Bookshops Around the World: Sweden (Stockholm)

Before taking over Mostly Books, Sarah took time out from her regular routine to travel the world for a year.  During parts of 2014 & 2015, she travelled through 14 countries, primarily in South East Asia and South America, which gave her the opportunity to relax and prepare for her career change.

During her travels, Sarah spent a lot of time searching for inspiration by hunting down bookshops in the places that she visited.  These ranged from a beautiful, converted theatre in Buenos Aires to endless numbers of bookstalls covering the streets of Yangon in Myanmar.  Each and every one helped Sarah to shape her thoughts on what she wanted to create in her own bookshop and all have a special place in her heart.

Over the next few weeks, Sarah will be sharing her memories of these shops and photos that she took during her travels.  We hope that you enjoy them.  This week we are taking a short break from Sarah's 2014/15 travels, instead looking at the shops that she discovered in Stockholm last weekend.

Whilst in Stockholm for a long weekend, I decided that it was time for some bookshop tourism and headed to the achingly hip SoFo, Södermalm neighbourhood.  SoFo is crammed full of independent boutiques, cafes, restaurants and, best of all, bookshops - So many bookshops!!  We visited three shops in three streets and that didn't cover all of the ones in the area!!

First stop was the English Bookshop (http://www.bookshop.se/) which was a delightful space packed to the brim with English language books.  The shop had two rooms for adults and two children's rooms, each of them with their own character.  Tote bags hung from the ceiling and 'books of the month' were on display in the main room.  The children's room had a lovely area in which to sit and relax and the choice of books was just wonderful.  The man in the shop, who I believe (but cannot be sure) was called Christoph was extremely friendly and informative and, as soon as he found out that I owned Mostly Books, soon engaged in conversation comparing experiences of running a bookshop.

The English Bookshop runs a whole host of events, including a children's story time and really presents itself as a hub of the community.  I would highly recommend a visit and, if you do, be sure to mention that you read about it on the Mostly Books blog!

Second on the list was Bokbok (www.bokbok.se), a delightfully cosy children's bookshop stocking mainly Swedish language books and a small selection of texts in other languages.  When we arrived in the shop, we were greeted with a huge smile from the owner, Caroline Gezelius.  We soon engaged in conversation when it transpired that Caroline had, also, recently left behind her previous career and opened a bookshop.  So much about the shop was similar in style to the look that we have at Mostly Books and Caroline even had the exact shelves that we have been looking for!! 

The shop is a small but perfectly formed.  A single room with delightfully tall bookcases crammed full of books for children of all ages.  The window display, with the monkey and rabbit on a trapeze, immediately sparked interest as you walked past and the welcome received in the shop was second to none.  Although most of the books were in Swedish, I soon recognised quite a few familiar covers (Goodnight stories for rebel girls and Dinosaurium to name just a couple) and it was really lovely to see that such great books are as popular in Sweden as they are in the UK.

We had a great chat and exchanged contact details before we went on our way.  Although the majority of the books are in Swedish, be sure to pop into Bokbok if you ever find yourself in Stockholm.  Caroline is great and the shop is just beautiful.

The last stop on our morning of bookshop tourism was konst-ig (http://www.konstig.se/), an art & architect bookshop which was packed full of beautiful, coffee table books.  I had a good chat with the woman behind the counter (whose name I didn't catch) and was delighted to find a book called 'Mostly Books' which (clearly) I had to take a photo of. 

This shop was a bit more formal than the other two shops and had the feeling of a shop that you would find in an art gallery (completely apt since it was an art bookshop!!).  The books were laid out beautifully and the selection was extensive.  In addition to the books, the shop had some wonderful art on offer, one of which really caught my eye as it was all about books!  It was a very relaxing end to our bookshop tourism and a lovely end to our weekend away.

If you haven't been, I would highly recommend Stockholm for a weekend away.  The architecture is amazing, the people are lovely and it seems that bookshops are everywhere!!

More photos of these three bookshops can be found on our Facebook page here.  

Bookshops Around the World: Argentina (Buenos Aires)

Before taking over Mostly Books, Sarah took time out from her regular routine to travel the world for a year.  During parts of 2014 & 2015, she travelled through 14 countries, primarily in South East Asia and South America, which gave her the opportunity to relax and prepare for her career change.  

During her travels, Sarah spent a lot of time searching for inspiration by hunting down bookshops in the places that she visited.  These ranged from a beautiful, converted theatre in Buenos Aires to endless numbers of bookstalls covering the streets of Yangon in Myanmar.  Each and every one helped Sarah to shape her thoughts on what she wanted to create in her own bookshop and all have a special place in her heart.

