Claire Squires
@clairesquires.bsky.social
Director of SGSAH. Professor of Publishing Studies at Stirling. Ullapoolist. 50% of Blaire Squiscoll. She/Her.
But then I do have, ahem, feelings about how the book trade positions/postures itself - see my piece about book selling in Covid c21.openlibhums.org/article/id/3...
Essential? Different? Exceptional? The Book Trade and Covid-19
The lockdown conditions enforced by Covid-19 in 2020 have affected the book trade as with all other sectors of cultural, social and economic life. This commentary addresses claims to bookshops being ‘...
c21.openlibhums.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:29 PM
But then I do have, ahem, feelings about how the book trade positions/postures itself - see my piece about book selling in Covid c21.openlibhums.org/article/id/3...
Don’t get me wrong, I shop quite a lot
at Waterstones - it’s my nearest bookshop - and provides a good national infrastructure to showcase and sell books
at Waterstones - it’s my nearest bookshop - and provides a good national infrastructure to showcase and sell books
November 21, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Don’t get me wrong, I shop quite a lot
at Waterstones - it’s my nearest bookshop - and provides a good national infrastructure to showcase and sell books
at Waterstones - it’s my nearest bookshop - and provides a good national infrastructure to showcase and sell books
Being a bricks and mortal bookseller *is* hard faced with Amazon - but please leave some space (literal, in this case) for the indies
November 21, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Being a bricks and mortal bookseller *is* hard faced with Amazon - but please leave some space (literal, in this case) for the indies
Which at least Waterstones could fess up to, rather than posturing as a saviour of bookishness
November 21, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Which at least Waterstones could fess up to, rather than posturing as a saviour of bookishness
If Waterstones’ positioning in the UK book trade ecosystem is to gouge as much of the bricks-and-mortar book selling £ as possible that’s far from supportive of that ecosystem; it’s a purely capitalist endeavour
November 21, 2025 at 7:12 PM
If Waterstones’ positioning in the UK book trade ecosystem is to gouge as much of the bricks-and-mortar book selling £ as possible that’s far from supportive of that ecosystem; it’s a purely capitalist endeavour
See, for example, Waterstones not paying the living wage (has this changed? Happy to be updated if so) www.theguardian.com/books/2019/m...
Waterstones says it can't pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal
Managing director says book chain ‘simply not profitable enough’, as Sally Rooney, Val McDermid and other authors write to protest
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:07 PM
See, for example, Waterstones not paying the living wage (has this changed? Happy to be updated if so) www.theguardian.com/books/2019/m...
Ah great Cammie - look forward to reading…
November 21, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Ah great Cammie - look forward to reading…