A Biased Way of Reading a Book
On World Book Day, I’d like to write about a book for all book lovers:
“The Diary of A Bookseller” by Shuan Bythell (Profile Books Ltd.)
"The Diary of A Bookseller” by Shuan Bythell
I admit that this title is not the latest bestseller, but it certainly hasn’t lost any of its charm. At least not for me, consoled by this book during the most challenging time of the COVID pandemic.
The author describes his daily life as the owner of a second-hand book store in Wigtown, Scotland – with some days being more eventful than others!
The book is full of subdued humour and yet a radiant warmth that comes from Bythell’s Scottish heritage. In those days where we were all confined to our homes and stale atmospheres, I found comfort in his diary entries about
drab and low-key daily business.
The diary also reveals how the (second-hand) book trade in this rural town was not spared the impact of globalisation and digitalisation. Just like our industry, where more and more LSPs are acting as platformers (operating a tender site where the lowest bidder will be awarded a contract) and #translators as crowd workers.
Somewhere towards the end of the book, I stumbled across the following lines:
“It certainly feels like I am working harder than I did when I bought this business fourteen years ago…. Still, whatever is required to keep this ship afloat will be done. This life is infinitely preferable to working for someone else.”
What a firm manifesto, declaring his committed entrepreneurship!
As a self-employed freelancer, I felt exactly the same.
🔖 “Whatever is required to keep this ship afloat will be done” - I read this line over and over again.
The outcome? My ship bravely navigated stormy waters and is still afloat, sailing against the wind.
Well, you may say that this is a rather biased way of reading this diary. But all thoughts are free with books. And that is what makes being a bookworm such a thrill. Enjoy reading!
#WelttagdesBuches #WorldBookDay #freelancership
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