Over the next few weeks, Sarah will be sharing her memories of these shops and photos that she took during her travels.  We hope that you enjoy them.

This week it's Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Argentina was the last country on my trip so, when I arrived in Buenos Aires, my mind was already full of thoughts about what life would be like back in the UK.  Although I still had the best part of a month before heading home, it was inevitable that my mind would move in that direction.

I found out about El Ateneo Grand Splendid from a girl staying at my hostel.  I mentioned that I was hunting down bookshops on my travels and she told me that she had been to El Ateneo earlier that day.   When I looked it up and realised that the shop was housed in an old theatre, I knew that I had to visit.  Unfortunately, I was out of time as I was heading to Patagonia the following day so I noted the details down and left it as a place to visit when I returned to Buenos Aires.  I knew that, when I returned, it would only be a matter of days before I flew back to the UK so it seemed a fitting to end my journey to see such an amazing bookshop.

Fast forward three weeks and I was back in the city and on a bookshop hunt!  When I arrived at the entrance to El Ateneo, I

was greeted with an impressive entrance flanked by two columns.  The first part of the shop was fairly standard, lots of shelving, normal height ceilings and plenty of floor displays but, as I moved into the shop, the former theatre opened in front of me to display a huge number of books in an atrium three stories high.

I was completely bowled over by the beautiful sweeping shelves holding thousands of books.  They were surrounded on three sides by ornate balconies which housed even more books.  Where the stage had previously been, now sat a coffee shop where I went and enjoyed a drink whilst taking the whole place in.

In its heyday, the theatre had welcomed some of the most famous tango dancers in the world and, in a nod to the previous owners' love of cinema, had shown silent films accompanied by amazing displays of tango.  Sitting there and taking it all in, I could just imagine the drama of such performances in this beautiful space.

I don't know how long I spent in Al Ateneo, but it was hours, rather than minutes.  I explored all the floors and balconies, seeing how everything was arranged and what tricks were used to display things well.  The whole place was awe inspiring and I would encourage anyone who finds themselves in Buenos Aires to drop in for a visit.

In a complete contrast, on my penultimate day of my travels, I went in search of a more low-key bookshop that I had heard good things about.  Libros Del Pasaje was situated in a residential neighbourhood and was clearly a working bookshop.  When I entered the shop, I was greeted with floor to ceiling dark wood shelves with (yay!) a ladder on wheels that gave access to the higher shelves (I would love one of those!).  

The display tables were on trolley wheels and were packed into the narrow shop making it feel busy but well organised.  The children's area had a gorgeous little table and some mini chairs for the little ones to enjoy their books (sound familiar?!) and the cafe was housed in a beautiful conservatory and served cold meats and cheese. 

The contrast of the two shops was significant but they were both amazing in their own ways.  I left Buenos Airies completely inspired and ready to start my book adventure back  in the UK.

If you are interested in seeing more about Sarah's experiences in Argentina, you can head to her blog posts on the country which start here.  There are more pictures of the Buenos Aires Bookshops on our Facebook page here and, as always, feel free to pop into the shop for a chat about all things travel.  Sarah is a huge fan of exploring all parts of the world and will happily chat about it with anyone.

Bookshops Around the World: Thailand (Pai)

Before taking over Mostly Books, Sarah took time out from her regular routine to travel the world for a year.  During parts of 2014 & 2015, she travelled through 14 countries, primarily in South East Asia and South America, which gave her the opportunity to relax and prepare for her career change.  

During her travels, Sarah spent a lot of time searching for inspiration by hunting down bookshops in the places that she visited.  These ranged from a beautiful, converted theatre in Buenos Aires to endless numbers of bookstalls covering the streets of Yangon in Myanmar.  Each and every one helped Sarah to shape her thoughts on what she wanted to create in her own bookshop and all have a special place in her heart.

Over the next few weeks, Sarah will be sharing her memories of these shops and photos that she took during her travels.  We hope that you enjoy them.

 

This week it's Pai in Thailand. 

 

Pai is a sleepy little town in Northern Thailand that I first visited Pai during a backpacking trip in 2001, when it was the starting point for my white-water rafting trip down the Pai river. When I’d visited back then, there was nothing to the town; basically a crossroad with a couple of guest houses and some places to eat and drink.

Fast forward 14 years and I was back again but this time I was there to take part in a Kung Fu retreat (true story) which was taking place just outside of the main town.  I was only at the retreat for a week but, during that time, I quickly fell back in love with the relaxed charm of Pai.  The town has grown in size, thanks to Thailand’s booming tourist trade, however it still manages to retain a relaxed, traveller, vibe.

