Bookshop Stories

Epizódok

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  Episode 6 | What it takes to survive 50 years in bookselling: Ron Johns, Falmouth Bookseller, Cornwall 21.08.2026 56p

  What does it take to survive more than 50 years as an independent bookseller?Ron Johns started working in the book trade in 1969. Five years later, armed with £800 borrowed from his dad, he opened his first bookshop in Plymouth.Today, at 74, Ron runs three independent bookshops in Cornwall – the Falmouth Bookseller, St Ives Bookseller and Padstow Bookseller – as well as his own publishing company, Mabecron Books.Along the way, he has survived recessions, Amazon, the arrival of Kindle and the collapse of the academic bookselling market that had once provided him with a million-pound business. He has bought bookshops when unexpected opportunities appeared, become a publisher almost by accident, and partnered with Rick Stein to open in Padstow.Ron describes much of it as luck.But after more than half a century in business, his story also reveals the importance of knowing when to take a chance, when to change direction and when to let the next generation take the lead.In this episode of Bookshop Stories, we talk about the commercial reality behind running an independent bookshop, why all businesses are fragile, the importance of being “fleet of foot”, and what Ron has learned from spending almost his entire working life selling books.We also discuss why good booksellers should be “radiators” rather than “fridges”, whether technology can ever replace the person behind the counter, why Ron thinks an A-board can still beat social media – and why, after all these years, he would do it all again.You can find books recommended by Ron and other guests, alongside some of my own choices, at the Bookshop Stories store on Bookshop.org. And for more from Bookshop Stories, including the companion article to this episode, subscribe on Substack.
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  Episode 5 | Can you build a bookshop simply around your own tastes?: Seb Reilly, Plunder (Ramsgate, Kent) 14.08.2026 1ó 9p

  Most businesses start by asking what their customers want.Seb Reilly did the opposite.After leaving what he calls a "proper job", Seb opened Plunder in Ramsgate: a pirate-themed independent bookshop, tearoom and immersive smugglers' museum. He didn't commission market research, chase publishing trends or try to stock every bestseller. Instead, he built the place he wanted to spend time in, filled the shelves with books he genuinely loves and trusted that the right people would find it.It's an approach that seems to fly in the face of conventional business advice, yet a year after opening, Plunder has become one of Ramsgate's most distinctive independent businesses.In this episode, Seb talks about choosing conviction over trends, why he wants to "be more pirate", the surprising history of smuggling on the Kent coast, and what it means to build not just a bookshop, but a destination.We also discuss:Why Ramsgate was the obvious place to open an unusual businessBuilding a pirate-themed bookshop, tearoom and museum under one roofCurating shelves around passion rather than publishing trendsHow independent businesses can help reshape a town's identityWhy "be more pirate" has become a philosophy for life and businessSeb's book recommendations:📖 The Last Man by Mary Shelley – the overlooked novel Seb believes surpasses Frankenstein, and one he recommends more than any other.📖 Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy – Seb's favourite novel of all time.About Bookshop StoriesBookshop Stories explores the people behind independent bookshops and the places they call home.Follow the podcast for future episodes, and read the companion essay for this episode on the Bookshop Stories Substack.
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  Bookshop Stories Episode 4  | Can you build a home a long way from home?: Andrea Moreau, Read The Room (Nice, France) 07.08.2026 46p

  What does it take to open an independent English-language bookshop in the South of France?For Andrea Moreau, the answer began with a move from South Africa to Nice to be closer to her grown-up children. Less than two years later, she and her daughter, Danae, had opened Read The Room – an independent English-language bookshop and café just beyond Nice's historic old town.In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Andrea shares the remarkable story behind that leap of faith, from finding the perfect premises almost by accident to creating a space where tourists, expats and French locals gather over books, coffee and conversation.We talk about the realities of running a bookshop abroad, why Read The Room introduced a no-laptop policy, how a tiny retail space has become a thriving community hub, and why books continue to bring people together across cultures and languages.More than anything, this is a conversation about belonging. About leaving one home behind, building another somewhere completely unfamiliar, and discovering that sometimes the people who walk through your door become family.In this episode we discuss:Why Andrea left South Africa for the French RivieraOpening Read The Room with her daughter, DanaeRunning an English-language bookshop in FranceFinding readers in both the local French community and among visitors to NiceWhy Read The Room banned laptopsBuilding community through books, coffee and conversationThe commercial realities of independent booksellingBooks and authors mentionedThe Cutthroat Trial, The Secret BarristerLondon Falling, Patrick Radden KeefeYesteryear, Caro Claire BurkeIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or review—it really helps others discover the show.You can also follow Bookshop Stories on Instagram and subscribe on Substack for companion articles, behind-the-scenes stories and updates from the independent bookshops we visit.
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  Bookshop Stories Episode 3 | Can opening a bookshop help you find a new direction?: Jacqui Delbaere, Little Green Bookshop (Herne Bay, Kent) 23.07.2026 1ó

