…and the mixed fortunes of independent bookshops.
The Sunday Times recently ran a lengthy article about the bookseller extraordinaire Tim Daunt. Having set up his own excellent bookshops, the most elegant of which is in Marylebone High Street, he became CEO of Waterstones and now also oversees the chain of Barnes and Noble in the USA. It is quite an incredible portfolio of business and power.
However, another article in a weekly journal written by the owner of a London independent bookshop took a slightly different angle. The Rye Bookshop in East Sussex, the Marlow Bookshop in Buckinghamshire and even Hatchards in Piccadilly, all of them are actually Waterstones. Previously independent bookshops, they have been allowed to keep their name and their house style. Is this harmless or is it underhand? Does the customer truly understand the situation and does it matter? The writer of the article went further, suggesting that in many ways the choice could be curtailed in corporate bookshops, maybe chances won’t be taken, stick to what is safe and popular might be the brief.
I feel grateful that I have a Waterstones close enough to walk into but I truly love an independent bookshop, one that is quirky, eccentric and has its own personality. I have no idea how they can possibly survive in today’s business environment but I am super grateful that there are still a few around… and, well, I think Tim Daunt is OK too.