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| Abby Bookshop | |
The recently concluded Olympic Games in Paris "may have been a greater success than expected, but for many of the capital's bookshops, they have been dismal or even disastrous," the Bookseller reported. Among reasons cited were traffic restrictions and the exodus of Parisians, which deprived many booksellers of their regular customers.
Brian Spence, owner and manager of the Abbey Bookshop, said the problems began in May, when there was confusion over the traffic and public transport restrictions, as well as when the barricades would go up. "Paris was not the place to be for locals or tourists," he noted. "It was like a ghost town and was sort of depressing."
In the week before the Games opened, the French Booksellers Association (Syndicat de la librairie française) said Paris members' sales were down by an average of 11% over the same period last year.
Librairie le Piéton de Paris described the situation as "dramatic," particularly during the run-up to the Games because of strict security measures, Livres Hebdo reported. Manager Frédérique Aubier said only 10 people visited the shop during those 10 days: "If I had known, I would have gone away on holiday."
For Abbey Bookshop's Spence, prospects for the Paralympics (August 28 to September 8) are less bleak: "I expect it to be like the World Cup--you gain a bit and lose a bit. In other words, it should be neutral."
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Canadian bookstore Livres Babar, Pointe-Claire, Que., was one of the casualties of last Friday's torrential rainstorm and is now dealing with the loss of hundreds of books due to flooding. Co-owner David Byers told CTV News that the beloved, family-run business, which opened in 1986, had never been flooded, but the record rainfall sent water rushing into the shop's basement.
"I was faced with a sight that just completely didn't compute. It was like somebody had covered the entire floor in Lucite. It was crystal clear water it turns out. I stepped down into it and made a splash," Byers said. Pointe-Claire's volunteer rescue unit spent three hours pumping water out and found a drain under the carpet. "With a shovel I started pushing water towards the drain. By that time it was getting to be midnight," he added.
"It was a big surprise when I phoned on Friday night and David said we've got three inches of water everywhere and I sort of dashed over here," said co-owner Maya Munro-Byers.
Assessing the full extent of the damage will take time, but thus far they have had to throw out about 400 books. The owners don't know when they will be able to open shop again, but promise customers they will, and are" looking forward to turning the page and starting a new chapter," CTV News noted.
Despite the challenge, they are staying positive. "It's not as bad a disaster as many people I've seen recently living in basement apartments with all of their soaked belongings outside, so I put it into perspective that way," Byers said.
Babar Books posted on Facebook yesterday: "We really appreciate the outpouring of support and understanding from our community!! We look forward to opening our doors (with fresh carpet) in the next couple days. Please check back here for more updates!"
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| Giles Armstrong (via) |
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Giles Armstrong, the longest-serving Foyles bookshop staff member, will retire after almost 60 years with the company, the Bookseller reported. Armstrong, who started working at Foyles on London's Charing Cross Road in 1965, is stepping down in September at the age of 82.
His first job was sorting the mail, before moving to the history department. By the 1970s he was running the biggest English-language department in the U.K., accounting for 10% of U.K. sales in a single shop.
During his career, Armstrong sold books to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, media mogul Robert Maxwell, and actor Robert Stephens, the Bookseller noted. Foyles is planning to host a "small but lively" retirement party for Armstrong on September 8 at Foyles Charing Cross Road. --Robert Gray