Bob Stone was driving to open his shop in Waterloo one morning when a radio segment made him pull over. The report said a third of teachers believed the current downward trend in reading for pleasure was irreversible. As the owner of Waterloo's only independent bookshop, Bob was not convinced.
Bob, 62, opened Write Blend in 2015 after his former workplace closed and a dream premises became available on South Road. Having fulfilled a long-held ambition, locals have kept the shop alive for over ten years. Today it sells children's and adults' fiction and non-fiction, bestsellers, classics, and modern classics.
Why independent bookshops matter
Bob, who lives in Bootle with his wife, said: "It may be true that reading for pleasure is at an all-time low but I don’t believe it is irreversible. There wouldn’t be much point in me getting up for work each day if it was. Sometimes people simply need to find the right book."
"That is why independent bookshops are so important. We give that time to talk to people and find the book for them."
Write Blend also has a comfy seating area where parents read to their children. Bob said: "Reading has got so much competition but I do think that with the right encouragement people can relearn the joy of sitting quietly with a book and I do think it does good to start with children. We all remember books we used to love as kids."
From social media call to published anthology
The shop hosts regular events and author signings, and visitors will even find a record shop upstairs. In March, Bob put out a call on social media, inviting anyone who wanted to write a short piece about their love of reading and how books have influenced their lives to send in their stories, which he would publish.
The result was an anthology called Our Lives In Books, published in July, containing testimony from almost 60 book lovers and authors, including local talent. Bob said: "There are some people I expected to contribute but I didn’t anticipate just how many submissions I would receive."
Contributors included award-winning horror author Ramsey Campbell, best-selling children’s author Cathy Cassidy, Emmerdale star Samantha Giles, and Paul Magrs, author of Doctor Who books and scripts for Big Finish’s Doctor Who audio drama range. The cover was created by Lancashire-born illustrator Catherine L Owen.
Keeping communities reading
Bob was delighted with the response: "There were pieces by authors who love to write but don’t often submit their work for publication. But maybe best of all, there were a number of pieces from readers who love books, but have never written anything before, let alone had anything published."
Bob hopes Our Lives In Books can reignite the joy of reading for anyone who feels the spark has gone out. Noting the small number of bookshops between Liverpool and Southport - the nearest being Pritchard's in Crosby - he added that communities have a "responsibility" to keep bookshops open.
Despite rising overheads, including the price of books, and competition from supermarkets selling bestsellers at lower prices, Bob believes independents keep their advantages. He said: "We have more choice, bigger ranges and more knowledge. If you want to know what else to read, I can give you chapter and verse."
Bob added: "We live in a horribly polarised world where people on all sides find it acceptable to subject each other to the most appalling abuse on social media. The love of books unites us, though. If I meet someone who enjoys the same books as me, I’ll happily talk to them for hours and we can put all other differences aside, even if it is just for a while."
