Glockenbach bookshop

Having my own shop was my dream from the very beginning,” says Pamela Scholz, “I wrote a business plan for setting up a bookshop during my apprenticeship. But I first wanted to get a taste of other areas of the book industry before I was drawn back to my roots.” We go up three steps and sit down in the cosy reading corner, which the qualified book scientist designed and furnished herself: “This is where I drink my second coffee in the morning after dropping my son off at nursery.” But the table is also ideal for a chat with regular customers, says Pamela Scholz.

From here you have a wonderful view into the 40 square metre shop. Floor-to-ceiling ceilings, gently curved old building windows, light-coloured parquet flooring. A real feel-good atmosphere. She has also changed a few other things since she took over the shop after more than 25 years. A lush gold stripe now runs through the white walls, the children’s book corner is adorned with an illustration by an artist friend, everything looks very warm and inviting. And these are not the only changes that Scholz has made: At least one reading takes place every month, there are now also e-books and high-quality non-books in the range, as well as specials such as the so-called Schmökerboxes to give as gifts or the “Alone between the lines” concept, where bookworms can be locked in the shop to talk about their favourite books. “It’s important to me to go beyond just selling books,” emphasises Scholz, “my shop should be a place to meet and get together, an extended living room, so to speak.

And I want to show that bookshops are not dusty, old-fashioned places, but move with the times, just like literature and our language do.” More events, more social media content, an in-house podcast called GlockenbachWelle and, above all, more literature by female authors with self-determined female characters clearly reflect this concept. When asked how she selects the range of books, Pamela Scholz answers that it is a mixture of personal taste and a feeling for what the regular customers in the neighbourhood might like. “They complement each other wonderfully,” she enthuses, adding with a twinkle in her eye, “And what’s not in stock can simply be ordered for the next day, so you don’t have to travel all the way to Amazon.”

Young women and non-mainstream readers in particular appreciate the special flair that the Glockenbach bookshop exudes. In a magnificent old building, in what is probably one of the most beautiful streets in the neighbourhood, you can sit under the chandelier and browse in peace or simply have a chat. The analogue encounter – no online shop can replace it, Pamela Scholz is certain of that.

Personal book tips from Pamela Scholz

Das Fenster zur Welt
(Sarah Winman)

“The Window to the World” by Sarah Winman simply blew me away. The plot is actually quickly outlined, it’s the dialogue, the descriptions of the milieu and the twists of fate of the consistently strong characters that make the novel a real head-turner: The elderly art historian Evelyn, who has made it her mission to bring works of art to safety from the Nazis, and the young British soldier Ulysses meet in Tuscany in the summer of 1944. After an evening of bombs and wine, they form a friendship that lasts for decades. In response to her crush, Ulysses moves from the rough and wicked East End of London to post-war Florence. Along for the ride: Claude the parrot (whose comments are always spot on), Alys, the daughter of his great love Peg, and one of his best friends, Cress, who is clairvoyant (very handy for betting) and likes to consult with (his) tree. We accompany this inner circle, which is constantly joined by other friends and acquaintances, into the 1980s, and Evelyn also pays us regular visits. Winman’s novel, skilfully translated from English by Elina Baumbach, combines a wonderfully dry English humour with Italian joie de vivre. It is naturally and unpretentiously queer, celebrates strong women, celebrates art and culture and slips in a little wisdom between the lines. ISBN 978-3-608-96606-0

Mühlensommer
(Martina Bogdahn)

As a very young woman, Maria just wanted to get away from her parents’ farm, away from the smell of pigsty in her clothes, away from the hard physical labour, away from her grandmother, who had little sympathy for daydreaming. Now, as a grown woman and mother of two daughters, she returns to the farm when she learns that her father has been killed in an accident. The light and scent of a hot summer’s day in the country brings back memories of her youth on the farm and, together with little Maria, we experience and remember what it means to grow up in the countryside. Between the church pew and the school bus, duties, the smell of stables and rural harshness. But also between waving fields of grain, the closeness and naturalness of nature around her, with a peace in her heart that everything in this world has its rightful place. But the fact that the grown-up Maria is slowly returning home is not to the liking of all family members, and finally a long-suppressed question between her and her brother Thomas wants to be answered at last. “Mühlensommer” is a real soul-stroker for anyone who longs for fresh country air and healthy dirt amidst all the grey desert concrete of the city! ISBN 978-3-462-00478-6

Prima Facie
(Suzie Miller)

Suzie Miller’s book (translated from English by Katharina Martl) is a masterpiece. It is the gripping story of a young London criminal defence lawyer who has worked her way up from a poor background to the high society of lawyers. Firmly convinced that everyone deserves a fair trial, Tessa defends men accused of sexual assault, among others. Her cross-examinations are legendary. But then something happens that shakes her faith … The story gives rise to a whole range of different emotions as you read and is so cleverly constructed that you’ll be cheering along with the protagonist until the very last page, biting your nails waiting for the outcome. Incidentally, the novel is originally based on a play that is currently still being performed at the Munich Residenztheater. ISBN 978-3-910372-21-4