I'm opening a unique independent bookshop in my 'dream' Merseyside location
A new independent, fantasy-exclusive bookshop is opening in Bebington Village this week.
The Booksellers Association says the new store, Paper and Word, will stand apart as the “UK’s first bricks-and-mortar bookshop dedicated entirely to fantasy literature”.
Located at 20 Church Road, Paper and Word will offer a curated range of fantasy books for all ages and sub-genres, from Tolkien and Sarah J. Maas to independent authors and small presses.
The shop will also stock Paper and Word’s award-winning bookish products that romanticise the reading experience, including handmade book sleeves, reading journals, luxury chocolates, locally made mugs and book-themed candles.
The 100-year-old building, shaped like an open book, has been renovated after decades as a well-known local florist. Inside, the shop has floor-to-ceiling plum bookcases and rolling ladders, a gold-flecked ceiling and large glass star chandeliers above wingback chairs.
Owner and founder Abby Munro has run Paper and Word online for seven years, growing an audience of around 40,000 across social media platforms.
Before opening the business, she worked as a project manager for a Liverpool design agency specialising in architectural visualisation. Abby said: “Having found huge success online selling products that celebrate the reading experience – everything except the books themselves – it felt like the natural next step to open a bookshop.
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“Fantasy has always been my genre; it’s what I’ve read since I was a teenager, and I want to share that joy with everyone. Bebington Village was always the dream location.
“The old florist building is not only shaped like an open book, but it’s next to the churchyard with the lamppost said to have inspired The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. With Kraken Comics and Bulwark Games nearby, it’s the perfect home for Paper and Word – and for every fantasy lover.”
The shop will officially open to the public at 10.00am on Saturday (November 15), following a successful Kickstarter campaign raising over £25,000.