The Book Shop

Once it was just a bookshop and everything that the word ‘bookshop’ meant. It could only sell a limited number of books because of the size of the place. Then Freddie Pennebaker hit on an idea. Folks who come into the store, and like the adage, really do judge a book by its cover. His customers missed great books and great authors due to their unappealing covers. So one week in late September, Freddie invited an author to sit on the shelf where the author’s book would have resided. It was a big hit. It gave people a chance to question the person on why they wrote and what it was all about. At Christmas, Freddie had six authors sitting on massive shelves in place of their books.  A local newspaper carried the story, which then made the nationals. Eventually, a television news crew turned up at the bookshop, and Freddie’s place became famous.  The following summer, so many trendy and up and coming authors wanted to be seen in Freddie’s shop that there was a waiting list. On one day in July, 34 writers were sitting on shelves instead of their books. Freddie has now opened a ‘PeepsBook’ store in New York City, and one is soon to open in Moscow. 

bobby stevenson 2020