Bookishly's Meet the Stockist with Maldon Books

We're excited to bring you our brand new blog series, where we introduce and interview one of our wonderful stockists. We're lucky enough to stock our items in a number of wonderful gift shops and bookstores across the globe. It made sense to share some of them with you! 

This week we chatted to Olivia from Maldon Books (@maldonbooks). 

What's the name of your shop and where are you based?

Maldon Books, and we're based in Maldon, Essex!

What inspired you to open your shop?

I'd been a bookseller in Kent for a while, and due to a sudden change in circumstances, I found myself back home in Essex. I love Maldon, and I knew there used to be a wonderful bookshop there many years ago. I've always loved books, they've been a huge part of my life and I couldn't imagine being without them, so after a lot of encouragement from my friends and family I decided to take the plunge and open a bookshop of my own.

What year did you set up?

I opened Maldon Books in December 2019 - just three months before the first national lockdown!

What’s your favourite thing about running your shop?

There are far too many magical elements to running a bookshop, but one thing that will always be one of my greatest pleasures is finding a customer their next favourite book. It's the best part of the job!

What piece of advice would you give to your past self at the start of your journey?

I probably would've told myself to keep my chin up, things do have a way of working out in the end.

What’s your favourite book? 

Ahh, the best/hardest question! There are far too many, but I have always adored 'When God Was A Rabbit' by Sarah Winman, and one of my favourite books from last year was Caleb Azumah Nelson's 'Open Water' - a mesmerizing book.

What’s your proudest achievement since you first opened?

Honestly, I think our opening day will always be one of my favourite memories. It truly was a magical day, and one I'll never forget.

What's your favourite Bookishly product?

I love every product! How could I possibly choose one?! I'd have to go for the postcards and bookmarks, they're our customers' favourites by far!

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