The book barge place saintnicolas, 89000 auxerre rated 4. Sarah henshaw shows us the possibilities that continuous cruising has for those with a bit of determination and a lot of time on their hands. Nevertheless the book barge opened six months later and enjoyed the happy patronage of local readers, a growing number of eccentrics and the odd moorhen. The bookshop that floated away by sarah henshaw nook. For a heady few weeks in london, i was able to write out a lengthy. Fed up with city life, sarah henshaw quit her job as an entertainment journalist in london and went in search of something different. Barge bookshop given bristol st nicholas market stall. Donovan rees, senior bookseller for rare book dealer bernard quaritch in. Word on the water floating bookstore in london, england. The book barge is run by sarah henshaw, a journalist and author of the bookshop that floated away constable, 2014. Sarah henshaw, who owns a 60ft 18m boat, decided to travel around england with her.
The book barge at barton marina, staffordshire floating. Although rather busy with customers, she generously agreed and we spent a lovely afternoon chatting and eating on her barge. Were thrilled to be taking fiction uncovered on tour with us this year. Weird and wonderful bookshops worldwide in pictures.
Sarah henshaw has turned the experience into a book 23 aboard the book barge, sarah henshaw travelled more than 1,000 miles in six months through canals in england and wales. In 2009 sarah henshaw decided to set up her own business a bookshop on a barge. Londons canalboat bookstore finds a berth, and success paddy screech, center, an owner of londons boat bookstore, word on the water, setting out books as customers browsed. Sarah henshaw from lichfield, staffordshire, has been mooring the 60ft 18m book barge in. Mar 31, 2014 aboard the book barge, sarah henshaw travelled more than 1,000 miles in six months through canals in england and wales. At the moment, it is moored outside the guardian offices in london. Sarah henshaw has turned the experience into a book. Interview with sarah henshaw, author of the bookshop that. Investing in rare books can make you a tidy profit this is. 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 uks waterways brings her to leeds city centre. The book barge at barton marina, staffordshire floating house. On the way, as sarah navigated the barge along the canal, i managed to.
The book barge a narrow boat that travels around the uk, transporting its book trade from city to city, via old canals and waterways. Floating independent bookshop and literary lodgings. Meet sarah henshaw, the brainchild of this creative venture. At first it did well, thriving on the novelty factor. But by 2011 business was fading, and she seriously started. Henshaw is touring britains waterways for six months on her pretty, customfitted narrowboat, trading. In the true nature of slow living, i asked sarah if i could spend some time interviewing her for my blog.
Lets see what floats her boat so sarah, what came first the book shop or the boat. The book barge, barton marina, staffordshire open skies. Englands book barges 10 incredible bookstores in unusual places. Mar 06, 2012 a bookshop to float your boat on board londons only bookshop barge, anoosh chakelian discovers a vibrant alternative world of poetry, music and novel browsing.
Englands book barges 10 incredible bookstores in unusual. Investing in rare books can make you a tidy profit this. She has bought the boat with a money borrowed from her parents. Business wasnt always easy, so one may morning she set off. Sarah tells vyvian raoul about bartering with books for a shower and a bed for the night, and why she prefers london seen from the canal. The book barge a narrow boat that travels around the uk, transporting its booktrade from city to city, via old canals and waterways. Books on a barge that roams the inland waterways of the u. Thats what youll find when you visit the book barge and word on the water pictured. Barge bookshop does business in bath as part of tour bbc news.
In 2009, sarah henshaw had a brilliant idea to transform a narrow boat, named joseph, into a bookshop, called the book barge, but by 2011, battered by the recession, the growth in digital book sales and henshaws selfconfessed terrible bookselling skills the store. Indeed, her youthful obsession with horse books and nancy drew surely promised a glorious career as the worlds first. Nov 29, 2017 londons canalboat bookstore finds a berth, and success paddy screech, center, an owner of londons boat bookstore, word on the water, setting out books as customers browsed. Aug 26, 2011 sarah henshaw from lichfield, staffordshire, has been mooring the 60ft 18m book barge in places such as oxford, and selling her stock. I had previously worked as an entertainment journalist in london and selling. The book barge is a 60foot canal boat bookshop moored in staffordshire and operated by sarah henshaw. Sarah henshaw opened her unusual bookshop in 2009 and named it the book barge. Aboard the book barge, sarah henshaw travelled more than 1,000 miles in six months through canals in england and wales. Sarah henshaw author of the bookshop that floated away. Sarah henshaw of the book barge from burtonontrent, staffordshire. A bookshop to float your boat on board londons only bookshop barge, anoosh chakelian discovers a vibrant alternative world of poetry, music and novel browsing. Who knows whether well sell any books there but its a nice place for the story to end. Thea book barge literally, a bookshop on a barge is moored on the grand union canal, east of. Book barge in places such as oxford, and selling her.
This has received a lot of publicity over the years but the confusion comes from her usual location in staffordshire and her occasional visits to london, on the grand union canal, little venice. Sarah henshaw is the author of the bookshop that floated away 3. The bookshop that floated away by sarah henshaw goodreads. The book barge, sarah henshaw, at barton marina, staffordshire. When sarah henshaw grew tired of her life as a london. I was working as an entertainment journalist in london and, on this particular morning i was at a press junket to interview lethal weapon star danny glover. I usually avoid memoir and booksaboutbooks like the plague, but this memoir about a bookshop on a boat was wonderful. Aug 18, 2011 a bookshop owner who feared her businesses would go bust takes to englands waterways with the book barge. How to stay afloat as a bookseller the independent. The bbc, the book barge, and the brew boat april 20, 2014 may 7, 2014 sandra walsh 1 comment once upon a time, a beautiful young woman dreamt of an idyllic life selling books from a boat. By setting up on a canal boat, she explained, we hope to promote a less hurried and harried lifestyle of idle pleasures, cups. There is at least one other bookboat touring the uks canal network, and im sure the recessionbeating brainwave will catch on. Rachel holdsworth a book barge returns to londons canals.
