{"id":9934,"date":"2026-04-10T08:35:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montylitfest.com\/?p=9934"},"modified":"2026-04-10T08:50:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:50:50","slug":"more-than-just-retail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montylitfest.com\/?p=9934","title":{"rendered":"More than just retail by Clare Grist Taylor"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Earlier this year, the UK\u2019s Booksellers Association (BA) published <\/span>a report<\/span><\/a> on the role played by Welsh bookshops in their communities. It gave voice to what we already instinctively know: that the country\u2019s 116 bookshops \u2013 64 of them independents \u2013 are crucial for promoting Welsh culture and language, championing literacy, connecting readers with writers and acting as social and community hubs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

All the more reason to cherish them. And Monty Lit Fest feels especially lucky to partner with not one, but two brilliant indies, Booka Books from just across the border in Oswestry and The Montgomery Bookshop in Montgomery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

You could not find a more beautiful book space than The Montgomery Bookshop, where we caught up with owners Richard Eaves and Barry Lord to talk about bookselling in a small community. They heartily echo the BA\u2019s findings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u2018Bookselling is more than just retail\u2019, says Barry, \u2018it\u2019s about people coming together, sharing their own stories too. Selling books is a joy because it means forging relationship, making friends, widening your own understanding of people.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s this presence in the local community, providing a social space for people to have a chat as well as buy a book, that\u2019s at the heart of Richard and Barry\u2019s approach. Inspired by their local bookshop in Much Wenlock, moving to Monty also meant the search for the right premises to create their own welcoming book space, with the shop opening in December 2018.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

From their decision to play relaxing Welsh folk music (\u2018we didn\u2019t want the shop to feel like a 1950s library\u2019) to a perfectly curated selection of books, the shop has become a much-loved part of the town. Whether it\u2019s offering reading recommendations, taking on the trickiest sourcing challenges (\u2018that book about nature with the blue cover\u2019; Harry Potter in Latin), or stocking a range of Welsh language books that attracts customers from a wide area, Richard and Barry encapsulate local bookselling at its very best: \u2018There\u2019s no better feeling than recommending a book that strikes a chord, welcoming our regulars or the joy of not knowing who\u2019s about to come through the door.\u2019<\/span><\/p>

They clearly take their role in the wider book ecosystem seriously, learning from and supporting other booksellers and championing local authors. They value their close relationship with the Books Council of Wales, and feel that the Booksellers Association is there to offer help when needed: \u2018Other booksellers have always been generous with their advice and encouragement. We\u2019ve always felt a clear sense of shared goals and energy.\u2019<\/span><\/p>

Richard and Barry discovered Monty Lit Fest by accident, stumbling upon our inaugural event in Llanfyllin in 2018, just before they opened the shop. Since then, they\u2019ve become some of the Festival\u2019s greatest advocates. \u2018It makes sense because we share the same core value: encouraging people to read\u2019, says Richard. \u2018We love the buzz around books that the Festival brings to the town. I always feel a sense of anticipation as the programme is revealed and we love it when authors and Festival-goers visit the shop.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The feeling from all of us at Monty Lit Fest is mutual. From selling tickets and joint promotions to a shared passion for authors from Wales and the borders and our \u2018something-for\u2019 everyone\u2019 philosophy, The Montgomery Books has become a much-valued partner. But perhaps the last word should go to Barry: \u2018Like us, Monty Lit Fest is about community, broadening people\u2019s horizons and reminding people that books are for everyone. We have a positive two-way relationship that works for everyone.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We couldn\u2019t have put it better ourselves. Bookselling in this particular part of mid-Wales is in very good hands indeed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>


Visit The Montgomery Bookshop 9 Arthur St, Montgomery SY15 6RA<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, the UK\u2019s Booksellers Association (BA) published a report on the role played by Welsh bookshops in their communities. It gave voice to what we already instinctively know: that the country\u2019s 116 bookshops \u2013 64 of them independents \u2013 are crucial for promoting Welsh culture and language, championing literacy, connecting readers with writers …<\/p>\n

More than just retail by Clare Grist Taylor<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8840,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[196],"tags":[198,142,24,199,197,200],"class_list":["post-9934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-monty-lit-fest-2026","tag-childrens-laureate-wales","tag-launch","tag-monty-lit-fest","tag-monty-minifest","tag-national-year-of-reading","tag-tickets"],"yoast_head":"\nMore than just retail by Clare Grist Taylor - Monty Lit Fest - G\u0175yl Ll\u00ean Maldwyn, Montgomeryshire Literary Festival<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At Monty Lit Fest, we're doing everything we can to support the 2026 National Year of Reading. 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