Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Williford
Hi Sara, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, I loved to read. I read constantly. As I got older, I fell out of love with it, as I was increasingly jaded with the lack of books I could relate to. Reading about people who aren’t like ourselves is important, because it helps us empathize and understand others. Never seeing yourself represented, however, can make you feel alienated and unseen. By the end of college, I never read anymore. A few years ago, I found some queer books and fell back into reading. Seeing myself in these stories, seeing myself and others like me get happy endings and have adventures, brought that same love for books that I had as a kid. I wanted others to have that, especially as book banning has been on the rise. Finding the small number of queer books in a bookstore can be exhausting, and many people don’t even realize that there are as many options as there are. My store hopes to combat both of these issues, as well as supporting authors and books that don’t ever see the shelves of other bookstores.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It took a long time to save the money to open, and it took a while to find a space that would rent to me. People see bookstores as a dead industry, so I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t rent to me because of that and because I was a new business. I’m sure that the fact that The Lavender Bookshop is a queer bookstore also contributed to some rejections as well. The space I have now is perfect, but it needed a lot of work to get there.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Lavender Bookshop is a queer bookstore that only offers books with LGBT+ main characters. We host events and provide a space for other people in the community where they can be comfortably themselves and meet others. Everyone deserves to see themselves in a happy ending, and I want to be able to provide that.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I could not have gotten this far without my friends and family. From listening to me ramble about plans and ideas for years, to dropping everything last minute to spend an entire hot summer Saturday helping me get free bookshelves from a closing store, they have been the reason I am open today.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.lavenderbookshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavenderbookshop/
