In this instalment of ‘meet the booksellers’ I asked Pam and Keith at The Holt Bookshop in Norfolk all about their shop. They were one of the first bookshops to stock customised versions of our bookshelves - featuring their iconic bespectacled owl. Finalists in the Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book Awards more than once, their bookshop is well worth a visit.
1. Tell us a little about your bookshop. What makes it special?
The Holt Bookshop is an award-nominated independent bookshop in the beautiful Georgian town of Holt in North Norfolk. We took over the shop during the pandemic and, despite opening into a second lockdown, have grown it into a thriving literary and cultural hub.
What makes us special is that we're much more than a bookshop. Alongside a carefully curated selection of books, we host author events, concerts, literary performances, a film festival, and reading projects for young people. This summer we staged our first week-long literary celebration, Now We Are Six, bringing together authors, musicians, actors, artists and readers from across the country.
We've been proud to be shortlisted for Independent Bookshop of the Year three years running, but what matters most to us is creating a place where people can discover books, ideas and one another.
2. If someone walked through your door for the first time, what would they notice?
The atmosphere. We often hear people say that the shop feels welcoming, warm, and full of discovery. They'd notice the layout, the owl logo watching over everything, and books everywhere you look. We're not the biggest shop, but visitors are often surprised by the breadth of stock we manage to fit into the space. There is always something unexpected waiting to be found.
3. What's something about your bookshop that people might not know?
Many people know us as a bookshop, but fewer realise just how much goes on behind the scenes. We organise literary festivals, commission original performances, run a film festival, support local charities, and work with schools and youth organisations to encourage reading. We spend as much time planning cultural events as we do unpacking boxes of books, and our beautiful bespoke reading bags from Bookishly!
4. Is there a particular corner, shelf, display, or feature of the shop that you're especially proud of?
Our local books section. North Norfolk has inspired generations of writers, artists, naturalists, and historians, and we love celebrating that connection. Whether it's nature writing, local history, fiction set on the coast, or books by local authors, it's a section that reflects the character of the area and often sparks conversations between visitors and staff.
5. What's the best thing about being an independent bookshop?
The freedom to do things our own way. We can champion books we love, support debut authors, create unusual events, and respond quickly to what our customers are excited about. Independent bookselling is built on relationships—with readers, authors, publishers, and the local community—and those relationships make every day different.
6. Tell us about a memorable customer interaction.
One that always stays with us involved a customer who came in looking for a book they had loved as a child but couldn't remember the title. They could only describe a few vague details about the cover and the story. After a bit of detective work involving staff and other customers who joined in the search, we managed to identify it. Seeing their face when they realised we'd found it was a wonderful reminder that books are often tied to our deepest memories.
7. What's a book you find yourself recommending again and again?
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
About the Book:
“After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat over thirty years ago keeping busy has helped her cope.
“One night she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium who sees everything, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors – until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late...
“Van Pelt’s debut novel is a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.”
Read it, there's no way you won't fall in love with Marcellus the octopus!
8. If readers could do one thing to support their local bookshop, what would it be?
Use it. Buy books there when you can, attend events, tell your friends about it, and bring your children in to browse. Independent bookshops survive because communities choose to support them. Every purchase, recommendation, and visit helps keep these spaces alive.
What does your shop mean to your local community?
We hope it is a place where people connect—not just with books, but with each other. In a small market town, independent bookshops can become gathering places where conversations begin, ideas are exchanged, and friendships are formed. We've seen people meet at events, discover new interests, and become part of a wider cultural community. If we've achieved anything over the last few years, it's creating a place where people feel they belong.
