Shaun Bythell Books in Order

Shaun Bythell records a year running Scotland's largest secondhand bookshop in Wigtown. Eccentric customers, unpredictable staff, buying trips, and the pressures of staying afloat reveal the daily realities of an independent bookseller's life.

Another year at Wigtown's Bookshop brings demanding customers, unusual staff, and journeys to acquire private libraries. Shaun Bythell reflects on the work of keeping an independent shop alive and the unexpected connections created by a life among books.

Drawing on years behind a Scottish bookshop counter, Shaun Bythell sorts his visitors into seven comic categories. Portraits of experts, browsers, traveling families, and other familiar customers reveal the pleasures and frustrations of selling used books.

Shaun Bythell returns to his diary of life at a secondhand bookshop in Wigtown. Daily dealings with customers, colleagues, and the surrounding community capture another year of frustration, companionship, and discoveries among the shelves.