Bookshop Stories

Tom Idle
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Bookshop Stories shines a light on the people, businesses, and future of independent bookshops. In each episode, we speak to people who run bookshops around the world about the reality of the business, the role their shops play in their communities, and what the future of bookselling actually looks like. If you love books and bookshops, this is the podcast for you (there's plenty of chat about books, authors and recommended reads). But if you're interested in business, appreciate culture and value local community (whatever that is), you will find plenty to love too.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Bookshop Stories Episode 4  | Can you build a home a long way from home?: Andrea Moreau, Read The Room (Nice, France)

    What does it take to open an independent English-language bookshop in the South of France? For Andrea Moreau, the answer began with a move from South Africa to Nice to be closer to her grown-up children. Less than two years later, she and her daughter, Danae, had opened Read The Room – an independent English-language bookshop and café just beyond Nice's historic old town. In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Andrea shares the remarkable story behind that leap of faith, from finding the perfect premises almost by accident to creating a space where tourists, expats and French locals gather over books, coffee and conversation. We talk about the realities of running a bookshop abroad, why Read The Room introduced a no-laptop policy, how a tiny retail space has become a thriving community hub, and why books continue to bring people together across cultures and languages. More than anything, this is a conversation about belonging. About leaving one home behind, building another somewhere completely unfamiliar, and discovering that sometimes the people who walk through your door become family. In this episode we discuss: Why Andrea left South Africa for the French Riviera Opening Read The Room with her daughter, Danae Running an English-language bookshop in France Finding readers in both the local French community and among visitors to Nice Why Read The Room banned laptops Building community through books, coffee and conversation The commercial realities of independent bookselling Books and authors mentioned The Cutthroat Trial, The Secret Barrister London Falling, Patrick Radden Keefe Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or review—it really helps others discover the show. You can also follow Bookshop Stories on Instagram and subscribe on Substack for companion articles, behind-the-scenes stories and updates from the independent bookshops we visit.

    Bookshop Stories Episode 4  | Can you build a home a long way from home?: Andrea Moreau, Read The Room (Nice, France)

  2. Jul 23

    Bookshop Stories Episode 3 | Can opening a bookshop help you find a new direction?: Jacqui Delbaere, Little Green Bookshop (Herne Bay, Kent)

    When Jacqui Delbaere opened The Little Green Bookshop in Herne Bay, she wasn't simply fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning a bookshop. She was responding to a moment in life when everything had changed. After a career in public relations, her children leaving home and the end of her marriage, Jacqui found herself asking a question many of us face at different points in our lives: what comes next? In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Jacqui reflects on creating not just an independent bookshop, but an entirely new chapter. We explore the realities of opening a bookshop from scratch, how she turned an old physiotherapy clinic into one of Kent's most welcoming literary spaces, and why independent bookshops can become so much more than places to buy books. Along the way we discuss: Why owning a bookshop had always been quietly waiting in the background Creating a space that feels like someone's front room rather than a shop Learning the realities of stock management, cashflow and running an independent business Building a community through author events, book clubs and Herne Bay's first literary festival Why greeting cards sometimes matter as much as bestselling novels The impact AI could have on bookselling Why Jacqui now describes the Little Green Bookshop as "life part two" Whether you've always dreamed of owning a bookshop, love discovering independent bookshops, or are simply interested in stories of people finding a new direction, I hope you'll enjoy this conversation. Books and authors mentioned in this episode: The Safekeep — Yael van der Wouden All Fours — Miranda July Clare Chambers Jonathan Coe Jacqueline Wilson Katherine Rundell James Rebanks Robert Macfarlane Bookshop Stories is a podcast exploring the people behind Britain's independent bookshops and the stories that shaped them. If you enjoy the episode, please follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. You can also find companion articles, recommendations and behind-the-scenes reflections at the Bookshop Stories Substack.