  When Jacqui Delbaere opened The Little Green Bookshop in Herne Bay, she wasn't simply fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning a bookshop. She was responding to a moment in life when everything had changed.After a career in public relations, her children leaving home and the end of her marriage, Jacqui found herself asking a question many of us face at different points in our lives: what comes next?In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Jacqui reflects on creating not just an independent bookshop, but an entirely new chapter. We explore the realities of opening a bookshop from scratch, how she turned an old physiotherapy clinic into one of Kent's most welcoming literary spaces, and why independent bookshops can become so much more than places to buy books.Along the way we discuss:Why owning a bookshop had always been quietly waiting in the backgroundCreating a space that feels like someone's front room rather than a shopLearning the realities of stock management, cashflow and running an independent businessBuilding a community through author events, book clubs and Herne Bay's first literary festivalWhy greeting cards sometimes matter as much as bestselling novelsThe impact AI could have on booksellingWhy Jacqui now describes the Little Green Bookshop as "life part two"Whether you've always dreamed of owning a bookshop, love discovering independent bookshops, or are simply interested in stories of people finding a new direction, I hope you'll enjoy this conversation.Books and authors mentioned in this episode:The Safekeep — Yael van der WoudenAll Fours — Miranda JulyClare ChambersJonathan CoeJacqueline WilsonKatherine RundellJames RebanksRobert MacfarlaneBookshop Stories is a podcast exploring the people behind Britain's independent bookshops and the stories that shaped them.If you enjoy the episode, please follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. You can also find companion articles, recommendations and behind-the-scenes reflections at the Bookshop Stories Substack.
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  Bookshop Stories Episode 2 | Can a creative writer make a better bookseller?: Lucy Atkinson, Back of Beyond Books (Sedgefield, County Durham) 23.07.2026 56p

  Lucy Atkinson imagined her future surrounded by books, but not quite like this.After completing a PhD in English and Creative Writing, specialising in historical witchcraft in fiction, Lucy expected to continue writing and researching stories. Instead, she spotted an empty shop in the County Durham town where she'd grown up, realised it was the only thing Sedgefield was missing, and decided to open an independent bookshop.In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Tom is with Back of Beyond Books to explore a question that sits at the heart of Lucy’s story: does spending years studying stories make you a better bookseller, or is it only through introducing books to other people that you really begin to understand them?We talk about Lucy’s unusual route into bookselling, growing up with dyslexia and discovering stories through video games before falling in love with reading, why northern writers deserve a bigger spotlight, the responsibility of curating books for a community, and the challenges booksellers face in the age of artificial intelligence.Along the way, Lucy explains why she wanted her shop to feel like a cross between The Traitors castle and Gilmore Girls, why her father was convinced the business would never work, how book-themed cakes have become one of the shop’s unexpected attractions, and why she's happy to spend her days helping other people discover great stories rather than writing one of her own.It’s a conversation about books, certainly, but it’s also about creativity, curation, community and the many different ways stories shape our lives.Books, authors and recommendations from this episodeThe Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn ClarkeThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodA Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. MaasMy Friends by Fredrik BackmanThe Lady Upstairs by Jessie EllandThe Pale Mistress by Naomi KelseyThe Wives of Halcyon by Irini LapateckiLizzie Pook, Lucy Rose and Neil GaimanIf you enjoy Bookshop Stories, please follow the podcast and leave a review. You can also read my accompanying essays about the people and places behind each episode on the Bookshop Stories Substack.
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  Bookshop Stories Episode 1 | The fourteen-year dream: Emily Partridge and Black Cat Books (Launceston, Cornwall) 23.07.2026 52p

  For fourteen years, Emily Partridge dreamed of opening a bookshop.While working in education, she imagined creating a place where people could browse, discover new authors, sit with a cup of tea and lose themselves among the shelves. Like so many long-held ambitions, though, it was always something for “one day” – until redundancy forced a decision that would change her life.In this, the very first episode of Bookshop Stories, we’re with Black Cat Books in Launceston, Cornwall, to hear how Emily turned a fourteen-year dream into reality and what she’s learned during the first eighteen months of running an independent bookshop.Our conversation explores the realities of modern bookselling, from six-day working weeks, social media and stocking decisions to the economics of running a small business on Britain’s high street. Along the way, Emily shares the story of a century-old prayer book that perfectly captures why she loves second-hand books, explains why her coffee machine is called Raymond, introduces us to Spook – the black cat who has become something of a local celebrity – and reflects on how Black Cat Books has grown into far more than somewhere to buy a novel.This is a conversation about books, certainly, but it's also about community, purpose, independent businesses, and what happens when you finally decide to stop talking about a dream and start living it.Books, authors and recommendations from this episode:Gorse and Ragwort by Sam K. HortonFolk horror writers, David Barnett and Jodie MatthewsWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëJane Austen, Charles Dickens and Maggie O'FarrellThe Wicker Man (as an introduction to folk horror)Follow Bookshop Stories for new conversations with independent booksellers from across the UK and beyond.
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  Bookshop Stories – Trailer 23.07.2026 3p

  Bookshop Stories shines a light on the people, businesses, and future of independent bookshops.In each episode, we speak to people who run bookshops around the world about the reality of the business, the role their shops play in their communities, and what the future of bookselling actually looks like.If you love books and bookshops, this is the podcast for you (there's plenty of chat about books, authors and recommended reads).But if you're interested in business, appreciate culture and value local community (whatever that is), you will find plenty to love too.In this trailer, your host Tom Idle explains what he's doing, why he's doing it, and why you might want to tune in.