When I wasn’t participating in Chi Kung or Kung Fu training, I would make my way into town to familiarise myself with what was on offer.  One day, as I meandered down the Main Street towards the river, I spotted what looked like a large pile of wooden books outside a small shop.  Given my obsession with all things books, I headed straight towards them hoping to find a bookshop (of sorts) nearby.  I wasn't disappointed. 

 

 

It turns out that I had found Siam Books, a second-hand bookshop which serves both the traveller community and locals.  The shop was bursting with a wide range of books, which were all well organised and easy to navigate.  The bargain bin at the front of the shop had books on sale for 100 THB (about £2.30) with an additional 20% off some of the titles.  This place was heaven for a traveller like me!!  Somewhere with a great selection of books at discount prices that I could browse for hours.  In addition to the books, Siam Books also stocked greeting cards, posters and post-cards so it was a great stop-off for all travellers.

When preparing these posts, I always try to look at the websites or social media sites of places that I have visited, to see how the business has changed (if at all) from when I was there.  It was great to see a brilliant selection of images taken in Siam Books on Instagram and some information on their Facebook page.

The atmosphere in Siam Books reflected the town of Pai; a relaxed, friendly and a place that you will want to spend some time.  If you ever find yourself in Pai, be sure to pop in for a visit. 

If you are interested in seeing more about Sarah's experiences in Thailand, you can head to her blog posts on the country which start here.  There are more pictures of Siam Books on our Facebook page here and, as always, feel free to pop into the shop for a chat about all things travel.  Sarah is a huge fan of exploring all parts of the world and will happily chat about it with anyone.

Bookshops Around the World: Myanmar

Before taking over Mostly Books, Sarah took time out from her regular routine to travel the world for a year.  During parts of 2014 & 2015, she travelled through 14 countries, primarily in South East Asia and South America, which gave her the opportunity to relax and prepare for her career change.  

During her travels, Sarah spent a lot of time searching for inspiration by hunting down bookshops in the places that she visited.  These ranged from a beautiful, converted theatre in Buenos Aires to endless numbers of bookstalls covering the streets of Yangon in Myanmar.  Each and every one helped Sarah to shape her thoughts on what she wanted to create in her own bookshop and all have a special place in her heart.

Over the next few weeks, Sarah will be sharing her memories of these shops and photos that she took during her travels.  We hope that you enjoy them.

This week it's Yangon in Myanmar (otherwise known as Burma). 

Yangon was the first stop on my travels where I knew that I was planning to move into the book trade upon my return to the UK.  I made it my mission to spend a few days in the slightly chaotic capital city, hunting down some of the bookshops frequented by locals.

It was very clear that books and reading are a huge part of everyday life in Myanmar.  There were a lot of bookshops in the capital and, more impressively, lots and lots of street vendors selling books.  I was fortunate that I had found a magazine in my hostel that contained an article on the book trade in the city which helped shape my plans for my bookshop-finding mission!

I prioritised which shops I wanted to see, pulled on a pair of comfortable shoes, braced myself for the heat and headed out into town.  Over the course of a couple of days, I found several shops and also meandered down multiple streets lined with completely chaotic bookstalls.

It amazed me how so many booksellers existed on the streets of Myanmar, with a lot of them seeming to sell similar products.  It was great to see how they all respected each other's space and managed to make a living from selling the books.  The approach to bookselling varied wildly from stall to stall, with some books simply thrown in a pile on a blanket by the side of the roads whilst others were carefully ordered and laid out to display the titles for people to peruse. 

 
Whilst the street book vendors all had a relatively small pitch on which to sell their wares, a couple of the bookshops I saw in the city were a good size and were simply rammed full of books.   It seemed that I had happened across the Nobel-Myanmar Literary festival and, whilst that may have explained the volume of books, it may simply be that that is just the way that they are always displayed.

In Innwa Bookstore, there was a large collection of texts in both Burmese and in English.  I was particularly tickled to find a Burmese edition of one of my favourite books 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared'.  I also came across a pile of Winnie The Pooh books, which reminded me of the ones I read as a child.

In the Myanmar Book Centre, books were laid out in a slightly more clinical manner and, whilst the signage was good, and the books were well organised, I found it less inspirational than the other shops.  

The Bagan Bookstore, whilst small, has a reputation for having one of the most extensive selections of English-language books on Myanmar and Southeast Asia.  The owner has a great reputation for knowing his stock and the shop is somewhat legendary amongst the locals.

One thing I took away from the shops in Myanmar was that less is possibly more.  When I walked into a building containing piles and piles of books, I found it overwhelming and was almost put off browsing by the sheer volume of what was on offer.  I have tried to keep that in mind at Mostly Books, even as the stock levels increased significantly prior to Christmas.  I believe that customers should enjoy the browsing experience and have a great range to look at, but it shouldn't become a chore to work through so many titles.  

