Damian Barr´s Literary Salon
Winding Stair Books
Indie Bookshop of the Month - August 2021

The Winding Stair Bookshop & Café is named after the Yeats poem and its own winding staircase, and became a famous Dublin landmark in the 1970s. As a popular meeting place for writers, musicians and artists, it was a well known hub for debate and creativity with many poems written, novels penned and movies shot within its walls. When its closure was announced in 2005, it looked like the end of an era, but luckily it was bought and reinvigorated with a restaurant added, and the bookshop was also happily kept. Read on to hear more about the shop from manager Sarah Montague, including some bizarre enquiries they’ve received about leprechauns…

WHEN DID YOU FIRST OPEN THE DOORS?

There has been a bookshop here since the 70s but the current owners took over just over ten years ago.

WHAT HAS NEVER GONE OUT OF STOCK (BECAUSE IT’S ALWAYS POPULAR)?

‘Dubliners’ by James Joyce. In normal times we get a lot of tourists who want to read the famous James Joyce but he is also very popular with locals.

IS THERE A BOOK YOU’D REFUSE TO SELL?

We try to have a varied stock of books but we try to veer away from the celebrity biographies/ books that people can buy at the supermarket checkout
 

DO YOU HAVE A BOOKSHOP PET?

No, unfortunately not. We open up on to the quays in Dublin’s city centre so there is too much traffic for it to be safe for a bookshop pet.

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

‘Acts of Desperation’ by Megan Nolan. There are so many new female Irish writers at the moment – it’s great to see.

YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE ONE BOOK TO EVERY CHILD. WHICH TITLE DO YOU CHOOSE?

I love the book ‘Kind’ (by Alison Green and with various illustrators).  It encourages children to be kind, accepting and celebrate differences.  It’s an important message for the next generation.

BEST THING OVERHEARD IN YOUR BOOKSHOP?

Sometimes we get asked questions by American tourists like ‘Have you heard of James Joyce?’ but the best I got asked was ‘Do you have any book on real-life leprechauns?’

Website: winding-stair.com

Instagram:@windingstairbookshop

Facebook: @windingstairbookshop

https://www.theliterarysalon.co.uk/indie-bookshop/winding-stair-books-indie-bookshop-of-the-month-august-2021