Sam Grant stumbled into bookselling at the start of 2021 with no retail experience. By the middle of that year, he was working full-time at the bookshop. He became fast friends with the then-owner, Kathryn Bancroft, and was shown life-changing generosity through her mentorship. With Kathryn’s backing, Sam led the business through a multi-year process of modernisation and operational improvements. In late 2025, Kathryn retired, selling the business to Sam and his partner, Immogen. The infatuation with bookselling that Sam felt in that first year of hand-selling and helping to find just the right gift has resolved into a drive to see bookshops thrive now and into the future.
Sam Grant
