Waterstones recently opened a bookshop in High Holborn in London, its 13th new store of 2022, the Bookseller reported, noting that the company has also opened a Hatchards bookshop in Cheltenham and four new bookshops that are relocations as old shops closed.
"We have had 12 highly successful openings so far this year and are delighted to have managed to open a 13th new bookshop just in time for Christmas," said COO Kate Skipper. "Those with a long memory will remember the Waterstones on High Holborn, a fantastically busy bookshop. We are now pleased to return to this very fast paced location."
Jade Rose, manager of the new store, added: "Our new bookshop will be a wonderful addition to this bustling central London neighborhood. We have had to work really hard to get it open so quickly and could not be more pleased to have such a beautiful space in which to welcome our customers."
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| Drag queen Amanda Villa and Book Keeper owner Susan Chamberlain. | |
Canadian bookseller Susan Chamberlain, owner of Book Keeper in Sarnia, Ont., told CBC News that when she had hosted the bookstore's first Drag Queen Story Time, "I felt like, 'This is why I do what I do. This is why the store is here for things like this,' because you could see the kids just soaking it up."
But during the fourth such event on November 26, there were protesters. "About 10 to 12 men dressed completely in black, their faces were masked, some of them had balaclavas," she recalled. "They were carrying a flag. They marched across the parking lot toward us, so it was quite a spectacle to behold."
She added that although most of the protesters were peaceful, some tried to engage, so she asked if they wanted to come inside and see the event. No one took her up on her offer. "I learned quickly that there is no reasoning with them and that it's best just to be quiet and ignore them."
Chamberlain's next Drag Queen Story Time is scheduled for January, and despite some pushback, support has grown, according to Chamberlain. The group Sarnia Lambton Alliance Against Hate posted on social media that it supports the bookstore, "against the hate and harmful messages they have received for their attempts to encourage diversity and acceptance in our community."
Chamberlain is planning to turn the next Drag Queen Story Time into a "Love wins" party: "We hope to fill the exterior of the store with supporters, which I think will not be difficult. I think we'll have lots of supporters and then when it's time for the story, time to start, we can all just pile into the store.... And if the protesters come, I don't think there's going to be any room for them, to be honest."
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Wanted in Rome took a "post-pandemic trip" around the Italian capital city to dispel the "doom and gloom predictions for the future of bookstores in general" by local newspapers. An exploration of Rome's indie English-language bookshops uncovered "a less gloomy picture.... The four stores in our investigation, all run by dedicated women, revealed that owners were not only determined to carry on, but that they were also reasonably optimistic as regards the future."
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Wedding bells & books: "We had a really happy occasion here recently," Kennys Books, Galway, Ireland, posted on Facebook."This lovely couple, Martina and Daniel, together with their close friends and family came into the shop for photographs on their wedding day. We were all so privileged to be a part of their big day, sonas mór agus gach dea-ghuí orthu!" --Robert Gray