Independent bookseller Sheila O'Reilly tells us why owning Dulwich Books in south London is a great feeling every day
Shelia O'Reilly of Dulwich books. "Having independent bookshops on the high street is vital for the industry's survival." Photograph: Sarah Lee
"Until I bought the bookshop in 2002, I worked for an academic publisher. I spotted an advert for the shop in The Bookseller, an industry magazine. I was actually a Dulwich Books customer already. The shop has been open since 1984, and I'd always loved the feel and atmosphere. When I saw it was up for sale, I thought: 'Wow – what a way to work.'
After taking on the shop, I was immediately customer-facing, responsible for filling the shelves and buying stock – and worrying that no one was going to like my choices. But publishers and wholesalers are very supportive. Everybody wants you to make a go of it, including other bookshops. Independent booksellers have a get-together twice a year for an open discussion about what works and how we operate. The sharing of knowledge is reassuring in today's world; you really feel part of an enthusiastic and energised community.
And that sense of community goes beyond booksellers. All the local independent shops in our area support each other. From the local deli and bakery to the sports shop next door and the garden centre behind us … we run events with everybody. We're all rooting for each other and the local people are just as enthusiastic. We spend time engaging with the locals and promoting local authors, often with debut novels. We have storytelling every Saturday which is fantastic for under-eights, and we invite children's authors in to the shop. Life is very stressful for kids, and if they can lose themselves in a book, even just for half an hour, you have helped them achieve a break. Our customers appreciate that life would be very different if independent bookshops didn't survive.
Full piece at The Guardian.
After taking on the shop, I was immediately customer-facing, responsible for filling the shelves and buying stock – and worrying that no one was going to like my choices. But publishers and wholesalers are very supportive. Everybody wants you to make a go of it, including other bookshops. Independent booksellers have a get-together twice a year for an open discussion about what works and how we operate. The sharing of knowledge is reassuring in today's world; you really feel part of an enthusiastic and energised community.
And that sense of community goes beyond booksellers. All the local independent shops in our area support each other. From the local deli and bakery to the sports shop next door and the garden centre behind us … we run events with everybody. We're all rooting for each other and the local people are just as enthusiastic. We spend time engaging with the locals and promoting local authors, often with debut novels. We have storytelling every Saturday which is fantastic for under-eights, and we invite children's authors in to the shop. Life is very stressful for kids, and if they can lose themselves in a book, even just for half an hour, you have helped them achieve a break. Our customers appreciate that life would be very different if independent bookshops didn't survive.
Full piece at The Guardian.