    Bookshop Stories Episode 3 | Can opening a bookshop help you find a new direction?: Jacqui Delbaere, Little Green Bookshop (Herne Bay, Kent)

  3. Jul 23

    Bookshop Stories Episode 2 | Can a creative writer make a better bookseller?: Lucy Atkinson, Back of Beyond Books (Sedgefield, County Durham)

    Lucy Atkinson imagined her future surrounded by books, but not quite like this. After completing a PhD in English and Creative Writing, specialising in historical witchcraft in fiction, Lucy expected to continue writing and researching stories. Instead, she spotted an empty shop in the County Durham town where she'd grown up, realised it was the only thing Sedgefield was missing, and decided to open an independent bookshop. In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Tom is with Back of Beyond Books to explore a question that sits at the heart of Lucy’s story: does spending years studying stories make you a better bookseller, or is it only through introducing books to other people that you really begin to understand them? We talk about Lucy’s unusual route into bookselling, growing up with dyslexia and discovering stories through video games before falling in love with reading, why northern writers deserve a bigger spotlight, the responsibility of curating books for a community, and the challenges booksellers face in the age of artificial intelligence. Along the way, Lucy explains why she wanted her shop to feel like a cross between The Traitors castle and Gilmore Girls, why her father was convinced the business would never work, how book-themed cakes have become one of the shop’s unexpected attractions, and why she's happy to spend her days helping other people discover great stories rather than writing one of her own. It’s a conversation about books, certainly, but it’s also about creativity, curation, community and the many different ways stories shape our lives. Books, authors and recommendations from this episode The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn ClarkeThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodA Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) by Sarah J. MaasMy Friends by Fredrik BackmanThe Lady Upstairs by Jessie EllandThe Pale Mistress by Naomi KelseyThe Wives of Halcyon by Irini LapateckiLizzie Pook, Lucy Rose and Neil Gaiman If you enjoy Bookshop Stories, please follow the podcast and leave a review. You can also read my accompanying essays about the people and places behind each episode on the Bookshop Stories Substack.

    Bookshop Stories Episode 2 | Can a creative writer make a better bookseller?: Lucy Atkinson, Back of Beyond Books (Sedgefield, County Durham)

  4. Jul 23

    Bookshop Stories Episode 1 | The fourteen-year dream: Emily Partridge and Black Cat Books (Launceston, Cornwall)

    For fourteen years, Emily Partridge dreamed of opening a bookshop. While working in education, she imagined creating a place where people could browse, discover new authors, sit with a cup of tea and lose themselves among the shelves. Like so many long-held ambitions, though, it was always something for “one day” – until redundancy forced a decision that would change her life. In this, the very first episode of Bookshop Stories, we’re with Black Cat Books in Launceston, Cornwall, to hear how Emily turned a fourteen-year dream into reality and what she’s learned during the first eighteen months of running an independent bookshop. Our conversation explores the realities of modern bookselling, from six-day working weeks, social media and stocking decisions to the economics of running a small business on Britain’s high street.  Along the way, Emily shares the story of a century-old prayer book that perfectly captures why she loves second-hand books, explains why her coffee machine is called Raymond, introduces us to Spook – the black cat who has become something of a local celebrity – and reflects on how Black Cat Books has grown into far more than somewhere to buy a novel. This is a conversation about books, certainly, but it's also about community, purpose, independent businesses, and what happens when you finally decide to stop talking about a dream and start living it. Books, authors and recommendations from this episode: Gorse and Ragwort by Sam K. HortonFolk horror writers, David Barnett and Jodie MatthewsWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëJane Austen, Charles Dickens and Maggie O'FarrellThe Wicker Man (as an introduction to folk horror) Follow Bookshop Stories for new conversations with independent booksellers from across the UK and beyond.

    Bookshop Stories Episode 1 | The fourteen-year dream: Emily Partridge and Black Cat Books (Launceston, Cornwall)

  5. Jul 23

    Bookshop Stories – Trailer

    Bookshop Stories shines a light on the people, businesses, and future of independent bookshops. In each episode, we speak to people who run bookshops around the world about the reality of the business, the role their shops play in their communities, and what the future of bookselling actually looks like. If you love books and bookshops, this is the podcast for you (there's plenty of chat about books, authors and recommended reads). But if you're interested in business, appreciate culture and value local community (whatever that is), you will find plenty to love too. In this trailer, your host Tom Idle explains what he's doing, why he's doing it, and why you might want to tune in.

Trailer

About

Bookshop Stories shines a light on the people, businesses, and future of independent bookshops. In each episode, we speak to people who run bookshops around the world about the reality of the business, the role their shops play in their communities, and what the future of bookselling actually looks like. If you love books and bookshops, this is the podcast for you (there's plenty of chat about books, authors and recommended reads). But if you're interested in business, appreciate culture and value local community (whatever that is), you will find plenty to love too.

Information

  • Creator
    Tom Idle
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tom Idle
  • Show Website
    Bookshop Stories