Bookshop Focus—Jenni Doherty from Little Acorns, Derry
How it started
As a young girl, growing up in Inishowen, Donegal, I always dreamed of opening my own bookshop. My parents were such avid readers and instilled in myself and five siblings a love of books, creativity and imagination. Suffice to say I took it all very literally, with a career in publishing and as an author (Guildhall Press Publishers), the library service (Waterside Library), and working in the now-ceased bookshops Bookworm and along with Eason when they first opened in Derry. It is thanks to all these roles and skills, opportunities and experiences, the advice and friendships made that I knew, someday, I could go out on my own.
As a young girl, growing up in Inishowen, Donegal, I always dreamed of opening my own bookshop
But it was really due to a house move and having to downsize, when I signed up for a weekend market stall in Derry with 100 books on a six-foot table, Christmas 2011, that I knew the dream was sparking. Roll on 2024, and having moved ‘bookshop’ seven times since, I am now based in a three-storey Georgian building, (reopened April 2023), with a stock of over 70,000 books (both new and used). You can never have too many books!
I plan to have books spilling over two floors (six rooms) and house Ireland’s first Typewriter Museum of over 150 typewriters by early 2025. Then move myself in upstairs – my ‘forever home’ – and never, ever move again!
I collect typewriters (my first, a gift from Santa in 1977) and have over 150 in my collection with plans to open Ireland’s first Typewriter Museum in the near future. Precious finds include three rare Celtic keyboard typewriters, a typewriter from the Field Day Theatre Company and from a local newsroom in the ‘70s during the Troubles, along with one used by the Irish Women Workers Union in Dublin. Typewriters are either donated or swapped for books, or I source them, saving many from being dumped in skips or discarded. I intend to match typewriters to those that were similarly used by well-known writers like Kerouac, Hemmingway, Atwood, Steinbeck et al.
I collect typewriters (my first, a gift from Santa in 1977) and have over 150 in my collection with plans to open Ireland’s first Typewriter Museum in the near future
Additional attractions to Little Acorns include two reclaimed school teacher chairs known as the LegenDerry Writers’ Chair and the Theatre and Media Chair, which boast over 370 signatures from such luminaries as authors to actors, directors to broadcasters, musicians to comedians, illustrators to singers and journalists to politicians. It has become a special feature for visiting authors and newly-published authors to add their name which is always well received. I also love doing events (over 50 this year so far) and creating window displays. If I wasn’t in bookselling…
My customers range from a few weeks old to 99 years of age, and as a bookseller, you are a friend, a confidant, a counsellor, a tourist guide, a local historian, a mediator, a teacher, a talking ‘Yellow-Pages’, even a matchmaker! You watch children grow up, people fall in love; you meet those struggling with depression, loneliness or hardship plus those celebrating good news. The smiles on people’s faces, being able to offer a safe space for children and vulnerable adults, for people to feel at home individually or as a family, to showcase and stock local writers and artists’ work and be a part of their journey is immeasurable.
As a bookseller, you are a friend, a confidant, a counsellor, a tourist guide, a local historian, a mediator, a teacher, a talking ‘Yellow-Pages’, even a matchmaker!
All of the above is what helps with nurturing a sense of cultural and commercial activity, contributing and enhancing the immediate area for both residents and businesses, a sense of community, social connection, collaboration, acceptance, loyalty, familiarity, heightened morale and pride and an openness to diversity. By being aware of each other lends itself to being a much happier, healthier, safer environment and recreating our own little unique village vibe.
How it’s going
To me it is reward enough to be still in business, loving what I do, feeling like part of a large family and community, providing a service and safe place, a love of language and creativity and learning every day.
Book stock and sales in 2024 has been very challenging. With increased rent, rates and utility bills (due to relocation plus the cost of living), I have had to become more ruthless and selective on stock buying.
Sales of just-published books have increased but rather than offering every title just published I tend to stock less of the popular bestsellers and streamline a more refined, curated selection which has been positive and reflective of first-time authors in both fiction and non-fiction, plus more Irish-related stock in language, content and authorship.
Any job in retail is demanding and stressful but the positives far out weigh the negative
As a one-person business, I work at least 15 hours per day, but my lovely sister-in-law, Leona, works about 8 hours a week and covers me when I’m away at book-related events. Any job in retail is demanding and stressful but the positives far out weigh the negative. When you are accepted by your community (people and business) plus nationwide industry peers and you enjoy and love what you are doing – anything is possible.
It may take a village to raise a child, and I truly believe that it takes a community to curate, create and cultivate a bookshop. I am just the lucky key holder entrusted to unlock and look after its magical treasures and the wonderful characters that visit. I spend more time in the bookshop than at home, and there’s no better industry nor city I’d rather be in.
…rather than offering every title just published I tend to stock less of the popular bestsellers and streamline a more refined, curated selection which has been positive and reflective of first-time authors in both fiction and non-fiction
Where you’re headed
I hope to finally open the Typewriter Museum in 2025 (and invite fellow typewriter enthusiast Tom Hanks to cut the ‘typewriter’ ribbon. I nearly met him at the Dalkey Book Festival in 2023 – but that’s another story!). Translink NI supplied a bus to transport over 85 typewriters from Foyle Street to Great James Street and local folk turned up to carry typewriters on to the bus and seat-belt them in to be met on the other side with a red carpet reception!
I also hope to partner up with a yoga and dance teacher to introduce story-telling, movement and dance for different age groups; have a local Makaton specialist engage in using unique symbols, signs and speech in story-telling events, plus have the Deafblind charity do an event with sensory objects based on books for children with multi-sensory impairments to improve their ability to communicate, socialise and play.
I gifted over 200 book parcels celebrating Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic tradition of gifting each other a book on Christmas Eve
Plans also for an Irish language Father Christmas Letter Writing children’s event in Irish and typed on an Irish Language Typewriter in collaboration with An Culturlann and possibly Royal Mail. I have enrolled in Irish Language classes (having not done Irish since my school days!) so I need to be prepared!
The last two Christmas Eves I gifted over 200 book parcels celebrating Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic tradition of gifting each other a book on Christmas Eve, and due to a flood (three days before Christmas in the bookshop in 2022) have adopted the tagline of ‘Jolly Books at Foyle’ and will gift over 300 books this Christmas in store and through letterboxes with local teenagers offering to help with delivery locally.
I’d also love to have a private residential room where visiting authors can stay or travellers and visiting students can book – a little like the ‘Tumbleweed’ programme offered by Shakespeare & Co Bookshop in Paris. Maybe then I can have more time to read, write & visit other bookshops!
