Teesside graduate’s independent book shop recognised in top 10 list

The Book Corner, an independent bookshop in Saltburn and ran by Teesside University graduate Jenna Warren, has made it into the Guardian’s top 10 list of Britain’s best independent bookshops.

The Guardian’s resident expert, Louise Boland, has marked Independent Bookshop Week, which runs from Saturday 19 June to Saturday 26 June, with her pick of 10 stores embedded in local life, from Edinburgh to Brixton.

The Book Corner received praise for its warmth, variety of products, and scenic location.

Louise says: ‘The town’s bookshop, Book Corner, is as lovely as Saltburn itself, with a great range of paperbacks, particularly contemporary fiction.’

The Book Corner is situated on Milton Street in the picturesque seaside town of Saltburn, North Yorkshire. The shop opened in 2014 and moved into larger premises in 2017. The shop specialises in contemporary fiction for adults and children. Their books include new releases in paperback and hardback, children’s picture books, young adult fiction, bargain books, and non-fiction. Jenna says what makes the shop special is her attention to detail, saying: ‘I choose every book myself.

‘I suppose that’s the thing that makes all independent bookshops special: that their stock is carefully curated, and every bookshop has a different range.’

Jenna graduated from Teesside with an MA Creative Writing and reflecting on her time at University, she said: ‘The best thing about the course was the enthusiasm of the lecturers and the way they encouraged me not only to write, but to broaden my reading. The course introduced me to wonderful books and authors I would not have read otherwise.

‘My time at Teesside deepened my interest in reading and writing, and it was my interest in literature which made me want to open the bookshop.’

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