Guardian readers 

Do you work in a bookshop? Share your experiences

Tell us what it is like to be a bookseller in the age of Amazon and the Waterstones living wage campaign
  
  

WOMAN IN SECONDHAND BOOKSTORE FONTENOY-LA-JOUTE LORRAINE FRANCE<br>AC1M07 WOMAN IN SECONDHAND BOOKSTORE FONTENOY-LA-JOUTE LORRAINE FRANCE
Share your experiences of working in a bookshop. Photograph: Alamy

The British high street may be in trouble, but bookshops have managed to weather the storm – even with the impact of Amazon.

Last year book sales saw a year-on-year growth of £22m, while independent bookshops grew for the second year running, after a two-decade decline. At the same time, Britain’s biggest book chain Waterstones made its first profit since the 2008 financial crisis.

But this stability hasn’t always been reflected among the booksellers themselves. Waterstones staff have been campaigning for a real living wage, arguing that the expertise needed to do a good job has gone unrecognised. Some workers say they have had to cut back on food or move back in with parents to pay rent.

We would like to know what it’s like to work in a bookshop in this climate – whether you work at an independent or chain bookstore on the high street, run a bookstall at a market or work for an online retailer.

Do you work in an independent bookshop that’s thriving or struggling in opposition with e-books or online sales? Or are you part of the living wage campaign at Waterstones? Share your experience as a bookseller.

You can share your stories by filling in the encrypted form below. One of our journalists may be in touch to discuss further but we will not publish anything without contacting you. Only the Guardian has access to contributions.

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