A bookshop in the centre of Manchester is proving that Independent book traders are alive and well and is also tackling loneliness at the same time
The House of Books and Friends on the Ground Floor of the Old Reform club at the top of King Street which opened just before Xmas last year is a not for profit venture founded by a local law firm who were also keen on tackling loneliness and social isolation and saw a way of marrying the concept of reading and tackling the social problem as well.
So many businesses says bookshop Manager Naomi Self,come into the City Centre and drain resources, but this venture she adds is creating positivety and jobs as well as bringing the community together.
“We connect people by books” she adds.
“Social isolation effects every demographic,every gender, every social group,there is no stereotype of what a lonely person is sow hen someone walks through the door they could be experiencing loneliness or they could be looking for a book”
“There is a big stigma around social isolation so we try to treat everyone the same and everyone is allowed to use the bookshop however way they like, some come to buy books and have a coffee, others want a chat, some just want to be sociable.”
Unlike other coffee shops where you might get the evil eye if you crouch over your laptop for hours with one drink, there are no such restrictions here and if it is crowded, people will often share tables.
The shop is more generously staffed that many others, nine people in total work here and all the booksellers are barista trained so they can switch between serving drinks and selling books and, as I can vouch myself when browsing and being approached by a staff member who recommended a book that I had picked up and starting a discussion about its contents
There are tradtional author events and talks, there are always free tickets put aside, there are bookclubs as well as evening, afternoon and online sessions on zoom.There is also space for higher for local businesses or community groups.
Publishers, says Naomi, have been really good about passing on the message around the venture. pushing their authors around visits because of the social purpose behind it.Mirian Mygolis has been a recent visitor doing a signing for an hour, telling the staff that she was so proud to have been part of the shop and the purpose behind it
They are I am pretty sure, the only independent book shop left in the City Centre, selling your general books, first hand.
There is definately a movement in the direction of independent books and people are certainly valuing the physical book, people are more engaged in reading,perhaps as a result of lockdown but also the multiple way that you can now engage with a book.
The shop also sells a lot of special editions, people value that special hardback copy on their shelves-After all you can’t Instagram a book says who adds that she is very optimistic about the continued success of the hard copy book
This year’s Bookshop Day spotlight was on Manchester and its wonderful bookshops’
House of Book and Friends can be found at 81 King Street Manchester M2 4AH and is open seven days a week
