Barnes Bookshop sold to Venetia Vyvyan

After 10 years of ownership, bookseller Isla Dawes has sold Barnes Bookshop to former director of Heywood Hill Bookshop Venetia Vyvyan for an undisclosed sum.

Vyvyan, who left Heywood Hill last year where she had been shareholder and director, will take over the bookshop next week. One full time assistant manager and three part time staff will remain at the store.

Dawes will continue to run the two other stores in her portfolio – Sheen Bookshop and Kew Bookshop.

Dawes said she was inspired to sell the shop because she has had “a lot on my plate” owning three indies and Vyvyan was the “perfect fit” to continue its success.

 “I think the bookshop will benefit from a fresh pair of eyes and Venetia is a perfect fit for the job,” Dawes said. “We’ve known each other for thirty years and talked about it and both decided it would work. I will still be kept very busy running Sheena and Kew.”

Vyvyan also runs her own online retailer venetiavyvyan.com focusing on mail order, bespoke and antiquarian bookselling and said  the two ventures would complement each other “nicely”.  

“I left Heywood Hill Bookshop but one thing I couldn’t do was leave the book trade, which is full of some of the most wonderful people,” she said. “It is going to be busy as usual at Barnes Bookshop, I think both Isla and I both feel we are caretakers of the bookshop, which is so well-loved by the community. People drop in for a gossip, to share their views, to meet other people and to buy a book and that won’t change,” she said.

Altogether Barnes Bookshop has been in business for over 25 years and will continue to be the bookseller for Barnes Literary Society and the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival.