THE BOOK MAKERS

“During the pandemic, it was amazing to watch independent bookshops respond,” William Shaw, author and co-founder of The Book Makers, tells me. “Many of them relied on the networks they’d built up to survive.” While internet shopping inarguably indulges laziness and provides extensive choice, it’s often a soulless exercise. There’s no human interaction or sense of belonging when you click to checkout.

Scores of independent bookshops were nimble enough to adapt to 2020’s challenging trade conditions. While the larger chains proved unable to deal with the enormous demand for deliveries or click & collect, smaller shops were jumping on their bikes and hand-delivering to the local population. Many independent stores are closing down, but the ones who