Bookseller Profile

Mr. Books
Tonbridge, Kent, UK

How did you get started in bookselling?

Having worked for national newspapers in London I wanted a career change and had always had a dream of owning and running a bookshop. I decided to do it in the Spring of 2004 and it took me until April 2005 to get the right property. My business model was to combine a small shop in the centre of town, book fairs and internet sales. From the start I used Abebooks as a way of gauging prices; now I am moving onto phase two which is to list my books on Abe. In fact I also realised that there was no book fair in my home town, Tonbridge in Kent, England, so I organised one and am now onto my seventh fair with several planned for 2006. I have developed this into a kind of mini-literary festival with children's story time, drama, poetry readings and book binding demonstrations.

 

My plans for the future are to have a bigger literary festival in Tonbridge and then look to expand my shops to other towns in the region.

Bookselling is not the easiest way to make a living. What keeps you doing it?

Love of books. Every book has a history attached. Also meeting wierd and wonderful people in my shop and at fairs, and the mixture of old and new technology.

What is your specialty?

Outdoor and photography, because those are my passions. Childrens' annuals because I bought a huge collection of them!

Do you collect anything else?

Corkscrews! Actually it's my wife's collection but I help out. There are literally thousands of different types.

Do you have a shop pet?

The odd moth and maybe a bookworm I don't know about!

Do you have any legendary stories you tell about incidents in your store or as a bookseller?

Roger Mcgough, the Liverpool poet, recently walked into my shop. I have been a fan of his for many years. I was due to see him perform at Tonbridge School that evening. I failed to recognise him at the time - probably because all the photos you see of him are 20 years old. It was only later at his post performance book signing that we got talking and he said he had been in the book shop down the little back street....mine!!

What is the most unusual book you ever bought?

I have quite a few very strange pop-up books which always amuse me.

What books do you recommend?

Bridges of Madison County nearly made me cry just as much as the film. Steppenwolf is just plain weird but enjoyable. I love all the Robert Harris novels especially because of the imaginative use of accurate research.

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