While I should be writing

I almost began this blog post by saying that Storytellers Inc., the lovely bookshop on 7 The Crescent, St Annes-on-the-Sea, save their real passion for childrens books. But that’s not strictly true. In fact, the mother-daughter-team that runs the bookshop seems to be passionate about almost everything in their bookshop: there’s the large poetry-section, the numerous reading groups (children, young adults, adults and adults reading young adult), and, of course, the reading room and the childrens books.

When they opened a few years ago, they did focus exclusively on childrens books, even though they offered to order any book that any customer might like. “But if you didn’t have children you really didn’t feel you could go into the shop and order something, when the window was filled exclusively with childrens book”, said Katie Clapham, the daughter part of the team.

But it is true that they are still passionate about childrens books. Their dedication is so contagious that I ended up buying a Baby lit – classic books retold and re-illustrated for 0 – 3 years old, or 31 year old book ners. Katie was even gracious enough to sell me one form her own private stash, when she realized I was most tempted by Jane Eyre. And then she immediately re-ordered one for her self. “I don’t have any children yet, but you never know when these kinds of books go out of print”, she said somewhat defensively. Me, I haven’t got any children and is quite certain that I never will, but what has that got to do with anything? “Although I keep them here at work”, she confessed. “I haven’t told my boyfriend that I’ve started a childrens books collection for the future.”

While I have certainly come across two generation booksellers before (The New Bookshop was one, for example, and my old boss in the bookshop I used to work for was third generation bookseller in our town), it’s the first time I’ve come across a mother and daughter who opened the bookshop together.

What’s the best thing with running a bookshop?
Mother: “Being your own boss. That you get to decide things for yourself.”
Daughter: “But mother, you always say it’s me coming back home again!”
Mother: “Errrr… yes. Yes, of course. You coming home, and us getting to decide everything for ourselves.”
Daughter: “Being able to decide everything is great. I just order the books I love myself.”
Mother: “Yes… and I try to sell some of them. We usually say I’m the business manager arounds here.
Daughter: “And I’m the creative director!

Katie was studying and working in London, living in a cheap flat above and Indian take away and working extra as a technical editor. While studying, she somehow always thought that she would just go on living in London for ever, but after graduating, she looked around and asked: “But do I really want to?” So she rented a small cottage and did some soul-searching, and then she went back home to St Annes-on-the-Sea and opened a bookshop with her mother.

And what a bookshop it is.

Their recommendation? “The Woman in Black” by Susan Hill. “The scariest book you’ve never read. I know A Christmas Carol is the ultimate Christmas ghost story, but this is the definite second.”

Of course, it didn’t really stop there, did it? “This is our bestseller at the moment”, she said, and then: “Oh, and this book! It’s the one our young adult reading group are doing at the moment, and it’s the book that changed everything for me.” – “Oh, and these! Aren’t they beautiful?”

It’s a sign of my discipline and focus that I only ended up buying two books.

For example, at this very minute I’m not looking at English fields or sheep or lambs. Even more strange, yesterday I didn’t visit a single bookshop and you know what – I might not even do it today either.

I don’t think this is the way life’s supposed to be, do you?

The only good thing about being home is that all the lovely books I’ve bought is catching up with me again. And that I’m behind with my blog, so at least I’ll get to revisit some great bookshops in the near future.

I naturally took Jane Austen and Princess Louise out for  a drink, and then I couldn’t decide which of them I prefered.

Well, three days is a long time to go without a bookshop, and sometimes you just need a break in the editing, and … well, Katie Clapham of Storytellers Inc. (more on that later) asked me whether or not I had been to Sam Reads, and I naturally changed my plans so that I could do so.

I am certainly grateful I visited. Such a beautiful bookshop, such a great selection of books, such a passion for poetry.

At Sam Reads I also got my very first poetry recommendation: Division Street by Helen Mort and Shadow Dispatches by Polly Atkin.

Sam Read Bookseller has existed for some 150 years in Grasmere, ever since Sam Read followed his name to the obvious conclusion and opened a bookshop.

I had decided before to take three days off in the Lake District to get some writing done (formal reason) and to just hang around in the area where Beatrix Botter wrote and drew and that she worked so hard to protect (true reason).

And I defy anyone to find a better place to edit your book. One day I’ll come back here and write another.

Naturally, I also visited Hill Top Farm, where I immediately became a member of the National Trust. “If you’re from Sweden you might not get that many advantages”, said the lovely woman working behind the till. “But otherwise there’s free admissions, and free parking…”

Which is kind of sad, now that I think of it, that people only agree to help protect our beautiful places and historical landscapes if there is free parking. “We look after the places you love: historic houses, gardens, mills, coastline, forests, farmland, moorland, islands, castles, nature reserves, villages….” – “Yes, yes, my good woman, but the parking.”