The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell never before has a diary ostensibly about such mundanity been quite so engaging and laugh out loud hilarious. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell book social. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell zezee with. The humor of owner shaun bythell comes through his jumbled. The diary was published in book form, the diary of a bookseller, a couple of years ago and it makes interesting reading for anyone whos ever wondered what goes on behind the mountains of paperbacks and collectables. In less than a year ill be done with my second foray into grad school and free to read whatever i want, so that would be a good gift. My favourite anecdote from my year as a member was receiving an entirely useless book two in a trilogy of novels, whose part 3 was yet to be published.
Shaun bythells the diary of a bookseller is laugh out loud funny. Join the club, sit back and enjoy a random hand picked book from the shelves of scotlands largest secondhand. You can support the bookshop in wigtown by becoming a customer. I loved the diary of a bookseller so much that at the end of 2018 i bought myself a membership in the random book club. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell bookconscious. Second installment in the saga that is life of a secondhand bookseller in rural scotland. Shaun bythell owns scotlands biggest secondhand bookshop and for a year he kept a diary of life in that shop. The diary of a bookseller shaun bythell 9781781258620. The rhythm of days, rainy weather, book festival, outofdate eclairs from a nearby supermarket. He has, however, made up for lost time with his charming autobiography, the diary of a bookseller, chronicling his first year in the bookshop in wigtown, a remote book village in southwestern scotland. Nine well organised rooms, all full of books resting on nearly a mile of shelving. Sign up and well send you a handpicked book once a month from our shop, the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland. I do recommend the owner, shaun bythell he is the author. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell bookish beck.
We hope that youve been largely happy with your random books, and as a thankyou, all existing members who decide to risk a second. Shaun bythell runs the bookshop, wigtown, scotlands largest. I also hope the random book club reopens for membership. With more than a mile of shelving, real log fires in the shop and the sea lapping nearby, the shop should be an idyll for bookworms. The diary of a bookseller soon to be a major tv series. Yet shaun bythells sad anecdotes from his diary of a year not so long ago has a certain charm and cosiness which transports the reader to a hidden world of peace and humour. Bythell augments his sales by a subscriptionbased random book club and bits and pieces picked up at auction. And a really bad customer gets their laptop out and shamelessly checks the bookshop. The club appears to be so successful, its not taking on any new subscribers, which is a shame because. A good customer is someone who buys even a single book without attempting to haggle the price down. Here he gives a oneyear snapshot of life at the shop, from february 2014 to february 2015.
Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all subjects, but we also. Blog the random book club are you sitting uncomfortably. Scotlands largest secondhand book shop, imaginatively named the book shop, sits in the little town of wigtown, and is owned by shaun bythell, who demonstrated not much of a head for. Shaun bythell owns the bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest. The bookshop is the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland, with over a mile of shelving supporting roughly 100,000 books. I was bought this book by my mate stense, who has visited bythells sensibly named the bookshop on several occasions, and who once bought me a years subscription to their random book club. When not working amongst the bookshops mile of shelving, shauns hobbies include eavesdropping on customers, uploading bookthemed reworkings of sugarhill gang songs to youtube and. Confessions of a bookseller by shaun bythell bythell owns scotlands largest secondhand bookshop in the selfproclaimed book town of wigtown in galloway, southwest scotland. The book outlines a year in the life of shaun bythell, owner of the book shop, and his daily interactions with customers and one of my favourite comedies from the early 00s was black books, a comedy set in a second hand book shop and starring dylan moran as a misanthropic book seller who hates people and drinks copious amounts of wine. I have joined shauns random book club and encourage everyone to read this book and support your local bookshops. His stroke of genius was to set up the random book club in which for a mere 59 pounds sterling per annum, he promises to send a random good book to subscribers every month. Of the twelve books, roughly half will be fiction, half nonfiction.
The bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand. Wigtown scotlands book town travel photography blog. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. The diary of a bookseller shall i join the random book club. I felt as if i was leaving scotland after spending a week working at bythells shop and will never again observe the steady day to day of the bookshop, packing books for the random book club and visiting wilma at the post office, seeing mr. The author is the owner of a secondhand bookshop called the book shop, in the rural town of wigtown, scotland. Right out of central casting, the bookshop resides in an old stone townhouse with fireplaces ablazing, a shop cat prowling, and 100,000 books lining a maze of hallways and corridorsand shauns surliness and cutting wit is. In 2001 shaun bythell acquired the book shop, the flagship bookstore in wigtown, the book town in galloway in the southwest of scotland. In these wry and hilarious diaries, shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff. Shaun bythell owns the bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand bookshop. Shaun bythell is the owner of the bookshop in wigtown, scotland. Shaun bythell is the owner of the bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national book town, and also one of the organisers of the wigtown festival. Shaun bythell discusses diary of a bookseller duration. When not working amongst the bookshops mile of shelving, shauns hobbies include eavesdropping on customers, uploading bookthemed reworkings of sugarhill gang songs to.
Meet shaun bythell, owner of scotlands largest secondhand bookstore, in the wee little seaside village of wigtown. This is a book for readers who love to hide themselves away in the shelves, for the reader questing for more than the tesco or waterstones bestsellers lists, it is for the cantankerous and the. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell patrick sherriff. Pledge aside, the book was funny, i now want to visit wigtown, be a part of the random book club hint hint, and stay in the open book hint hint. If you cant visit in person, you can give them a helping hand by taking out a subscription to their random book club or buying via their online store at abebooks. Mail on sunday utterly compelling and bythell has a bennett. Weve decided to push back the price increase until march, when the random book club will have completed its first year. Random books given to random people during wigtown book festival. His stroke of genius was to set up the random book club in which for a mere 59 pounds sterling per annum, he promises to send a random. Apparently a lot, cuz the random book club is so widely popular now that it. Heres a book to tempt and deter you in equal measure. Right out of central casting, the bookshop resides in an old stone townhouse with fireplaces ablazing, a shop cat prowling, and 100,000 books lining a maze of hallways and corridorsand shaun s surliness and cutting wit is. It was so successful that shaun bythell published a follow up confessions of a bookseller in august 2019.
Shaun bythells diary does indeed detail the more humorous and exasperating episodes of his days spent inside the book shop in scotlands wigtown, but it is also a portrait of his small town and its quirky community, both sharptongued and loving. We have books on all subjects and regularly refresh our stock. Join and you could receive the best surprise of your life. Final thoughts i enjoyed reading about bythells life as a bookseller. It also features the shooting of a kindle, an event worthy of a. The random book club are you sitting uncomfortably. Deacon stopping by every now and then to pick up a book, and hanging out with nicky and shaun himself. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell sally jenkins. Its a book club that sends you books every quarter without you knowing what books youll receive, but youll still end up loving them. Shaun bythell shaun runs wigtowns the bookshop, the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland set in its only officially designated national book town.
The bookshop scotlands largest secondhand bookshop with over a mile of shelving supporting over 65000 books. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of. It could be anything from a rare first edition to a history of underwear. The diary of a bookseller is warm unlike bythells freezingcold shop and funny. Join the random book club and receive one book a month for a year. The diary of a bookseller is shaun bythells account of running scotlands largest secondhand bookshop which he bought in 2001 in wigtown, scotlands national book town. They are wonderful places and must be preserved at all costs. The bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand book shop. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell all good book. If you love books and feel like leaving your literary comfort zone, then the random book club is your new best friend treat yourself to a years subscription to the rbc for just.
The shop the oldest bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national booktown and our range of stock includes all subjects. Like many dealers in the secondhand book trade, shaun bythell never set out to be a bookman and was a late arrival on the book scene. Shaun bythell is the owner of the bookshop, the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland. This was an interesting and enjoyable read, and i hope to make it to wigtown and the bookshop one day. Meet shaun bythell, owner of scotlands largest secondhand bookstore, in the. When not working amongst the bookshops mile of shelving, shauns hobbies include eavesdropping on customers, uploading bookthemed reworkings of sugarhill gang songs to youtube and shooting amazon kindles in the wild. The diary of a bookseller by shaun bythell a little blog. I set up the random book club as a mail order service where. Dont look for a bibliographical discussion of edition. Its an awesome idea by shaun bythell of the bookshop fame and the diary of a bookseller fame, too. While many book lovers may dream about spending all day every day working in a rambling georgian townhouse stuffed with over 100,000 books, bythells diaries from 2014 to early 2015.