Loyalty Bookstores – Indie Bookshop Of The Month – August 2023

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1 Aug

Diversity is at the heart of ‘Loyalty’. Intersectionality and community are central to their staff and these values drive their selections, programming and promotions.

‘Loyalty’ was founded in 2018 by Hannah Oliver Depp, a Black and Queer Bookseller who has spent her career working to diversify the book industry so it can better serve the powerful communities of colour and queerness. In 2023, Christine Bollow joined as co-owner, bringing her events experience and perspective as a Queer, disabled, and biracial Filipina bookseller.

“We like books. We like you. And we’re ready to bring the best diverse books and events to our community.” - Loyalty Books.

When did you first open your doors?

Loyalty began as a popup in Silver Spring in the holiday season of 2018 and opened its doors in our DC location in February 2019. We opened our Silver Spring, MD location in February 2020 (straight into the pandemic!).

Do you remember the first book you sold?

I do! It was at that popup in the holidays of 2018 - this lovely woman was so excited to stumble on our store, she was just one her way to work and had a moment to stop in and investigate this new shop. She bought Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. And she was the first person to sign up for our newsletter and membership program. I still have her photo saved as a favourite in my phone because it was one of the biggest moments of my life. The difference you can make to someone’s day with one small act has stuck with me.

What has never gone out of stock (because it’s always popular).

All About Love by bell hooks and NK Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy, just… never stop selling. And that is a true joy!

Is there a book you’d refuse to sell?

When choosing what to stock, let alone feature on a display, we always listen to the most vulnerable in our community. We will special order books for a customer order, but there are plenty of books we do not carry due to the author using their platform to harm others. One of the things I like about this stance is that it allows us to have a conversation with the customer because not everyone is aware of the goings on in the publishing world or what an author from their childhood is now doing with their platform etc. A bookstore is exactly where you can have nuanced conversations and allow people to make their own informed decisions and also come to understand the choices we as a shop make.

Do you have a bookshop pet?

Hannah’s small, muppet-y dog Buster is a frequent visitor, but is a bit too excited by every customer to be a full-time shop dog. However, he is definitely an attraction for many and loves to supervise receiving and shelving books from his perch on the counter. We are very pet friendly as a shop. We joke we only opened the store so we could meet all our neighbours’ dogs! And those dogs now think of our store as their primary treat location.

What are you reading right now?

Hannah is reading An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera and Aisha Harris’ Wannabe. Christine is reading A Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi translated by Lucy North and David Boyd.

You are able to give one book to every child. Which title do you choose?

Wait! What age are they? For picture book Hannah chooses Jessie Semi’s Not Quite Narwhall and for chapter book readers, The Watson’s Go to Birmingham 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis.