Indie Bookshop of the Month: February 2023-The Bookish Type

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16 May

To celebrate LGBT+ History Month we’re taking you to The Bookish Type in Leeds. This queer indie bookshop was started up by Ray and Nic in 2019 when they ran pop-up bookstalls, but in 2020 they finally opened the doors to their shop in the Merrion Centre.

On every shelf you’ll find a range of queer literature, from fiction to children’s books, YA to memoirs, poetry to short stories and zines to non-fiction, and more! Ray and Nic champion LGBTIQA+ authors and books with queer themes and characters, “because we know the importance of seeing yourself – and your community – represented. Also, there is so much amazing queer literature that we want to celebrate it all!”

Read on to find out which book is their most popular, which book they’d give to every child and the beautiful thing they heard and witnessed in their shop.

When did you first open your doors?

We opened our shop in September 2020. Even though it was the early days of Covid, we decided to take a risk and go for it and I’m so pleased that we did! Before that we were running pop-up bookstalls around Leeds from May 2019.

Do you remember the first book you sold?

I do! I was running a book stall at Leeds Queer Film Festival and I sold Maggie Terry by Sarah Schulman.

What has never gone out of stock (because it’s always popular).

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg is one of our most popular titles. It’s a queer and trans classic that follows gender non-conforming Jess growing up in 1950s America. Feinberg was a staunch Communist and didn’t want anyone profiting from the book, so we have it specially printed for the shop and sell it at cost price.

Is there a book you’d refuse to sell?

We’re a queer bookshop so we have a very particular focus and obviously we’d refuse to sell anything transphobic and/or homophobic.

Do you have a bookshop pet?

Sadly we don’t, but we have hopes for a bookshop dog at some point.

What are you reading right now?

I’m a big queer horror fan so I’m currently reading It Came From the Closet edited by Joe Vallese. I’m enjoying the personal reflections on horror films from different queer writers (although I will never accept that Jaws is homoerotic!) The next book I have lined up is the high fantasy epic A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon which is HUGE. I’m very much looking forward to it because I loved the world building in her previous novel Priory of the Orange Tree.

You are able to give one book to every child. Which title do you choose?

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love is probably my favourite children’s book; it’s a picture book and it’s so beautiful and clever, with gorgeous illustrations and minimal text. Julian is allowed to be gender non-conforming and the book really celebrates his decision to dress up as a mermaid with support from his grandma.

One of the best things about running a queer bookshop is that we often sell to schools and we regularly have visits from school LGBT groups or other queer youth groups. There’s been an explosion of queer YA literature recently which is great to see and there’s a real celebration of diversity in children’s books.

Best thing overheard in your bookshop?

It was a beautiful moment when somebody said ‘That’s so lovely’ and then started crying (in a good way!) as she read the kind messages from other customers on our Pay It Forward board

58 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8NG