The Book Barge @ LARGE
Last year we blogged here about the difficulties faced running an independent bookshop - and what we intended to do about it.
At the start of May 2011 we embarked on a six-month tour of the country to raise awareness of this plight and prompt readers to reassess the value of books in the wake of the massive discounting trends of online and supermarket retailers. To do this we lived almost entirely off books for the duration of the trip, bartering our stock for food, accommodation and updating the list opposite with any further daily necessities (or booksellerly whims). Customers could still use the shop in the normal way - with card or cash transactions - to cover various unavoidable outgoings along the way, such as insurance, diesel and replenishing shelves. However, we wanted to highlight how independent book shops can still offer value for money - be it through swapping use of a bathroom for a book, or through the host of literary events they hold, the friendly and knowledgeable service they boast or simply the chance to chat to like-minded readers over a cup of tea and slice of cake.
Our journey took us through dozens of cities, towns and villages across the UK. What started as something of a desperate voyage turned into an utterly brilliant adventure, above all for proving that readers are still generous enough to accommodate smaller independent retailers and wise enough to demand books titles from beyond the bestseller lists. It made us a very happy bookshop indeed.
