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| Lea Bickerton | |
"Bookstores do more than just sell books," said Lea Bickerton, co-owner of The Tiny Bookstore in Pittsburgh, Pa., in a profile in the Pittsburgh City Paper. "The Tiny Bookstore is my way of sharing knowledge with the community. And one of the things I'm passionate about is making the world just and fair."
Bickerton and her husband, Bill Bickerton, both full-time criminal defense attorneys, opened the bookstore in 2018. The pair had been searching for new office space when they came upon a small location measuring less than 300 square feet. It immediately appealed to Lea Bickerton, who had always dreamed of opening a bookstore after retiring. Since the space was so small, she figured she could start simply by selling some of the many books in her own collection. As Bickerton said: "The idea evolved pretty quickly from there."
The Tiny Bookstore now sells new and used books, gifts and toys, and is the only Black-owned bookstore in Pittsburgh, appearing last year on Oprah's list of Black-owned bookstores to support. Bickerton pointed out that the store welcomes everyone. She explained: "Sometimes, people think that a Black-owned business is for Black people only. While I definitely make a point to promote books by people of color that are being overlooked, I truly believe that everyone benefits by reading books by diverse authors."