Sneak peek inside Saffron Walden’s new bookshop

Saffron Walden’s new bookshop will open for business later this week and the Reporter has been granted access behind the scenes at the King Street store.

The shop’s manager, Max Shorter said he is hopeful that Hart’s will begin trading this Friday (April 22) but stressed that it may be Saturday (April 23) before books can be bought.

An official opening is expected to take place on a Saturday in the next two to three weeks.

Max, 26, has moved to Saffron Walden from Canterbury, where he previously worked as a bookseller at Waterstones in the Kent city.

He will be joined by another full-time member of staff, Charlotte Jones, as well as two other part-time employees.

Coffee or tea will not be sold from within the store.

Max said: “We’re delighted to be here and very excited about the shop. We want it to become a really great rural community bookshop, and we will be holding a children’s reading hour and author question and answer sessions when we’re up and running.

“There’s been a lot of interest from people in town and lots have stopped and popped their head in. The door is now open and anyone is welcome to come and have look inside, and we hope to be selling books by either Friday or Saturday.”

The shop is the new venture from London-based bookseller Daunt Books, and is their first outside of the capital.