Luxury Maldives resort seeks new bookseller

A Maldives resort is hiring a new bookseller to run its pop-up shop when it opens its doors again this October. 

PRH Ireland press officer Aimée Johnston was chosen from thousands of applicants to run the Barefoot Bookseller pop-up shop in the eco resort of Soneva Fushi for a three-month stint earlier this year. 

With Johnston's placement now over, Ultimate Library in partnership with Soneva Fushi is now on the hunt for a new bookseller who will be a "team player with a passion for books and the ability to engage with guests of all ages. 

The winning candidate "will have excellent written and verbal English skills; a lively tone of voice to write an entertaining blog that captures the exhilarating life of a desert island bookseller, and the skills to host workshops and other guest experiences. They must have the ability to fit in with the distinctive Soneva culture," said Ultimate Library. 

The bookseller will have a month’s pre-departure product training with the Ultimate Library team, prior to flying to the Maldives to join the Soneva team for a six-month placement role in mid-October. Sonu Shivdasani, founder and c.e.o. of Soneva said the role "has become an integral part of the Soneva guest experience". 

Johnston, who was given a three-month sabbatical to take up the opportunity, said: "Being the Barefoot Bookseller was an absolute dream. I got to meet amazing people, work with incredible books and live on a stunning luxury island. Very much the dream job." 

The shop, on the island of Kunfunadhoo, was set up by Philip Blackwell as part of his Ultimate Library project creating book collections for luxury hotels. Full application details here.