at the moment meet and discuss the latest book and have coffee and stuff. That seems to be going quite well. We're always tinkering with the events trying to get as much appeal as we can and trying to vary them. We’ve just done a political one [Natalie Bennett, Change Everything] and that was great.
JR: Okay, let's finish talking about books. Do you think you've got a top three or so that are performing better than anyone else?
AV: We do -
JR: - it seems to be the season of paperbacks.
AV: Yeah, paperbacks and holiday reads. So, we do really well with things like Confessions of a 40something F##k up [Alexandra Potter]. We do well with How to Kill Your Family [Bella Mackie], which still does really well and it seems to be going out of print which I can't understand why, but it's getting hard to find copies. We do well with Richard Coles and Richard Osman, so yeah. And then things like Women Who Run With The Wolves [Clarissa Pinkola Estés] which I've always loved so I've always had that book out and I think does surprisingly well. I mean again that
JR: And that paired with your Women in the Polar Night, they're very interesting ones to stand out, those older or re-releases.
AV: Yes, I don't know why. There's another book called Tough Women Adventure Stories [Jenny Tough], that does really well. There is a definite female bias, as I'm sure there is generally to reading habits. I think, I don't know, I mean, it's a generalization, but I think women are generally more bookshop customers than men, I don't know. I've definitely discovered that books aimed at women tend to do better. So that's a focus in the shop. And fantasy. It’s a strange one because during the summer holidays, when there are families around, there are suddenly a lot more children and young adults and suddenly we can sell our entire young adult stock in a month and for the rest of the year, we don't sell a single YA book.
JR: Those teens who don't want to climb the fells, who are brought to campsites and made to read. I was at one time one of those kids. I think the outdoors is quite often a great backdrop for some good reading.
Do you think there are any local books that may do better that are slightly more contemporary?
JR: Ha! Well, hopefully, that just means that the books are so attractive that they're just getting distracted. I did see online as well, your Walking Book Club. Is that something you've started? Is that something that was maybe aspirational early on?
AV: That's right, there was a lady who wanted to use the shop as a base for doing walks and then coming back and having coffee but that hasn't quite taken off. My wife's actually thinking about doing something similar and giving it a go. I think that there is a community that that would appeal to around here but it hasn't actually come to anything yet.
JR: And do you run any other kind of book clubs at the minute?
AV: Yes, we're doing a book a month, well, every two months. We have book club nights where I think there are about 14 people at the moment meet and discuss the latest book and have coffee and stuff. That seems to be going quite well. We're always tinkering with the events trying to get as much appeal as we can and trying to vary them. We’ve just done a political one [Natalie Bennett, Change Everything] and that was great.
JR: Okay, let's finish talking about books. Do you think you've got a top three or so that are performing better than anyone else?
AV: We do -
JR: - it seems to be the season of paperbacks.
AV: Yeah, paperbacks and holiday reads. So, we do really well with things like Confessions of a 40something F##k up [Alexandra Potter]. We do well with How to Kill Your Family [Bella Mackie], which still does really well and it seems to be going out of print which I can't understand why, but it's getting hard to find copies. We do well with Richard Coles and Richard Osman, so yeah. And then things like Women Who Run With The Wolves [Clarissa Pinkola Estés] which I've always loved so I've always had that book out and I think does surprisingly well. I mean again that
JR: And that paired with your Women in the Polar Night, they're very interesting ones to stand out, those older or re-releases.
AV: Yes, I don't know why. There's another book called Tough Women Adventure Stories [Jenny Tough], that does really well. There is a definite female bias, as I'm sure there is generally to reading habits. I think, I don't know, I mean, it's a generalization, but I think women are generally more bookshop customers than men, I don't know. I've definitely discovered that books aimed at women tend to do better. So that's a focus in the shop. And fantasy. It’s a strange one because during the summer holidays, when there are families around, there are suddenly a lot more children and young adults and suddenly we can sell our entire young adult stock in a month and for the rest of the year, we don't sell a single YA book.
JR: Those teens who don't want to climb the fells, who are brought to campsites and made to read. I was at one time one of those kids. I think the outdoors is quite often a great backdrop for some good reading.
Do you think there are any local books that may do better that are slightly more contemporary?
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AV: I mean, there are very locally produced walking guides and things that do very well here that I can't imagine you find in many other bookshops, but they are literally local walks around the Eden Valley and Ullswater.
JR: You know, the more you talk to writers, and especially poets, you realise how many creative people are living in the Lake District and Cumbria. I did see an event that you've got listed for November which is part two of a guy who writes books on the Lakes, is that right? AV: Colin Hindle, yes, his book is The Best Lakeland Views, and it's very much written in the style of Wainwright, and he does all his own drawings and everything, and yeah, beautiful books. Yes, and that's done very well, and I'm sure book two will do well as well. He used to own the cafe across the road, and so he's as local as you can get. Yes, so that's done well, and we work with Dave Felton, inspired by Lakeland, his books. He's done The Lake District Sticker Book, and there's a book called The Lake District Survival Guide, and 101 Maps and Infographics of the Lake District, so very local, and they do brilliantly. We've sold more copies of The Lake District Sticker Book than any other book by a long way. JR: Which, I guess, is not a surprise, though maybe a little frustrating? |
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AV: Yeah, but anyway, yes, I mean, that appeals to a big section of our market, which is grandparents and parents, and it's such an easy one, and it's a book you're not going to find in many other bookshops in the country.
