We welcomed Camilla Staff when she became manager of Rye Bookshop in June 2017. Camilla lives near Cranbrook and knows the area well, having previously worked for Waterstones in Tunbridge Wells and Hastings for the last four years; “but Rye is very different from everywhere else I’ve worked” she told me, “there’s a positive sense of community here”.
Will she be following the same policies as her predecessor, Lizzie Lee? “We will continue to support the local community, with our book club, our half-term events for children and of course the Rye Arts Festival. We will be hosting events and attending all the literary talks, with ten different authors’ books in stock and available for sale.”
Another continuing initiative is the support given to new and local authors.” Last week we had Chris O’Donoghue who lives at Pett”. This Saturday September 9, (12 noon – 2pm), Sussex author Judith Thompson will be signing copies of her new book Orange Autumn which tells the story of England, a divided nation in 1688, leading to the abdication of James 11.
Photo: Kenneth Bird
How lucky we are to have a first class bookshop on our High Street — great selections, so well presented and such helpful staff — when we’ve lost treasures such as Johnsons (fruit and veg). Hope the current flocks of visitors are enough to ensure the present empty premises come back to life quickly — with useful things for us locals too.