Nestled into the pristine lowlands, the open book is a charming bookshop with apartment above in the heart of wigtown, scotlands national book town. New chapter in wigtowns fortunes opened by book festival. This unique vacation rental in wigtown scotlands national book town lets guests run their own bookstore by the sea. Its also a tough place to find a decent evening meal.
The bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand. Harvey lindsay, administrative assistant at the wigtown book festival, who grew up on a farm a few. Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all subjects, but we also. Hello, im ruth anderson, qc, and i own and manage wellread books. In its first year, the shop has hosted a book launch judith maccaffertys a black crow white, a champagne tasting, and the inaugural crime event murder an a that in november 2019 when four popular, published authors came to wigtown to discuss their work. The open book in wigtown, scotland lets travel back in time to winter, 2016.
The condition of renting the holiday flat above the open book in wigtown in dumfries and galloway is to manage the bookshop for a week or two, but. Kirkcowan and wigtown primary schools at the open book. For those who want to sample the scottish bookshop life, the open book costs. Apr 23, 2019 guests can run the open book by day, then spend the night reading in the cozy upstairs flat. Kiwi journalist venetia sherson works in the open book in. A video trailer for the photographic project by caroline mcquistin, documenting the trials and tribulations of being a book shop owner in the current economy. The open book secondhand bookshop, one of scotlands quirkiest holiday destinations, has become the centre of a real life tale of romance with its first ever marriage proposal. A trip to wigtown, scotlands book town bookish beck.
It could see the company opening its own version of the successful dumfries and galloway business. Were going to make sure that there is loads going on in the shop. This is scotlands largest secondhand bookshop and the oldest in wigtown, with approximately 100,000 books spread over a mile of shelving. The condition of renting the holiday flat above the open book in wigtown in dumfries and galloway is to manage the bookshop for a week or two, but for them this is no catch. It is well known today as scotlands national book town with a high concentration of secondhand book. Mar 04, 2016 in wigtown, scotland, you can spend holidays as a bookshop owner piotr kowalczyk. There are plenty of places to eat out within the town. Indeed, tika and i booked our stay in wigtown back in 2016 after seeing an article on buzzfeed touting the virtues of the experience. Wigtown festival company has recently set up its own bookshop called the open book for authors to run for short periods of time, whilst benefiting from using it as a creative writing retreat. Why i went on holiday to work in the open book, a bookshop in. Scotlands national book town, a royal burgh of 1,000 residents and 12 bookshops beside the sea in galloway. Around 100 books are handed in every day to the shop, which is now run by.
In wigtown, scotland, you can spend holidays as a bookshop. The open book is a bookshop and above a selfcatering flat in the heart of wigtown, scotlands national book town. Sep 24, 2016 while most of these businesses are open yeararound, the towns main attraction is the wigtown book festival, which runs for 10 days each autumn. Search for second hand books the bookshop, wigtown. Sep 27, 2017 the open book in wigtown is fully booked until 2020 and has attracted interest from a chinese firm. Mar 25, 2016 a video trailer for the photographic project by caroline mcquistin, documenting the trials and tribulations of being a book shop owner in the current economy. In august 2018 i bought the building at agnew crescent which formerly housed the grapes bar and set about converting it into the latest bookshop to open in wigtown, scotlands national book town.
The open book is a unique holiday experience, welcoming guests from all over the world to stay in their very own bookshop in the heart of scotlands national. Jan 28, 2019 well over a year ago, my friend mel invited us to visit wigtown, scotland with her. Follow the adventures of the open book residents as they undertake a. Published on march 4, 2016 here is a fascinating way to spend holidays the open book is a cozy apartment with a bookshop downstairs that you can run during your stay. Visit wigtown, scotlands national book town modern mrs. Come visit and explore the bookshops, ancient history, vibrant culture, distilleries, pristine beaches and more.
The town centre is clean and prosperous and wigtown during its 10 day book festival each september is a joy to visit. There is a wide range of topics and some real gems in terms of rarity and quality. The bookshop band are running the open book bookshop in wigtown during the wigtown book festival 25th sept 4th oct 2015. Mel and her husband had booked the open book for a week, the bookstore you may have read about, the one where part of the deal is you get to run the attached bookstore during your stay. The open book is the brainchild of american writer jessica fox, a former. Be sure to ask the guests why they are here and how they are finding their adventure and to browse the shelves too.
It is a great example of a historic scottish town that has reinvented and regenerated itself in the face of an economic downturn. Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all. Nestled into the pristine lowlands, the open book is a charming bookshop with apartment above in the heart of. It is currently booked solid into 2018, so plan well in advance. Today most visitors are drawn by its many book shops and annual book festival.
I have a small, wide variety of books which includes fiction, history and art. A critic sells books down by the seashore the new york times. Scottish national book festival held late septemberearly october, spring fling gallery crawl canon quidditch team. The once boardedup windows and doors are open again, and behind them small businesses thrive. Find opening times for bookshops open on sunday in wigtown and other contact details such as. Wellread books of wigtown second hand bookshop in wigtown. It lies east of stranraer and south of newton stewart. For the bibliophiles, avid readers, kindred book lovers, adventure seekers, we are the first ever bookshop holiday scopri di piu. In wigtown, scotland, you can spend holidays as a bookshop owner. Nestled into the pristine lowlands, the open book is a charming bookshop with apartment above in the heart of wigtown, s show more.
