Happy Independent Bookstore Day! I work part-time in a lovely bookshop on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, and in this bonus episode, I interview my boss, Laurie Gillman, who founded the shop five years ago, to talk about what goes into starting and running a bookshop.

Laurie and I talked about what makes East City Bookshop special, some fun stories she has of hanging out with a few British authors, the challenges of the last year, her advice for anyone wanting to start a bookshop, and a whole lot more.

*****

Want to help the Brit Lit Podcast survive and thrive? Here are some painless ways.

*****

Books Mentioned on the Podcast:

Buy all the books available in the UK from Bookshop UK here

Buy all the books from Bookshop US here

Tin Man, by Sarah Winman (US / UK & Worldwide)

How to Stop Time, by Matt Haig (US / UK & Worldwide)

Little, by Edward Carey (US / UK & Worldwide)

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, by Hanif Abdurraqib (US / UK & Worldwide)

Mary Jane, by Jessica Anya Blau (US / UK & Worldwide)

Creatures of Passage, by Morowa Yejidé (US / UK & Worldwide)