literary fiction, mainly in paperback. “Local interest books are always steady sellers, neurodiversit is big, fantasy was but that’s fading—something else will rise,” he tells me. “Our strongest sections traditionally have been contemporary politics and poetry. History at Christmas.”
Hardback sales are down as budgets continue to be tight and the bookseller says that he oſten sees customers “weighing up whether to buy one or two of the three books they would like to buy”. However, he is hopeful about the future—and past experiences show that there is good reason to be. “We came out of Covid-19 beter off than we went in as our mail order really took off, especially titles related to Black Lives Mater, an area we knew well as we’ve had a Black writing section since we started the shop,” he tells me. “As well as our direct sales we have a couple of large institutional accounts. If we could find a third, and if Christmas would happen twice a year, we’d be in clover.” Looking ahead, the team wants to grow the shop’s event programme even more in the months to come. “One we are excited about is a day school, for want of another word, called Writing While Muslim in November, with a batch of Muslim-background writers (all women, as it happens) including Noreen Masud and A M Dassu,” the owner says. The shop’s strong sense of identit and communit remain unwavering despite the challenges it has faced, but customers and good service are at the heart of the booksellers’ work. “Our heart is on the leſt, but first of all we are a professional, full-service bookshop,” Bradshaw says.
Top picks
Time of the Flies Claudia Piñeiro, Frances Riddle (trans) 6th August 2024, Charco Press
There are Rivers in the Sky Elif Shafak 8th August 2024, Viking
Slugs: a manifesto Abi Palmer 25th July 2024, Makina Press
If... Stands Up Steve Bell 1st October 2024, Verso Books
Intermezzo Sally Rooney 24th September 2024, Faber & Faber
Independent Bookshop Top 20 Title
Author 1 Yellowface
2 The Majorly Awkward... 3 Politics on the Edge 4 Butter
5 The Bee Sting
6 The Black Bird Oracle 7 Tom Lake
8 Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt 9 ...Hyunam-dong Bookshop 10 Kala
11 Just One Thing 12 Prophet Song
13 Ultra-Processed People 14 The Fraud
15 The Wind Knows... 16 Murder on Lake Garda
17 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow... 18 A Refiner’s Fire 19 Long Island
20 13 Cornish Ghost Stories
R F Kuang Katie Kirby
Rory Stewart
Deborah Harkness Ann Patchett
Riley, Whittaker
Michael Mosley Paul Lynch
Chris van Tulleken Zadie Smith
Gabrielle Zevin Donna Leon Colm Tóibín -
Imprint Vintage
Yuzuki, Barton (trans) Fourth Estate Paul Murray
Penguin Headline
Bloomsbury Pan
H Bo-reum, S Tan (trans) Bloomsbury Colin Walsh
Atlantic
Short Books Oneworld Penguin Penguin
I Allende, Riddle (trans) Bloomsbury Tom Hindle
Penguin Vintage Penguin Picador
Mabecron
ISBN (+978) ASP
The Borough Press 0008532819 £9.90 Puffin
0241647257 £14.88 1529922868 £10.98 0008511685 £14.99 0241984406 £9.96 1035410163 £24.90 1526664297 £9.91 1529043549 £9.98 1526662286 £10.12 1838958626 £9.99 1780725901 £9.97 0861545896 £9.99 1529160222 £10.97 0241983096 £9.94 1526660336 £9.87 1804942369 £9.98 1529115543 £9.99 1529154368 £22.06 1035029440 £20.00 1739861339
£16.92
Week ending 20th July 2024. Unless otherwise stated, charts use data from Nielsen BookScan Total Consumer Market, representing print book sales through around 6,500 retailers. Any title discounted by more than 74.5% is ineligible for inclusion.
From the shop floor
New Waterstones to open in Hampshire
A new Waterstones bookshop will open in early August in the market town of Romsey in Hampshire. It will be situated on The Hundred and offer a selection of fiction, non-fiction, children’s titles and gifting options.
CBC launches first book festival
The Candid Book Club is hosting its inaugural book festival in part- nership with Waterstones, set to take place on 7th September 2024 at Foyles Charing Cross Road. This will include panels with authors like Etaf Rum, Wiz Wharton and J J Bola as well as on-site book club discussions and book signings. Attendees will also get the chance to meet with industry professionals and editors.
FOYLES CHARING CROSS ROAD, WHERE THE CBC BOOK
FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE
Bookshop Day returns for 2024 celebrations
The Booksellers Association (BA) has revealed the initial plans for Bookshop Day, the annual celebration of all high- street bookshops in the UK set to take place on 12th October 2024.
This year’s theme is “Bookshops Making a Difference” and celebrations will include a spotlight on Glasgow, an exclusive video featuring authors, a limited-edition bag designed by Angela Harding and author events.
Out now
TheBookseller.com
The Autumn/Winter 2024 Buyer’s Guides
Print
Digital
09
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
