‘It was never going to be easy’: bookshop which opened days before lockdown closes

Charlie Crabb opened The Hastings Bookshop in Trinity Street in Hastings almost five years ago, just days before the Covid19 lockdown was announced.

Charlie told The Argus: “We made it through some pretty difficult times. We opened days before Covid so to make it to five years feels like an achievement. I feel positive about that rather than negative about us closing.”

Taking to social media to inform locals of the decision, Charlie said:

“We achieved so much in four years; we curated a selection of books that reflects our creative, diverse and outward-looking community in Hastings. We helped create The Hastings Bookshop Poetry Festival, The Hastings Queer Book Festival and the What We Read Next Bookclub. We set up our newsletter, The Hastings Review of Books. We’ve hosted around 100 events with leading authors from around the country and the world.

“I am so lucky to have had this opportunity to run a bookshop in my hometown and I’m so proud of everything we created together! But the reality is that running a small business is extremely hard.

The Hastings Bookshop has weathered many storms (Image: The Hastings Bookshop) “Keeping an independent bookshop open, especially against so many odds, was never going to be easy, and running a small business over these last 4 years in particular has taken a huge emotional and financial toll.

“Our bookshop survived multiple Covid lockdowns (remember those?) and an ongoing cost of living crisis, as well as numerous global, local and personal challenges- but, despite all the setbacks, we kept going. Now it is time to start a new chapter – whatever that might hold.”

Although he won’t be opening a bookshop “any time soon”, Charlie will continue to do “book related things in Hastings” including events, like bringing local authors into schools.

There will be 25% off everything until the shop’s final day of trading on Monday January 6.