September 23rd, 2005
The death of bookshops
I meant to post this earlier, but the working week has ran away with me as usual. After reading this article in last Sunday’s Observer, I started to think that the future was bleak for the dusty non-chain bookshops, especially after the closure of The Winding Stair earlier this year. Then I hear - via Slugger - that Kenny’s in Galway, is to close. Soon, instead of tripping over piles of dusty, obscure books, we won’t be able to move in bookshops for all the 3 for 2 tables paid for by publishers.
Still Galway still has Charlie Byrne’s which I always thought was a far better bookshop than Kenny’s and I concur with An Spailpin Fanach’s wise words on the subject (with the brilliant headline: “Oh my God! They’re Killing Kenny’s!”).
In the future, will bookshops become like bookends at either end of the shelf, with chains like Hodges Figgis and Eason’s at one end, and niche antiquarian booksellers at the other?
September 24th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
yeah the whole waterstones buying ottakers thing is disappointing but tbh, i feel that’s the way it’s going to go. all the major chains seem to be expanding (i think waterstones are opening a few new stores here - drogheda for definite anyway) but i wonder how long places like anthology books will be able to stay open… it’s also been rumoured for the past year that borders are coming to dublin.
September 25th, 2005 at 11:36 am
Borders coming to Dublin? Noooo. Well ok, they can set up shop here only if they have a sub-branch of Paperchase within it. God, I run amok in there buying notebooks when I’m in London.