Truman Books
New Bookshops
You could be forgiven for thinking that, unless you manufacture lateral flow tests, opening a new venture during a pandemic isn’t a great idea. However, more than 60 new bookshops were started over the last two years, and many seem to be thriving. Ordering books online was a saviour for many people during the various lockdowns and, now that we’re out and about again, the demand for bookshops is at an all-time high – not only because book-buying is back on the up, but also because these little spaces are hubs of understanding, empathy, and human connection, which we all need an extra dose of right now.
Where is it? Leeds
Who’s the owner? Amanda Truman
When did it open? Spring 2021
Like many bookshop owners, the idea of opening a bookshop was always in the back of Amanda Truman’s mind so, when she was redundant, there was a little voice in her head telling her to go for it. After doing some research into spaces, she decided against opening in London and decided to move back to her university city, Leeds.
With a village-feel and a community full of creative, independent businesses, Amanda found a space in Farsley, West Leeds. The space itself used to be a family-run Haberdashers and, coincidentally, the owner of the property was a book lover herself and was delighted to see her shop being transformed into a local bookshop. With no other independent bookshops in the town, the community were incredibly welcoming and supportive as Amanda set out on what she described as a crazy learning curve.
Truman Books is now a beautiful community-focused social space. With a café, late-night openings, and a growing events schedule, Amanda hopes to open the space up to those who need it. Amanda told me about how, one afternoon, she looked over to see two teenagers sitting down on one of the sofas chatting away and enjoying their environment, and it’s in moments like those when you realise how much more a bookshop is than a shop for books.
