Kim’s Bookshop came about in 1971 when Kim Francombe, an avid book collector, needed more space to house her vast book collection that was taking over her home. Kim opened a small shop in Worthing, England with a stock of 250 books.
Kim’s Bookshop has grown over the years and now has locations in Arundel and Chichester, UK. The photos of this lovely old building are from the Chichester location.
Kim died in 2014 but her daughter now runs the stores and the little secondhand collection has grown to over 80,000 books which include rare and antiquarian tomes.
Their website claims: “we are not known as ‘the book detectives’ for nothing” because apparently they have built quite a reputation for being able to sleuth down obscure, little known titles from yesteryear.
Known as “a lovely place to shop”, one could spend hours – no days – shuffling aimlessly around the bookstacks making discovery after discovery.
This independent bookshop is spread over three floors, each housing shelves of different genres.
There are even old editions of Dickens’ novels which can be bought in sets.
No word on how old the building actually is but their website claims that the English poet Charles Crocker lived there for many years until his death in October 1861. So it’s at least two centuries old.
Kim’s Bookshop is a bibliophile and historian’s dream come true!
Thank you dear Kim for leaving such a fabulous legacy.
Sources:
www.kimsbookshops.co.uk/chichester/
www.facebook.com/Kims-Bookshop
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