Exciting news – the travelling independent book shop known as The Book Barge is moored at Granary Wharf for the weekend!
Wendy Denman caught up with owner Sarah Henshaw as her six month tour of the UK’s waterways brings her to Leeds city centre. Let’s see what floats her boat…
So Sarah, what came first – the book shop or the boat?
They sort of came together. The Book Barge was conceived on a crisp Boxing Day in 2008 having cycled to a nearby marina development with my brother. I had been out of work for a while, and was slightly starved of oxygen from all the pedalling on the way over, so a bookshop on a narrowboat seemed a very reasonable suggestion at the time.
How’s the tour going?
Wonderfully, despite the recent temperature plunge and a very dodgy heating system! I’ve been constantly surprised by the overwhelming generosity people have shown and moving around the country has been an amazing way of boosting the shop’s profile without splashing loads of cash on a more traditional marketing strategy. More than anything, it’s given me the confidence to continue bookselling on the boat. What started off as a quite desperate voyage (I’d probably have gone out of business in less than six months if I’d remained where I was) has turned into something startlingly positive.
Do different locations choose different books?
Undoubtedly, yes. City centre locations tend to favour new, contemporary writers, and London in particular had an appetite for foreign literature in translation. Smaller or more rural places tend to see sales of children’s books soar.
If Leeds was a book – what would it be?
Amazing question! Having been here for less than 24 hours feel free to quibble with this but I’m going for a brand new children’s book called I Want My Hat Back, by Jon Klassen. Told entirely in dialogue, it charts a bear’s quest to find his missing hat. How does it compare to Leeds ? It’s straightforward, unpretentious, but with a mischievous twist. On first impressions Leeds feels rather like a big town rather than a city, and is far more personable than other urban areas I’ve visited. Klassen’s book is all about people (well, animals actually). It celebrates personality and subverts a traditional form (the classic repetitive tale) rather nicely, as Leeds is doing with its industrial heritage.
I love the idea of the bartering system. What has been your most memorable swap?
A haircut in London from a Slovenian psychotherapist who, it transpired mid-shearing, had no professional experience. She borrowed a pair of paper scissors from my desk drawer and told me I needed a more ‘lively’ look. She took home an £8.99 paperback in return.
We have a number of book clubs, literature festivals and many fantastic writers in and around Leeds but there is only one independent book shop left in Leeds City Centre (OK Comics) – how can we attract more?
Two things. Firstly, buying habits need to change. I think most people like the idea of shopping locally and from independent retailers but often get seduced by cheaper prices elsewhere. They need to start putting their money where their mouth is. At the same time, independents must realise that, if they can’t compete on price, they need to offer something else to compensate – specialist knowledge, great events, a more pleasurable buying experience – to retain loyal custom and attract new people too.
If your boat was sinking, which book would you rescue first?
Maiden’s Trip by Emma Smith. It has inspired this trip and, as the review on the cover says, “has nicely brought-up girls itching for unladylike outdoor adventures”.
Where in the world would you most like to moor up?
Paris. It has a great literary heritage, pain au chocolats in abundance and an unappreciated canal system.
What can people expect from a visit to The Book Barge this weekend?
We’ve got a prog/pop/folk band playing 1880s mill town-inspired tunes here this afternoon, free tea and biscuits all weekend and handfuls of books to give away for milk, meals and amusement. Or even a bath, which I am very much craving.
Your life sounds very romantic. Have you got any Mills & Boon on board? Anything like Broken Shackles?
Ohhhh, I love the sound of yours! We stock The Piratical Miss Ravenhurst, as it’s suitably nautical AND naughty. May I recommend our Woman’s Weekly Library romance bundles as well? Four for £2.50. Bargain.
You can visit The Book Barge at Granary Wharf all weekend – let us know if you bartered anything for books.
For more information, visit http://www.thebookbarge.co.uk/