If you are interested in seeing more about Sarah's experiences in Myanmar, you can head to her blog posts on the country which start here.  There are more pictures of the bookshops and bookstands in Myanmar on our Facebook page here and, as always, feel free to pop into the shop for a chat about all things travel.  Sarah is a huge fan of exploring all parts of the world and will happily chat about it with anyone.

Wanderlust - Hilary Bradt and Bryn Thomas

Whilst Alex was utterly delighted with the decent amount of snow piled up outside the back door last Thursday morning, I was less so. It had taken quite a bit of time and organisation to set-up our event with travel publishing supremos Hilary Bradt and Bryn Thomas, and - after all the fuss caused by the snow a few days before - my first thought was that I'd have to cancel the event, or that no-one would come. In the end, I needn't have worried. Hilary and Bryn doggedly made it up from London (where they were taking part in Destinations 2009), and a group of hardy souls from Abingdon and further afield trudged through the ice and slush to make it to the shop. Bradt and Trailblazer are two companies that represent everything that is good about positive about small, dedicated publishers. Hilary Bradt (together with her husband) founded that eponymous travel publisher in the early 70s, and Trailblazer was founded in the early 90s. Both companies have, at their core, a passion and integrity about their guides that accentuate the excitement, joy and positive impact that ethical travelling can have on both the traveller and indigenous populations. At a time when travel increasingly comes under the spotlight for its carbon footprint and environmental impacts, it's sometimes easy to overlook just what a positive impact responsible tourism can have on a country and its people. Hilary and Bryn set out to enlighten us. They took turns interviewing each other - a novel format for an event at Mostly Books - and we learned how they had both started in travel publishing, their experiences in an increasingly competitive market, and how they saw the future at a time when the market for travel guides seems to be shrinking with the advent of new technologies. Bradt started in the early 70s, with Hilary's first guide - Backpacking Along Ancient Ways in Peru and Bolivia - written largely whilst floating down a tributary of the Amazon in 1973. She bought an original copy along which was passed around as she spoke. As well as the early years of Bradt, Hilary recounted some gripping stories of some of her exploits whilst travelling, including her entrance into Chile a few weeks after Pinochet had seized power, and trying to get to the Ugandan National Gardens in Entebbe on the same day as this raid. Bradt now publish 170+ guides, and have won a whole heap of awards - not just for their guides, but for their whole approach to pioneering travel writing which pre-dated Lonely Planet et al. It's well worth reading Hilary's explanation of Travelling Positively - a belief and passion she shared with everyone on the evening. There were a lot of issues brought up during the talk, such as the nature of risk when travelling (and the consequences of an increasingly risk-averse world, at least here in the West). One key message that I took away from the talk was the downside that very popular guides and imprints can have in distorting the travel experience, and limiting contact with local people. Here Bryn used his experience of writing for Lonely Planet's India guide, and the unwitting effect his recommendations had. When a guide sells tens of thousands of copies, a specific recommendation for (e.g.) a good place to eat, will transform that place out of all recognition when the guides return a few years later. Trailblazer - which focuses on routes more than countries or regions - tries to address some of these unwitting effects by focusing on interactions with locals as the starting point, presenting maps and info in innovative ways. Their Asia Overland book (published in 1998) had to pack a guide to 34 Asian countries into less than 600 pages. Key innovations were to give travellers that streetwise tools and tips to find out from local sources the best places to eat, stay, etc. - which is a very honest - and reasonably futureproof way of arranging what was a very ambitious guide. Trailblazer have since brought innovations like this to bear on a number of walking guides for trails throughout the UK. The evening ended with an informal chat between publishers and audience, with Bryn signing some copies of the Trans-Siberian Railway. I had - through rather poor planning - omitted to get any copies in of Madagascar, the guide she has edited through all nine editions (how long have I been doing this job now?) but follow the link above to learn more (we've got it in now of course!). Last but not least - obligatory shot with bookshop owner: Hilary and Bryn rarely do bookshop events, and I am very thankful for them giving up their time to come on such an awful evening, and for everyone who turned out for what was such an entertaining evening. Serendipidously, next day, our copy of the Bookseller turned up with a special travel supplement. In it, there was a stark message for travel publishers in a market that had already started to turn in 2008. There are certainly challenges facing publishers - Bryn said as much, particularly in the urban guides market where electronic information fed directly to handheld devices is increasingly competing against traditional guides. But in an age when the integrity, validity and source of all our media and Internet-based information is being increasingly scrutinised, you have to believe that small, nimble, innovative publishers with strong ethical codes - exemplified by Bradt and Trailblazer - can and will flourish. Not unlike independent bookshops.