Faber Independent Bookshop of the Month

Faber Independent Bookshop of the Month

Our Bookshop of the Month is Bookbag, Exeter – an independent bookshop opened by Charlie and Malcolm Richards in December 2020, in between lockdowns. We spoke to co-founder Charlie.

Tell us the story of your shop.

Bookbag was opened towards the end of 2020 so we’re in our fifth year. My (Charlie) background is in marketing arts and music venues, and my partner and co-owner Malcolm is a senior lecturer. We’ve always loved books and bookshops, seeking them out wherever we were, from Lisbon to New Orleans. A space came up mid-pandemic, in a sought-after arcade in Exeter’s independent West Quarter, and the timing just seemed right.

Bookbag stocks a select range of books, with plenty from indie presses. We have a local/global feel to the books and are intentional about representing women, writers of colour, and LGBTQ+ voices across our sections and through our events program.

Our bookseller Sirisha Damarla set up an open mic in the bookshop in the early days. People came, sat on rugs on the floor, drank herbal tea and shared poems they’d written, words they’d scribbled in their Notes app. It’s a wholesome, nurturing space where friendships have been made and it’s this kind of energy that’s a big part of Bookbag.

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