Sarah tells vyvian raoul about bartering with books for a shower and a bed for the night, and why she prefers london seen from the canal. Sarah henshaw the book barge is run by sarah henshaw, a journalist and author of the bookshop that floated away constable, 2014. When sarah henshaw grew tired of her life as a london entertainment journalist, she went to pursue her dream of running an independent bookshop. In 2009, sarah henshaw had a brilliant idea to transform a narrow boat, named joseph, into a bookshop, called the book barge, but by 2011, battered by the recession, the growth in digital book sales and henshaws selfconfessed terrible bookselling skills the store, moored in the midlands, was on the verge of closing. A solo exhibit, showcasing original work created over the past year aboard sarah henshaw s beautiful book barge. The book barge floating house, narrowboat, barge interior. Sarah henshaw from lichfield, staffordshire, has been mooring the 60ft 18m book barge, in places such as oxford, and selling her stock. By setting up on a canal boat, she explained, we hope to promote a less hurried and harried lifestyle of. Life on my book barge is a whole new chapter when sarah henshaw gave up her job as a showbiz journalist to pursue a career as a. I was all for rushing to find it and buy books from it, but it seems it now specialises in little libraries. The book barge is run by sarah henshaw, a journalist and author of the bookshop that floated away constable, 2014. The book barge opened in june 2009 as an independent bookshop operating from a 60. Meet sarah henshaw, the brainchild of this creative venture. I tried reading the complete guide to starting and running a bookshop to verse me in.
Sarah henshaw is a bookseller, but no ordinary book seller. On imdb tv, you can catch hollywood hits and popular tv series at no cost. Sh takes the business to new places when she opens the book barge. Sadly, as is often the case, her dream initially failed to materialise as shed imagined rather than prematurely throw in the towel though, she decided to seek alternative possibilities to manifest her vision. Shes been aboard her floating bookshop, the book barge, on a. Sarah henshaw follow the ebbs and flows of sarah henshaw s journey as she sought to make her vision of a floating bookshop, the book barge, a reality. The book barge is exactly that, an entirely refurbished 57ft narrowboat which is moored at barton marina, staffordshire, and run by sarah henshaw whose business ethic is inspired by the slow food movement.
When sarah henshaws book barge was sinking, she sent an sos to ecommerce king jeff bezos. Sarah henshaw set continue reading the bbc, the book barge, and the brew boat. Sarah henshaw aboard her now successful and mostly dry book barge photo. Sarah henshaw gave up her flat and now lives and works on the. The book barge also holds author talks events aboard the boat. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free. Barge bookshop banned from trading in bristol bbc news. The book barge is a 60foot canal boat bookshop moored in staffordshire and operated by sarah henshaw. Obviously, i investigated further and was amazed to find out that the book barge was indeed a floating bookshop on a canal boat 57 cruiser stern in lichfield, staffordshire. Today, we continue our author interview series by speaking to sarah henshaw, the owner of the book barge and the author of the bookshop that floated away. Six months later, henshaw and stu opened the book barge.
This whole bookshop theme was started by finding out about the barge bookshop a bookshop on a narrow boat. Business wasnt always easy, so one may morning she set off. The story of this amazing feat is told in her book the bookshop that floated away, and excellent read. The book barge, boatique bookselling, is touring englands waterways, but is based in barton under needwood, staffordshire. The book barge is a narrow boat called joseph who has been emptied of its prior facilities and turned into a floating bookshop. An article was written about the book barge in the the guardian called a bookshop going places by lee rourke. The bookshop that floated away by sarah henshaw goodreads.
A floating bookshop will be high up on many readers list of ideal shedlike atmospheres in which to work. The book barge is a dream made flesh by sarah henshaw, who one day several years ago, looked at a barge and thought that would make an excellent bookshop. When sarah henshaw s book barge was sinking, she sent an sos to ecommerce king jeff bezos. Sarah henshaw in her book shop the book barge photo. Sarah henshaw is the proud owner of the book barge, the uks only canalbased bookshop, which is currently still in business somewhere on the water in rural staffordshire, close to stokeontrent. A few days ago, i bought one for the use of my shower, from sarah henshaw and her book barge. Sarah henshaw is the proud owner of the book barge, the uks only canalbased bookshop, which is currently still in business somewhere on. The book barge floating 60foot long indepdent bookstore staffordshire, england. Sarah henshaw, an independent bookseller, running the book barge a floating book shop on a narrowboat, selling classic, contemporary and childrens books. Nevertheless the book barge opened six months later and enjoyed the happy. Now, some of you know how much i love books and so i was compelled to go in and investigate. Once upon a time, a beautiful young woman dreamt of an idyllic life selling books from a boat.
Nevertheless the book barge opened six months later and enjoyed the happy patronage of local readers, a growing number of eccentrics and the odd moorhen. At that stage i had no plan to ever move the boat, nor any real clue how to. I usually avoid memoir and booksaboutbooks like the plague, but this memoir about a bookshop on a boat was wonderful. The book barge place saintnicolas, 89000 auxerre rated 4.
Sadly, as is often the case, her dream initially failed to materialise as shed imagined. She has written for the telegraph, the independent and elle decoration, is editor of the society magazines of the inland waterways association and river thames society and is deputy editor of waterways world magazine. I knew immediately what i wanted this post to be about. Sarah henshaw gave up her job to set up a book shop on a boat, but it has not all been easy. Sarah henshaw, the owner, the owner, has written an excellent book, the bookshop that floated away. By setting up on a canal boat, she explained, we hope to promote a less hurried and harried lifestyle of idle pleasures, cups. The book barge sarah henshaw, a modern day heroine and o ne of lifes great dreamers proves that life is still full of endless possibilitiesif only we dare to live them because her words are far more relevant than anything i could write, ive cut and pasted this article in its totality, but you can find the original words and all. When moored, the book barge can be found at barton marina in burtonupontrent, east staffordshire, about 100 miles nw of london. When the book barge became sarah henshaw s home as well as a business, she started bartering paperbacks for essentials including food and occasional treats such as a haircut of course, it wasnt. The bookshop that floated away europe news and current affairs. Sarah henshaw has turned the experience into a book 23 aboard the book barge, sarah henshaw travelled more than 1,000 miles in six.
Sarah henshaw has turned the experience into a book. While at the festival i stumbled upon the book barge. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. When sarah henshaws book barge was sinking, she sent an sos to e commerce king jeff bezos. The bookshop that floated away europe news and current. In june 2009 she bought a narrow boat and began fitting it out as a book shop called the book barge. The business idea that transformed a journalists life battling to keep her business afloat, one woman came up with an idea that transformed her life by sarah henshaw. The book barge was indeed a floating bookshop on a canal boat 57 cruiser stern in lichfield, staffordshire. The bookshop that floated away begins with a hand drawn map, which includes the route that the book barge took on its 2011 voyage.