Flying visits mark Bookshop Day

The historic Cambridge University Bookshop marked Bookshop Day with two flying visits – one of them quite literally.

Bookshop Day is an annual national event run by the Booksellers Association which celebrates high street bookshops big and small.

The Cambridge University Press Bookshop, which is located on the oldest bookshop site in the country, welcomed Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner ahead of the event, which was held this year on Saturday 9th October.

Mr Zeichner, who is Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was shown around the bookshop by Cathy Ashbee, Head of Cambridge Retail and Corporate Hospitality at Cambridge University Press & Assessment and Alastair Lynn, Business Lead at the bookshop.

Mr Zeichner spoke to Cathy and Al about how the bookshop team had responded to the challenges posed by lockdown and the impact of travel restrictions on tourism. He also heard about the team’s exciting plans for the year ahead and saw how the bookshop has been sympathetically refurbished in a way that celebrates its history.

“Local bookshops contribute immensely to the social and economic health of towns and communities up and down the length of this country, and we are incredibly lucky, here in Cambridge, to have stores for every bibliophile and bookworm,” said Mr Zeichner.

“Bookshops are vibrant community hubs, and remain the best way to discover new books which help broaden our horizons and open up new opportunities.”

And Mr Zeichner was not the only visitor that day – later in the afternoon a bird of prey flew into the bookshop. The sparrowhawk (pictured below) was unharmed by the encounter and was safely released.

As part of Bookshop Day, visitors who mentioned the event were given a special discount on books as well as free tote bags and bookmarks.