Chichester charity shop providing old books with new homes

Where does your love of books stem from?

I did an English course when I was younger and have always loved the historic impact books have had on society, particularly those by classic authors who were unappreciated in their lifetime. I also like books on weird and wonderful subjects.

What have been some of the most interesting books that you have encountered in the shop?

I had a book on 20th century Bulgarian aircraft, which was bizarre, and also a book on caring for giant African land snails. The most special thing I’ve been given is a first edition of Somerset Maugham’s Liza of Lambeth – his very first book.

How do you recognise a valuable Harry Potter?

The first edition of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone was published by Bloomsbury in 1997, although the later editions look identical. There will be a publisher’s imprint number on the title page which runs ‘10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1’ – the lowest number in this sequence indicates the impression number; which tells you which print run you have of that particular edition. A useful tip-off: On page 53 on Harry’s shopping list, ‘1 wand’ is accidentally printed twice. But the first edition is extremely scarce – only 500 copies were produced, 300 of which were sold to libraries.

At a time when the high street is struggling it seems that you are bucking the trend. Why do you think that is?

We’ve had such a strong start. I feel that the people of Chichester have really taken to promoting second-hand goods. Ever since opening last year I’ve felt a genuine love of the shop from our customers – it makes my day when they say how much they enjoy coming here. From the perspective of receiving so many kind donations, I feel that when people walk in, they immediately feel that everyone who works here has a love for books, and that their own will end up in good homes if they’re brought here.

Do you need donations of books and music?

Absolutely; new donations are always so appreciated. With books, condition isn’t always a big factor, except in very modern fiction, with specialist interest non-fiction we are often lenient in what we put out, as we like to have interesting titles for people to browse.

Why are Oxfam book shops important?

They’re helping to bring second-hand bookshops back to the high street! In a time where far more bookshops are closing than opening, it’s great that we can restore the browsing experience for shoppers whilst raising money for a great cause.

What is down time for you? And don’t just say reading!

When I get a day to myself I’m quite partial to a walk along the canal, or a drive to West Dean. I like to find somewhere to be on my own, put my headphones on and just write about whatever comes into my head.