Hi Chrissy! You’re the founder of BookBar, a bookshop and social space based in Islington and now… Chelsea! Tell us about the ethos of the place and what inspired you to set it up?
Everything we do at BookBar is about bringing people together through books. We serve coffee and wine that you can sip as you browse our curated collection of books, get book recommendations from our expert team of booksellers, come for a solo read, a friend date or a romantic one. It’s a social space focused around reading, so we host regular author events – recent authors have included David Nicholls and Elif Shafak, have our own BookClub, host ‘Read Dating’ nights (socials for single book lovers), and plenty more.
I started BookBar because I love people as much as I love books. I’d worked as a bookseller and in publishing, selling books to bookshops all over the world my whole career, and knew that the best bookshops are spaces that build community. I wanted to shout about that from the rooftops and bring people into bookshops who might imagine them as quiet or solitary spaces. Bookshops are quite the opposite. They are vibrant hubs of the community, and BookBar encapsulates that: we’ve got vibey music, wine and coffee, flowing conversation, mood lighting… It’s like your most well-read friend’s living room, and we just want you to come and hang out and see how fun reading is.
Chelsea is the newer of the two sites. Did you do anything differently this time around?
The big thing was space! Our gorgeous Highbury shop is so cosy and perfect for intimate talks and gatherings, but events are a huge part of what we do and are a growing part of the business. After five years making some wonderful partnerships and finding some lovely venues to work with around London, I was desperate to have a space that was our own, that was big enough to put on events with the showstopping authors we have been lucky enough to welcome already. It’s allowed us to put on events every week – from author talks with the likes of Caroline O’Donoghue, Elizabeth Day and Fearne Cotton to carol sing-alongs and singles nights for book lovers.
Did you always want to own a bookshop, and how did it happen for you?
The romantic answer is yes. My teenage diaries and family anecdotes testify to my dreams of owning a bookshop/cafe. That’s true, but the reality is that I am ambitious, determined and really focused on the hard work it takes to run any successful business. I was lucky enough to grow up watching my parents put everything into starting their business, and rather than persuading me to stick to a more secure job like any sensible parent might, they were incredibly encouraging about my own ambitions, and I was inspired a lot in both my work ethic and ambition by them. The realities of running a small business in the arts aren’t usually as romantic as people make out, but my goodness, I am so lucky to be able to have turned the thing I love most in the world – books and people – into a thriving business that builds community around something so precious: books and reading.
You must have met some exciting authors in your career. Do you have any favourite encounters you can tell us about?
I’ve been so lucky to meet some of my favourite authors, and even interview them. There are too many to count. I was a huge Dolly Alderton fan in my early twenties, so getting to work closely with her has been wonderful. When we first opened our Highbury shop five years ago, I got a DM from a local author offering to pop down to sign some books. The author was David Nicholls of One Day fame, and his early support really helped to put BookBar on the map. He’s been nothing but kind and generous ever since. Our visit from model and actor Emily Ratajkowski was a huge moment for us, and getting to interview her about her essay collection My Body was so memorable. I’ll never have a bad word to say about Elif Shafak, who I’ve been lucky enough to interview, I think three times now, and she is ever wise, generous, articulate and kind. All these encounters are amazing, but there is nothing like reading a debut novel and being part of the journey from the beginning, championing an author’s work and seeing readers fall in love with it. Writers like Caleb Azumah Nelson and Natasha Brown, who both have incredible careers, exemplify that for me.
Describe your perfect day and evening in Chelsea… Any favourite haunts?
Can I say BookBar?! I don’t get to hang out in the space as a customer very much, so I sometimes take the opportunity at the end of a long day to lock the door, pour a glass of wine and sit on the squishy green sofa with my book and just take it all in.
I love popping next door to our neighbours at New Forms on Chelsea Manor Street – they do delicious cocktails, and I’m excited for Art Play to open in its larger space a couple of doors down. Chelsea Manor Street really is a brilliant new part of the neighbourhood, with our friends at Comics and Cakes having just opened; Chelsea’s newest pub, The Trafalgar, across the road, and a cinema to come. It’s becoming quite a vibrant spot, and we’re so proud to be there.
As well as building an incredible community through BookBar, and being so welcomed by Chelsea residents, part of the joy of the last year has been spending time in Chelsea and discovering new haunts. I’ve loved going to exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery and have some tickets booked for productions at the Royal Court this year. I really love the buzz of Pavillion Road (who doesn’t?!) and Mother Vine is a fabulous spot for a glass of wine on a warm afternoon. Chelsea Green is perfect for people watching over a coffee, Phat Phuc does the best laksa, and I really enjoy Charlotte’s Cloud for brunch. I recently got to try Martino’s, the new restaurant from the founder of The Dover on Sloane Square, which was such a treat and deserving of all the buzz.
With streaming platforms and social media constantly vying for our attention, the comfort of a good reading nook seems to persist, even if we don’t always find time. Why do you think that is?
There aren’t many activities that don’t involve a screen these days, so I’m really protective of time with a physical book. Reading a physical book requires you to be really present, to focus your attention on one thing and sink into it. There’s no better escape from the competing babble for our attention. Whereas scrolling is mindless, reading is mindful; I think we need to create that space for ourselves more than ever. A love of reading is the best gift I’ve ever been given.
You’re surrounded by books all day long, so we have to ask about your favourite reads!
What genre do you often find yourself going back to and why? In my own reading, I don’t really think in genres. For me I want to be swept away by the story and characters, and sink into the writing. If I had to choose? I have a soft spot for epic family sagas – a recent favourite is Flashlight by Susan Choi, which is going to be the BookBar BookClub’s March choice.
What are your all-time favourite books? Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is one of my all-time favourite books. It’s four generations of a Korean family who move to Japan, over eight decades, and their intimate lives set against the backdrop of historical events. It still moves me every time I think about it. Min Jin Lee has a new book, American Hagwon, coming later this year – her first since Pachinko came out nearly ten years ago – and I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for a novel’s release. So it’s definitely the time to read Pachinko if you haven’t already – and of course, it’s available at BookBar.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin will always have a special place in my heart, as it’s a book that we at BookBar really championed in our early days.
I also regularly get asked for novels set in London, so for that I’d definitely recommend Zadie Smith (my favourite is On Beauty) and Caleb Azumah Nelson’s Open Water, but the list there is endless.
And finally, have you read anything recently that’s stuck with you?
The three books that have been massive standouts for me so far this year are all coming out in May. Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart is releasing his third novel, and it is his best yet. It’s a queer coming-of-age story set on the Isle of Harris that follows a father/son relationship in this small, religious community. It’s absolutely stunning. Then two debut novels to put on your radar, that are both about young people establishing a creative life in a big city: I Want You to be Happy by Jem Calder and Frida Slattery as Herself by Ana Kinsella. Each has a different take and a very different writing style, but I loved them both.