JR: Yeah, which is really great to have. So, my last question is normally about something you may be looking forward to, and I know we've got Independent Bookshop Week coming up, are there any books coming out soon that you're quite looking forward to or any other events happening that you're you're especially looking forward to?
AV: The book I'm really looking forward to coming out is James Rebank's in October [The Place of Tides, 17th October 2024], so it's still some way off, but pre-orders have been good and that's going to be great, I'm sure.
JR: How did Helen Rebanks’ do [The Farmer’s Wife]?
AV: For us, brilliantly, and she came and did an event and she's been really supportive and pops in to sign copies and all of that, so that was fantastic.
Things like Independent Bookshop Week, I put a lot of effort into, especially for my first year and, frankly, one in 20, maybe one in 50 people who came into the shop had any notion it was Independent Bookshop Week or cared in the slightest. I've really not given up but certainly don't get my knickers in a twist about this kind of thing because it really makes very little difference in terms of the shop.
JR: I agree, I think most people coming through the door aren't aware it's happening. But I guess it's an awareness thing. It's kind of saying, ‘Yes, we are a great cafe, we sell great cake but don't forget that at the core of what we do…’ But again, that comes down to conversation. It comes down to the people that you can talk to. And I know you're all about having conversations with customers and making that a priority.
And I guess doing that over a slice of cake is just as important. But yeah, I think IBW is a funny one because booksellers do quite often get quite caught up in it, and it's over before you know it and you can put so much effort into it.
AV: I don't know, I don't want to become too cynical too early on in my uh bookshop-bookselling career, but you're right it is primarily about awareness and perhaps helping customers to see a bit behind the curtains of what a bookshop is all about and who we depend on.
JR: And you know this as well as anybody here in the Lake District, you know, you can be 15 minutes or even 15 miles down the road from another bookshop and you can still feel quite isolated. You've got fells, lakes and rivers in between, but you know there are other people on high streets who feel the same way and they're feeling isolated. I guess, things like IBW are about reminding everybody that we're all in the same boat.
JR: So yeah, so James Rebanks, one to look forward to. Was there anything else, maybe, is there like a fiction or something that you like to read personally that you're quite looking forward to?
AV: Philip Pullman, but he's never going to write part three! I'd love to experience that. I guess what happened around Harry Potter and people camping outside bookshops just to get the next new edition?
JR: I don't know if that's a thing anymore, when was the last time that happened?
AV: Oh, yes, we've also just got in the new M.W. Craven [The Mercy Chair], who's a fantastic local crime writer. He's coming to talk to us in October. So that’s definitely something to look forward to!
JR: Yeah, which is really great to have. So, my last question is normally about something you may be looking forward to, and I know we've got Independent Bookshop Week coming up, are there any books coming out soon that you're quite looking forward to or any other events happening that you're you're especially looking forward to?
AV: The book I'm really looking forward to coming out is James Rebank's in October [The Place of Tides, 17th October 2024], so it's still some way off, but pre-orders have been good and that's going to be great, I'm sure.
JR: How did Helen Rebanks’ do [The Farmer’s Wife]?
AV: For us, brilliantly, and she came and did an event and she's been really supportive and pops in to sign copies and all of that, so that was fantastic.
Things like Independent Bookshop Week, I put a lot of effort into, especially for my first year and, frankly, one in 20, maybe one in 50 people who came into the shop had any notion it was Independent Bookshop Week or cared in the slightest. I've really not given up but certainly don't get my knickers in a twist about this kind of thing because it really makes very little difference in terms of the shop.
JR: I agree, I think most people coming through the door aren't aware it's happening. But I guess it's an awareness thing. It's kind of saying, ‘Yes, we are a great cafe, we sell great cake but don't forget that at the core of what we do…’ But again, that comes down to conversation. It comes down to the people that you can talk to. And I know you're all about having conversations with customers and making that a priority.
And I guess doing that over a slice of cake is just as important. But yeah, I think IBW is a funny one because booksellers do quite often get quite caught up in it, and it's over before you know it and you can put so much effort into it.
AV: I don't know, I don't want to become too cynical too early on in my uh bookshop-bookselling career, but you're right it is primarily about awareness and perhaps helping customers to see a bit behind the curtains of what a bookshop is all about and who we depend on.
JR: And you know this as well as anybody here in the Lake District, you know, you can be 15 minutes or even 15 miles down the road from another bookshop and you can still feel quite isolated. You've got fells, lakes and rivers in between, but you know there are other people on high streets who feel the same way and they're feeling isolated. I guess, things like IBW are about reminding everybody that we're all in the same boat.
JR: So yeah, so James Rebanks, one to look forward to. Was there anything else, maybe, is there like a fiction or something that you like to read personally that you're quite looking forward to?
AV: Philip Pullman, but he's never going to write part three! I'd love to experience that. I guess what happened around Harry Potter and people camping outside bookshops just to get the next new edition?
JR: I don't know if that's a thing anymore, when was the last time that happened?
AV: Oh, yes, we've also just got in the new M.W. Craven [The Mercy Chair], who's a fantastic local crime writer. He's coming to talk to us in October. So that’s definitely something to look forward to!
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