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| Jonathan Main | |
British bookseller Jonathan Main, co-owner of the Bookseller Crow in Crystal Palace, London, died September 2. The bookshop posted the news "with a deep profound sadness" on its social media channels, noting: "As you know he has been very sick in ICU at Kings for the last couple of weeks and at about 10 a.m. this morning, we lost him.... Thank you for all your support over the past week or so, but for now it is time to catch our breath. Keep fighting evil."
For more than a quarter of a century, Main was "a force behind one of Crystal Palace's favorite shops," Inside Croydon reported. "Bookseller Crow was voted 'Bookshop Heroes' in 2020 in the Bookseller magazine, for the stoic and innovative way Main and his family, including partner and author Karen McLeod, managed to keep the business operating during the Covid crisis."
Booksellers Association managing director Meryl Halls told the Bookseller: "We were shocked and saddened by Jonathan's illness and untimely death. He's been an iconic bookseller for as long as most of us have been in the industry and was much loved and valued by his community and customers. Bookselling is a collegiate industry and he was admired and respected by his peers from across the country and across the community. Our hearts go out to Justine [Main's wife and co-owner of the Bookseller Crow] and his family--and his bookselling community in Crystal Palace. He'll be much and deeply missed."
In a tribute, Chris Shepherd wrote in Anfield Road News: "For decades, Jonathan, alongside his partner Justine [Crow], transformed their shop into far more than a place to buy books. The Bookseller Crow became a beating heart of the community, a cultural hub where stories were shared, friendships formed, and creativity nurtured.
"Jonathan was not just a purveyor of literature; he was a listener, a supporter, and a quiet force behind countless creative journeys.... Jonathan's presence in the window, his chats, his quiet wisdom, these things shaped the soul of the triangle. His absence will be felt not just by those of us in Crystal Palace, but by authors, publishers, and readers far beyond. He championed individuality in a time of algorithms and mass marketing, reminding us that stories and the people behind them matter deeply. Jonathan Main was one of a kind. He will be missed profoundly, remembered fondly, and celebrated always."
London's Kirkdale Bookshop posted: "As fellow colleagues & comrades in the world of books (the very things that give language to our thoughts and our feelings), we find ourselves at a loss for words to learn that Jonathan Main, stalwart of SE London, irreplaceable bookseller and friend, has died. A huge, devastating loss to the book community, to the Bookseller Crow team and to Crystal Palace."