NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money spoke with two Italian booksellers who are coping with the gradual reopening of their country this week after about a two-month lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Diego Bressan, owner of Ubik Bookshop in Gorizia, said he probably could have gone another eight weeks with no income, but no more. His shop is open, but with new rules. "They must wear a mask," he said. "They must clean their hands. A maximum of three people is allowed in the shop at the same time.... We had quite a few customers, almost like nothing happened. And they are so happy we are open. The first day was like a silent party for us.... Here, the virus has not been so bad. We are lucky. We are far from the red zone."
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| Mattia Garavaglia packing books for bike delivery at La Libreria del Golem. | |
Mattia Garavaglia, owner of Golem Bookshop in the red zone Piedmont region, owns "a small, small, small, small shop in Turin" near Lombardia, the epicenter. "When I opened my bookshop, I slept on the ground in the bookshop for six months because I couldn't afford a home.... I don't want to close my life because my bookshop is my life. So it's not time to say, oh, my God. I'm closing. I'm closing. I'm closing. But it's time to... What is called the part of the shirt that covers your arms? [to roll up your shirt sleeves]."
Garavaglia has been making about 40 deliveries a day in his car or on his bike, riding through the empty streets of his city. "It was very strange because there was nobody--nobody, nobody, nobody at all.... And I have to say just me--my bike and nobody else. To me, it's like the paradise. I could sing. I know I sound like somebody who doesn't care what is happening, but I try to find something to appeal on the positive side.... I listen to death metal.... We've got to find some source of light in these dark times. I love it, too.... Nobody understands what will be the life after this. But you can only hope."
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The Publishers Association of New Zealand/Te Rau o Tākupu said the country's book publishers "are struggling to regroup after seeing sales obliterated in April." Books + Publishing reported that under the month-long Level 4 lockdown, booksellers were required to close stores and were not able to trade online.
"Unlike in most countries, in New Zealand books were not classed as essential items during Level 4,'" said PANZ, adding that its members were "reporting zero or minimal sales for the month of the Level 4 lockdown" and the risk to the book industry was "at its greatest since the Global Financial Crisis."
PANZ president Julia Marshall said, "While New Zealand publishers have remained at work remotely, preparing books for 2020 and 2021, they couldn't sell print books until Level 3 permitted online and click & collect sales," while "online sales of books made a massive difference to sustaining publishers in many markets, including Australia." She encouraged New Zealanders to support local booksellers and authors: "This is the year to buy New Zealand books, if you want to be sure our books are still around in the future."
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Posted on Facebook Tuesday by U.K. bookseller Harris & Harris Books, Sudbury: "A MONUMENTAL DAY. First delivery of books to the bookshop in 7 weeks and I am in absolute heaven. A bookseller without new books is not a happy bookseller. Thank you to everyone who has been continuing to support Harris & Harris during this very testing time. We've limped along with safe distant collection, home deliveries to doorsteps and books posted to everywhere. I've seen lots of friendly locals through doors and windows and virtually met lots of new book readers on the telephone. We're not done yet, there's a pile of home deliveries to sort and more to go to the post office later on. Stay home. Stay safe. Keep reading."