A society without bookshops

Walk into a bookshop, you can choose whichever you like. The low hum of the fan and the gushing warm air that is just right envelops you. Then you pass through the threshold that transports book lovers into a whole other state of being. If that sounds fanciful, so are bookshops. They often are highly nostalgic. They are the hub and habitat of books that maybe aren’t quite best sellers or historically inherited texts and regurgitated from schools or families. So here we find some unique nuggets and treasures that we rattle on about to everyone! They also represent a place where all have access to some of the most in-demand and influential books in the community.

In the way I saw it, I enjoyed flipping through pages in any old bookshop I found along a forgotten high street or promenade. It is almost a pastime that transcends age. I recall the thick heavy books feeling their weight in your small hands. Then proceeding to flip it over and scan the blurb. The title. The imagery on the dust cover. It was all very enjoyable. But, on the other hand, ordering books online is almost a soulless endeavour. The connection with the book is only present once you receive it within three days of shipping time.

I bought an ungodly amount of books online during the pandemic with the unlimited amount of free time we had to read, and it definitely was not the same experience.

The bookstores I have come across and been a regular patron of would be the quaint Waterstones along Windsor’s bustling high street. The floor plan is relatively small, but in ways, it improves it. The collection is thin enough to scan the shop and not miss a thing. There is also a nice quiet upper area with a set of wooden stairs leading you to sections on philosophy, history, and politics. And the ground floor is a mish-mash of classics, modern literature, and comic books. Waterstones, I think, really has some of the most impressive bookstores. They have great selections, and they are always re-stocked. What I also appreciate is that the staff are usually very willing to have a quick chat about the books you are purchasing. I bought an ungodly amount of books online during the pandemic with the unlimited amount of free time we had to read, and it definitely was not the same experience.

While I also have a special place for independent stores, such as one of the few bookstores in the Costa Del Sol region to stock a complete section full of English translations of Spanish texts as well as classics. While flitting through all the old books that were gained through donations, I came across a Twain novel, The Innocents Abroad. I took the book along with me on a family trip to Gibraltar and read the passages where the entourage took a cruise across the great rock, and it really connected me, being in that very spot Twain had encountered more than 150 years ago.

The way we learn about books will ultimately change if there is a revolutionary shift to online bookselling.

I also have a lot of time for those antique bookshops. While I could not afford to purchase a lot of their stock. You can really see and feel the quality of some of these dusty books, the thick Indian cotton pages and leather cover hugging the words and paper in place. Handling these requires precision and care.

Not only can bookshops be essential for the pleasure of book enthusiasts and readers alike, but more than ever, writers and producers have found a place in bookshops. The way we learn about books will ultimately change if there is a revolutionary shift to online bookselling. Many of those low-key writers may eventually become forgotten relics of the past.

The story of the survival attempts from a small bookstore in Kent is one that received tremendous support and shows renewed attempts from others to salvage many bookstores. And, with it, produced a critical discourse surrounding bookstores and where they might end up. Owner of The Petersfield Bookshop, John Westwood, argued that “once you take shops away, you take access to nice books away from the general public.” And added that increasingly “books are becoming the preserve of the rich.”

It would really and truly be a significant loss to see bookstores go. It would be unsurprising with the amount of emphasis on retailers to appeal to online consumers. However, nothing truly beats the quality of a good bookstore.