Leigh Broadway Read on Sea bookshop is a hit with residents

The bookshop-cum-café, which opened in late 2023, has cemented its place among Leigh’s thriving collection of businesses and proved a hit in its first nine months of business.

Thriving - Read on Sea has a wide range of books to choose from (Image: George Pizani)

Offering a diverse selection of titles, hosting regular events and frequently collaborating with local artists and authors, the shop in the Broadway looks set for many more years of success.

The multi-functional space was opened by Manuel Scettri after he and his wife moved to the town and were disappointed to find the only existing bookshop was set to close.

“We thought it would be nice if there was a bookshop again. Long story short, after a lot of legwork and talking to a lot of people we opened this one.” he said.

A community hotspot in Leigh (Image: George Pizani)

According to Manuel, he and his wife weren’t the only ones keen to have a bookshop in the town, saying the reaction from residents has been “very enthusiastic”.

He added: “People are very happy there’s a bookshop here again and the nice thing is it’s not just a bookshop, we do wine, coffee, cakes. A lot of the time people just want somewhere quiet to sit and have a drink without having to go to a restaurant or pub.”

Read on Sea bucks the trend of struggling independent bookshops, and this may be due in part to the dynamic way it functions. 

The shop works closely with local talent including artists, bakers, authors and musicians to provide a unique calendar of events with something to offer any visitor.

One such event is staff member Amy Fox’s monthly book club. “We’ve just got some new members and there’s been a huge amount of interest.” she said.

Read on Sea spotlights many local authors (Image: George Pizani)

“We’re currently reading We’ve Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, which is kind of like an eerie, gothic that’s great to discuss in October.”

Despite the challenges that come with running an independent bookshop, namely the struggle to keep up with the constant stream of new titles, Manuel believes he offers a lot that online retailers simply can’t compete with.

“The reality is if a book is in stock, we can get it the next morning. When you order and pick up a book from the shop you get a free coffee - you definitely don’t with Amazon.” he said.