Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The internationally-bestselling Wigtown author introduces us to the latest instalment about his life as one of the booksellers in Scotland’s National Book Town. In twenty years behind the till in The Bookshop, Wigtown, Shaun Bythell has met pretty much every kind of customer there is – from the charming, erudite and deep-pocketed to the eccentric, flatulent and possibly larcenous. In Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops he distils the essence of his experience into a warm, witty and quirky taxonomy of the book-loving public. So, step inside to meet the crafty Antiquarian, the shy and retiring Erotica Browser and gormless yet strangely likeable shop assistant Student Hugo – along with much-loved bookseller favourites like the passionate Sci-Fi Fan, the voracious Railway Collector and the ever-elusive Perfect Customer.
“All the ingredients for a gentle human comedy are here, as soothing as a bag of boiled sweets and just as tempting to dip into” – Literary Review.
About the author: Shaun Bythell has been running The Bookshop in Wigtown since 2001. His previous two books, The Diary of a Bookseller and Confessions of a Bookseller, are both international bestsellers and have been translated into over twenty languages, including Russian, Korean, and French.
In conversation with Lee Randall
The internationally-bestselling Wigtown author introduces us to the latest instalment about his life as one of the booksellers in Scotland’s National Book Town. In twenty years behind the till in The Bookshop, Wigtown, Shaun Bythell has met pretty much every kind of customer there is – from the charming, erudite and deep-pocketed to the eccentric, flatulent and possibly larcenous. In Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops he distils the essence of his experience into a warm, witty and quirky taxonomy of the book-loving public. So, step inside to meet the crafty Antiquarian, the shy and retiring Erotica Browser and gormless yet strangely likeable shop assistant Student Hugo – along with much-loved bookseller favourites like the passionate Sci-Fi Fan, the voracious Railway Collector and the ever-elusive Perfect Customer.
“All the ingredients for a gentle human comedy are here, as soothing as a bag of boiled sweets and just as tempting to dip into” – Literary Review.
About the author: Shaun Bythell has been running The Bookshop in Wigtown since 2001. His previous two books, The Diary of a Bookseller and Confessions of a Bookseller, are both international bestsellers and have been translated into over twenty languages, including Russian, Korean, and French.
In conversation with Lee Randall
![Vivian French || The Giants Tea Party [AGES 7+]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JPLNqkt6YM8/mqdefault.jpg "Vivian French || The Giants Tea Party [AGES 7+]
The royal family are down to their last penny so the king and queen have sent Prince Max on a mission to the valley of the giants – with only a grumpy donkey for company. Legends say that the giants are rich beyond dreams, living in gold palaces and brushing their teeth with gold toothpaste. But even if it’s true, will they share their treasure? With dangers lurking in the shadows, Max must keep his wits about him to find out. Bring your own afternoon tea or carpet picnic as author and storyteller Vivian French introduces her brilliant and boisterous new fairy-tale adventure.
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS
You, your parent or teacher can send questions to Vivian before or during the event [questions@wigtownbookfestival.com] for a Q&A session at the end of the event.")