The business idea that transformed a journalists life battling to keep her business afloat, one woman came up with an idea that transformed her life by sarah henshaw. Ms henshaw, whose book barge is moored in bath on a sixmonth tour, said she was doing better business on water. The book itself follows the 6 month period during which she took her narrowboat joseph on a tour of the canals of britain, from the midlands to london, bath, bristol and manchester. Jul 06, 2017 it wasis sarah henshaw who runs the book barge. Apr 18, 2014 sarah henshaw gave up her job to set up a book shop on a boat, but it has not all been easy. Sarah grew up in the rochester area showing and training with pam milkman. Sadly, as is often the case, her dream initially failed to materialise as shed imagined. The book barge floating 60foot long indepdent bookstore staffordshire, england. The bookshop that floated away europe news and current affairs. Since then, she has taken students and horses to some of the most prestigious finals in the country. Rather than prematurely throw in the towel though, she decided to seek alternative possibilities to manifest her vision. Sarah henshaw in her book shop the book barge photo.
Life on my book barge is a whole new chapter express. The bookshop that floated away by sarah henshaw nook book. Owner sarah henshaw has just bought a plot of land in france and is determined to take le book barge across the sea, says campbell. Aug 01, 2011 life on my book barge is a whole new chapter when sarah henshaw gave up her job as a showbiz journalist to pursue a career as a bookseller she didnt plan on contending with 3am wakeup calls.
There was a long queue of journalists ahead of me so i took a book out of my bag and. Sarah henshaws the bookshop that floated away will be published by constable in april 2014, 9781. Londons canalboat bookstore finds a berth, and success. A few days ago, i bought one for the use of my shower, from sarah henshaw and her book barge. Sarah henshaw set continue reading the bbc, the book barge, and the brew boat. Londons canalboat bookstore finds a berth, and success the. Business wasnt always easy, so one may morning owner sarah henshaw set off for six months chugging the length and breadth of the country. Jun 12, 2014 10 incredible bookstores in unusual places by. She has written for the telegraph, the independent and elle decoration, is editor of the society magazines of the inland waterways association and river thames society and is deputy editor of waterways world magazine. Opened 2009 by sarah henshaw, the book barge, is a 60 cruiser stern narrowboat designed for canals. The book barge was opened by a former librarian and entertainment journalist sarah henshaw in june 2009. Sarah henshaw is the proud owner of the book barge, the uks only canalbased bookshop, which is currently still in business somewhere on the water in rural staffordshire, close to stokeontrent. Sarah henshaw is the proud owner of the book barge, the uks only canalbased bookshop, which is currently still in business somewhere on. The book barge lets be clear, canalside bookselling was never a childhood dream, sarah henshaw tells me with mock severity.
The bookshop that floated away sarah henshaw shiny new books. Life on my book barge is a whole new chapter when sarah henshaw gave up her job as a showbiz journalist to pursue a career as a bookseller she didnt plan on. You can find out what happened next in her fascinating book the bookshop that floated away. Click here to read an article about sarah henshaws book barge. Barge is a 60foot canal boat bookshop moored in staffordshire and operated by sarah henshaw. So search for your sea legs, grab your bookbags and barge aboard this magnificent bookboat to support a very worthy cause indeed. When a writer decided to turn her barge into a travelling bookshop, little did she know. Mar 26, 2012 meet sarah henshaw, the brainchild of this creative venture.
When sarah henshaws book barge was sinking, she sent an sos to ecommerce king jeff bezos. Barge bookshop does business in bath as part of tour. When moored, the book barge can be found at barton marina in burtonupontrent, east staffordshire, about 100 miles nw of london. Sarah henshaw follow the ebbs and flows of sarah henshaws journey as she sought to make her vision of a floating bookshop, the book barge, a reality. Donovan rees, senior bookseller for rare book dealer bernard quaritch in mayfair, west london, says. Sarah worked extensively with mark frohm as a young professional.
Upon graduation from hobart and william smith colleges in 2002, she began her professional career. The business idea that transformed a journalists life battling to keep her business afloat, one woman came up with. A bookseller banned from trading on a barge in bristol has been offered a market stall in the city. Henshaw is touring britains waterways for six months book barge. Sarah henshaw follow the ebbs and flows of sarah henshaw s journey as she sought to make her vision of a floating bookshop, the book barge, a reality. The bookshop that floated away europe news and current. The bookshop that floated away sarah henshaw shiny new. Sarah henshaws the bookshop that floated away will be published by constable in april 2014, 9781472108050, 272pp, paperbk. There are so many great british writers to celebrate and were on board to help bring the fiction uncovered selection to readers around the country. Shes been aboard her floating bookshop, the book barge, on a. In 2009, sarah henshaw had a brilliant idea to transform a narrow boat, named joseph, into a bookshop, called the book barge, but by 2011, battered by the recession, the growth in digital book sales and henshaw s selfconfessed terrible book selling skills the store, moored in the midlands, was on the verge of closing.
819 341 678 727 952 1424 1543 289 165 918 1299 812 1400 969 1017 1482 925 1153 1340 1381 1031 476 1101 86 1525 415 462 693 188 161 1153 28 374 32 578 1076 1273 1234 349 1087 683 1064 692 1270 456 1348 640