BookHampton Store Sold To New Owners

BookHampton, the local book store with locations in the Villages of East Hampton and Southampton, recently announced that the Southampton store has been sold to two new owners.

Owner Charline Spektor wrote on the store’s Facebook page announcing that the store has been sold to “White Knights of Southampton” Daniel Hirsch and Gregory Harris.

The two will be teaming up and opening their own bookstore at the same location on 16 Hampton Road.

Last month, Spektor announced her plans to close the 40-year-old business after the holiday season for “personal reasons.”

“I want to focus all my energy on the nation’s gun violence crisis, and be able to fully participate in reclaiming our country’s sanity and safety,” she said in a press release. “I had to make a choice.”

The store has hosted a number of guest authors including: presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut to Jennifer Egan and Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel.

Celebrities have also visited the stores including: Gwyneth Paltrow, Rufus Wainwright, Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin.

“Our store is still run by book-lovers and still cherished by book-lovers and you walk down Main Street and people are still buzzing about books,“ Spektor said in the press release “I’ve loved every moment of operating BookHampton, it’s been an honor. My decision to move on is strictly personal.“

Earlier this month, the store wrote a message on their Facebook page informing residents that they are making an “all-out effort to insure that our beloved bookstore continues.”

The message encouraged all local residents to do their “Christmas shopping” at the store and listed several recommendations.

Now that the Southampton store has been sold, Spektor is seeking someone to purchase the East Hampton store, located on 41 Main Street.

“I couldn’t be prouder of [Hirsch and Harris], they’re going to keep the tradition of great books going in Southampton,” Spektor wrote. “Now we are just looking for a great neighbor to take over our beloved East Hampton store.”

Photo: Google Maps