The Bookshop Mons: A passion for reading in English fuels literary community in Hainaut capital

After celebrating its first anniversary on 1 March, The Bookshop Mons is spreading the word about its English-language book service and community of passionate readers. Owners Jerry Systermans and Laura Desmedt. are a couple who have transformed a love for literature into a gathering place for international bookworms. Their curated selection of books, cosy store and personal recommendations are at the heart of the business’s success.

Systermans (pictured below right) tells The Bulletin all about being a bookseller and why Mons can feel as though it is the centre of the universe.

Indie bookshops are a threatened species, so why open a new one and why specialise in English books?

It’s often difficult to find English books outside Brussels, so we wanted to help as many people as possible source them, while also creating a community centre for activities. Laura and I are very passionate about not only English literature, but books written in English by writers from around the world. There is a large foreign community in Mons, so we also wanted to create a place for people to meet up. We moved here three years ago and we were surprised that locals were a lot more into reading and speaking English than we expected. It’s also quite fashionable to organise immersive education in English for kids from a young age.

What is the core of your business?

We sell new and used books. It’s important to offer a selection of genres, for every age range, including for people learning English. We have a curated selection of books, so there are less books than you will find elsewhere, but they are vetted. Customers can also order books online and the delivery period – to anywhere in Europe – is usually three working days. Lately, we have introduced jigsaw puzzles with literary themes and we also sell stationery that has been made by local artists.

Who are your customers?

Between and 30 and 40% of them are foreigners residing in Belgium. Some work for the Nato base SHAPE, while others originate from a British community dating from world war one. There are also people coming from countries such as India and Azerbaijan because of the nearby IT companies. But the majority are actually Belgians, both from Mons and further away. There are also lots of tourists from Flanders. Our events like the book clubs, writing workshops and conversation groups attract people from every continent. It’s always surprising where you have people coming from South Africa or Bolivia. It can feel like Mons is the centre of the universe.

What is the secret of your success when book reading is declining?

I guess it’s a matter of getting 100% behind a specific concept. We are the only bookshop in Wallonia selling books in English. It was important to go full throttle behind the idea of making a curated section. Most people can totally accept to wait a few days for books. Many stores want to sell everything, even when these books are maybe not so interesting.

Our events are all free. This was a political statement, and it’s also why we have our used book offer for people who don’t have the budget to buy new. When we celebrated our first anniversary, we were deeply touched as people were bringing us gifts. We have created real relationships with people. Rather than just selling books, we talk to people when we meet them.

What are your criteria for selecting books?

We aim to find the best in each category, genre and age range and genre. It could be that a book has a unique take, makes people discover new things, or it could be that the writing or the story is particularly good. My main pleasure is advising people on books. Sometimes they don’t know what to read, so they give me a theme and a few criteria and I make a hunt for a list of books. It can be quite a puzzle, but it’s good fun.  

Do you sell books about Belgium?

Although I don’t categorise them as Belgian, at the moment we have several books in English on Belgium. We also sell books by local authors. These are interesting because you can’t always find them elsewhere. Half of them are self-published and the other half have a publishing house, which is often located in another country.

How do you see the future of reading as a culture?

While we spend more time looking at screens, there is a big trend on social media encouraging a younger public to get into books. It’s usually first via romance books. You can definitely see the frustration with the choice of books they have read in school. So I think that social media may for once have positive effect in bringing them back to reading. Our events can also help because they are an opportunity to share what you have been reading.

What books do you currently recommend for children, teens and adults?

Children 
Jayben And The Dragon Stone (3rd volume of the series) by Thomas Leeds
Isadora Moon Rides a Bike by Harriet Muncaster

Teenagers 
The Last Bookstore On Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
Sunrise On The Reaping (upcoming 5th volume of the Hunger Games series) by Suzanne Collins

Adults
Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
We Do Not Part by Han Kang

The Bookshops Mons
Rue de la Chaussée 26-28
Mons
Hainaut province