The wigtown book festival 2015 events at the open book. Jun 20, 2019 ive had to eat my words, one of the naysayers told me when they came into the shop to say hello to my best friend and i on our first day running the open book. What its like to run a bookshop in scotlands national book town monday, 10 february, 2020 back in 2016 before david had finished his masters program, before wed moved to prague, before strong sense of place was even a whisper of an idea we learned about a bookshop in scotland where we could be the booksellers. Bibliophiles from around the world take it in turns to run the shop, in wigtown, dumfries and galloway, as a selfcatering holiday experience.
Wigtown, which has a population of fewer than 1,000 people, boasts nearly a dozen bookstores. Opening hours vary depending on the guest but generally. Wigtown was once the chief town of galloway with considerable strategic and commercial importance. We packed down from a beth porter and the availables gig at bournemouth folk club on sunday night and were pleased to find out we were in the car before 11pm thanks to bens great car packing. Because the day s event was such a success, i hope to expand this into a two day event in november 2020. The bookshop is the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland, with over a mile of shelving supporting roughly 100,000 books. Two residents of wigtown, scotlands national booktown and host of the yearly scottish national book festival, hatched a plan to bring more tourism to the town year round by using. Wigtown is more than twice as far away as hay is for us, so were less likely to go back. Dec 06, 2018 the open book in wigtown, scotland lets travel back in time to winter, 2016. Nestled in the pristine surroundings of galloway, the open book is a charming bookshop and apartment, situated on the main street of wigtown. Live your dream of having your very own bookshop by the sea in scotland. Guests can run the open book by day, then spend the night reading in the cozy upstairs flat.
The bookshop 17 north main street wigtown dg8 9hl tel. A book critic for the times recently took his turn at the till. In wigtown, scotland, you can spend holidays as a bookshop owner piotr kowalczyk. My husband david and i were living in white river junction, vermont.
For the bibliophiles, avid readers, kindred book lovers, adventure seekers, we are the first ever bookshop holiday read more. Any profit that the open book makes goes right back into the community of wigtown, explains fox. How to open a bookstore in rural scotland literary hub. Jun 28, 2018 a bookstore in the village of wigtown, scotland, allows people to run the shop while renting an apartment upstairs. When i met ruth, i was so thankful id packed my recording equipment just in case. Wigtown is the home of the annual wigtown book festival and the town has a wide range of independent bookshops. The open book is appropriately located in scotlands national book town. Why i went on holiday to work in the open book, a bookshop.
The next morning, we were up bright and early, ready for our first day of. Wigtown too has seen a favorable change in its fortunes, and is now home to a community of bookshops and booksellers. For the bibliophiles, avid readers, kindred book lovers, adventure seekers, we are. I could easily have spent days browsing the row upon row of books on every subject. Today wigtown is known as scotlands book town and is thus compared to hayonwye in wales. Welcome to the bookshop band, our newest residents at the open book day one at the open book the night time drive. The shop the oldest bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national booktown and our.
At the wigtown emporium, we sell an intriguing and always changing variety of vintage and retro curiosities, including unusual gifts, jewelry, lights, cameras and clocks, art, and of course, books. The shop the oldest bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national booktown and our range of stock includes all subjects. But the standout feature of the store isnt its selection of novels or even its cosy charm, but rather. Ive never seen such a fantastic collection in a used bookshop, and ruths love of books was evident in both what she said and what she stocked. The open book in wigtown is fully booked until 2020 and has attracted interest from a chinese firm. The bookshop is now scotlands largest secondhand book store, with more than 100,000 titles and a mile of shelving.
Sep 24, 2015 the bookshop band are running the open book bookshop in wigtown during the wigtown book festival 25th sept 4th oct 2015. A bookstore in the village of wigtown, scotland, allows people to run the shop while renting an apartment upstairs. This entitles me to an upstairs flat and the keys to the open book downstairs a shop the size of an average living room. Sep 06, 2018 wigtown too has seen a favorable change in its fortunes, and is now home to a community of bookshops and booksellers.
The bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand book shop. You can book a stay at the open book on airbnb or feel free to pop in. Nestled into the pristine lowlands, the open book is a charming bookshop with apartment above in the heart. While most of these businesses are open yeararound, the towns main attraction is the wigtown book festival, which runs for 10 days each autumn. However, id like to think that life will take me back to wigtown someday, perhaps for the festival, or for a stay at the open book though id have to start planning ahead to 2021. However, in contrast to hayonwye, wigtown s status as a book town was planned, in order to regenerate a very depressed town the main employers, the creamery and distillery, having closed in the 1990s, although the distillery bladnoch has now reopened and is. Wigtown holiday bookshop could branch out to asia bbc news. Situated seven miles south of newton stewart, wigtown is well placed for exploring the machars peninsula. How i made a dream come true life and style the guardian. Apr 09, 2018 wigtown is more than twice as far away as hay is for us, so were less likely to go back. A charming and quirky bookshop which extends into every conceivable book and cranny of the ground floor and staircase of its wigtown home. The open book kirkcowan and wigtown partnership enterprise project project outline. Opening times for bookshops open on sunday in wigtown 2 results. The open book in wigtown, scotland, is a popular bookstore with locals and travellers alike.