Shaun Bythell – author of 4 books sharing the idiosyncracies of customers, local characters and Captain The Bookshop cat. Remainders of the Day is his latest, and I have held back my urge to get it sooner than the post can send it to Australia, but as Amazon and Kindle are absolutely verbotten in The Bookshop, I have resisted.

Shaun is a diarist, and assured me during his generous interview, that he had never read Bridget Jones’ Diary and any similarity is pure coincidence……you can see his consistent format of how many customers, and daily takings and any special notes re new book inclusions or quirky incidents or customer conversation absurdities or frustrations thread throughout his four books and until the large fanbase decides they have had enough of his wit and his subtle sarcasm, he will keep his daily jottings jotted.

nicky

Elouise – A new young asset to the staff, and wearing the bookish uniform with the very pleasant and ‘put her hands on the exact Biggles book I was after’ Nicky on the day I dropped in, this 15 year old part-timer is an up-and-coming author herself. Winning the Whithorn Trust Award, Elouise, as part of The Kist festival, co-delivered a session on Bishops, Bones and Burials. Animating former faceless inhabitants of medieval Withorn via uncovering skeletons and bringing them back to life, there will be a strong future in the creative arts world for this YA talent. Congratulations!

Nicky went above and beyond to process my order to be sent home and Shaun, despite being his birthday and not being 100%, was a gracious host. This is definitely a book lover’s must do destination,

And Captain the acclaimed shop cat sauntered through the front door as I was ordering my books to be sent back to Oz. My fangirl moment was complete!