It’s a pretty cruisey job, right? Manning the desk with piles of artfully arranged books behind, beside and, well, everywhere around you and only occasionally being distracted from thumbing through the latest bestseller to chat to a customer.
The truth is not quite like that says Tim Jarvis, who’s both a bookseller and the manager of Fullers Bookshop in Hobart, Tasmania.
Jarvis has worked at Fullers since 2013, and has been the manager since 2019. In 2021, he took over ownership of the business, making him the fifth owner of the shop since its opening in 1920. ArtsHub asked him what the book wrangling job actually entails.
So how would you describe what you do?
I do a little bit of everything. The bit I like best is talking to people about books and recommending things I think they’ll like, but I also organise a lot of our events program, which is a delight. The dullest part of the job is paying the bills. Otherwise, I just try to be the grease that keeps the wheels turning and the staff happy.
How did you get started in becoming a bookseller and the manager of Fullers bookshop?
I actually started as a volunteer, nearly a decade ago, when I offered to come in once a week to run a philosophy reading group. That turned into regular work as a bookseller, and eventually turned into running the shop!
What is the average day/week like for you?
The day usually begins with a coffee (we have our own café), and I try to catch up on any emails that have come through overnight. There are usually issues that need sorting out (misbehaving computers and the like), and then I work in the shop itself through the middle of the day, and then back onto my emails in the afternoon. I like to meet people, too, so there’s often a meeting with an author or a publisher or somebody thrown in there, too.
What’s the most commonplace misconception about being a bookseller/bookshop manager?
The most puzzling one that comes up frequently is the misconception that bookshops must be quiet, slow places to work. The reality is that we’re really quite busy, and we’re often run off our feet!
If you were interviewing someone to become a bookseller what skills and qualities would you look for?
The most important thing to us is that, if someone comes in looking for a book, they should feel glad they did so. Working backwards from that, it means we’re looking for staff who have a good book knowledge, but even more important than that is a friendly, comfortable, helpful manner.
What’s the best thing happening in the bookselling trade at the moment?
There are a few things I could mention, but to be really parochial, I’d say it’s the rise and rise of local talent: so many of our bestselling books are Australian, and a large (and growing) chunk of those are Tasmanian. Gone are the days when we were culturally just a colony!
