Bookstore Adventures — Blackwells

Blackwell’s Summer Reading Program Window Display

In 2013, I was fortunate enough to attend Summer School at Oxford University. I stayed in Exeter College and my room faced Broad Street. Across the road was the world famous Blackwell’s bookshop.

Blackwell’s has serving the needs of students, academics and book-lovers since 1879. It’s a great store to wander around and even to sit in the cafe and have coffee or lunch.

Christ Church, Oxford

One of our guest lecturers was one of the passionate booksellers from Blackwell’s and he went through the process of how bookstores choose books, to what sells and why.

Employees at Blackwell’s are passionate about the books that they sell and the ones I came across were knowledgeable and friendly.

The books are spread across four floors, including the massive basement, where you will find new and secondhand books on every subject under the sun.

I particularly enjoyed the poetry section as there was a great selection. When I was there, they had a special display celebrating Jane Austen. (A couple of days later I was fortunate enough to go to Bath an visit the Jane Austen Centre.)

There’s something special about Oxford — a city brimming with literary history. It’s the perfect place for a writer to absorb the spirit of the Writer. There are colleges where writers past have written, studied and lived. Historic architecture, beautiful rivers and parks, significant literary sites and Oxford Dons striding along Broad Street in full academic regalia all contribute to an atmosphere conducive to inspiring one to write.

(Read more about Oxford and my visit at: http://www.elainefraser.co/blog/oxford-files-6/ )

Blackwell’s is part of the fabric of life at Oxford, along with the pubs, colleges and other historic sites. I could go on and on about the joys of Oxford and Blackwell’s, but I’ll leave it there.

#Bookstore Adventures — Blackwells