Bookstore1Sarasota Celebrates 10 Years Of Bookselling, Community

SARASOTA, FL — When it came time for Georgia Court, a writing instructor at the University of Cincinnati, to retire in 2009, she knew immediately that she wanted to move to Sarasota.

In addition to the weather, she was drawn to the city’s arts and cultural offerings, she said. “That included a wonderful bookstore.”

Sarasota News & Books was a local icon, serving the city for about 35 years, Court said. But it closed shortly after she moved to the area.

“I grieved over that bookstore. After a while, it became clear that nobody else was going to step up and open a bookstore,” she said.

So, Court stepped up. She knew nothing about operating a bookstore, but she knew that Sarasota needed one.

She reached out to David Chaplin, the former manager of Sarasota News & Books, to join her team and help her launch what became Bookstore1Sarasota.

They started working together in December 2010, opening its doors March 1, 2011. The bookstore celebrates its 10th anniversary in March.

“That’s how it happened,” Court said. “I just wanted a bookstore. I hadn’t planned to get into any sort of business as all in my retirement. There’s plenty to do in Sarasota.”

When Bookstore1Sarasota opened its original location at 1359 Main Street, it was “received not only with open arms, but I believe we also made the frontpage news at that time,” she said. “It was a big deal in town because when Sarasota News & Books closed people were really upset. Getting another bookstore was really important to them.”

She recalled a Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce roundtable networking event before opening. Each person introduced themselves and their business.

“When it was my turn, people cheered and applauded,” Court said. “It was totally unexpected and, to me, very, very interesting, but that’s how much a bookstore was missed.”

The full-service bookstore has been known for hosting book events – local writers, debut authors, well-known names, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, poet laureates. She’s welcomed writers across the full literary spectrum.

In 2017, Bookstore1Sarasota moved into new digs at 12 S. Palm Avenue. At 3,000 square feet, the new location nearly doubled its space.

“We needed more space. We were pretty cramped, particularly with events,” Court said.

Bookstore1Sarasota hasn’t hosted any in-person author events since last February because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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That last event, a partnership with Florida Studio Theatre at the Selby Public Library downtown, featured poet Richard Blanco, who read at former President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. They bused in nearly 400 local students for reading.

“That was it and then we were all locked down,” Court said.

The bookstore closed its doors to in-person traffic in mid-March last year but continued to host virtual book events ever since. Staff also used the time to revamp the store’s online shopping experience.

“It allowed us to enhance the online sales presence that we already have,” Court said. “It wasn’t a bad thing that it forced us to take a look at that online store, refine it and make it work better.”

Sales remained steady over the past year thanks to online sales and curbside pick-up, she added. “During the pandemic, people were reading and buying puzzles. So, we were pretty busy.”

The store reopened its doors at the end of September, but online sales remain strong and staff remains focused on virtual events, Court said.

Bookstore1Sarasota will celebrates its 10th anniversary with a virtual reading by poet William Heyen March 1 at 7 p.m. Heyen read at the bookstore’s grand opening event a decade ago, making his upcoming appearance especially meaningful, she said.

Other upcoming virtual events include Channeling Amanda Gorman March 11 at 6 p.m. This event honors Gorman, the young poet that read at President Joe Biden’s January inauguration, and features readings by local students from Booker Middle School’s Dragonfly Cafe as well as Blanco, Jim Daniels and Rick Hilles.

Musicologist Craig Wright will speak about his book “The Hidden Habits of Genius” March 5 at 7 p.m. The store also hosts a regular poetry open mic and various book clubs.

Find a full schedule of events and learn more about Bookstore1Sarasota at www.sarasotabooks.com.