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Late next month, Laura Cotten and Kristen Iskandrian will open Thank You Books, a 1,300-sq.-ft. independent bookstore, in Birmingham, Ala. The store will sell general-interest books for all ages, with an emphasis on literary fiction and poetry.
In addition to books, Thank You Books will carry high-quality paper products, stationery and journals, along with pens, assorted store-branded merchandise and a host of "cute extras." Plans for events are extensive, including author readings and signings as well as book clubs, storytime sessions, community-centered readings, editorial panels and the occasional live music performance. Cotten and Iskandrian said they expect to get the event programs going after the holiday season.
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| Iskandrian (l.) and Cotten at the future Thank You Books. | |
Both Cotten and Iskandrian have backgrounds in books, though they worked on separate sides of the industry. Iskandrian is an author, and in 2017 Twelve/Hachette published her debut novel, Motherest, while Cotten has been a bookseller at Alabama Booksmith in Birmingham as well as Avid Bookshop in Athens, Ga.
Both women attended the University of Georgia, and while Cotten was working at Avid Bookshop, Iskandrian frequently visited the store, but they didn't meet until a few years later in Birmingham, where they were both involved with a nonprofit arts organization called Desert Island Supply Co. The pair hit it off, with Cotten recalling: "We trusted each other, we made each other laugh, and we had many of the same interests."
In 2017, Iskandrian posted on Facebook about wanting to open a bookstore of her own in Birmingham. At the time, Cotten and her husband had moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., but she commented that she would move back to Birmingham if Iskandrian really did open a store and wanted help. A few months later, after Iskandrian continued to mull over the idea, she reached out to Cotten, asking if her offer was genuine. It turned out that at the same time, Cotten had been working on an e-mail stating her intentions.
"It might sound hokey but it's true," said Cotten. "We have always been on the same page, and we have always felt guided by some benevolent force."
While Iskandrian and Cotten are still in the midst of building out their space, their plans have already been met with a great deal of excitement. They reported: "We have been touched and overwhelmed by people's enthusiasm."