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12 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 DECEMBER 2022 Books just like bread: why nothing beats the local 'bakery' JAMES DEBONO "DO you prefer buying frozen bread from a bigger outlet, or do you support a local bakery for your fresh bread?" asks Pi- etro Bossi, the Italian owner of Solo Vinyl & Books, a tiny shop in Msida emblematic for its reli- gious dediciation to non-fiction publications, and electic vinyl selection. How are independent book- shops in Malta thriving in an age where so many stores have been taken over by big retail chains now commanding ma- jor footfall across the island? Christmas might be the right time for book lovers to source their gifts from these outliers of the Maltese book trade. Before moving to Malta to 2018, Bossi was running Solo's first incarnation in Milan. But his advent to the urban land- scape of Msida, in the vicinity of the Junior College, brought with it a taste of a rare counter-cul- ture hard to find in the retail landscape. "Buying from an in- dependent shop also means be- lieving that culture is not only profit," Bossi says, whose shop is also a "concept store" which he believes gives the shopkeep- er a connection with customers by understanding what they like and ask from him. Independent bookshops are certainly no new phenomenon, but their absence is exempli- fied by the way the iconic Sa- pienza's bookshop in Republic Street, Valletta was taken over by the Agenda chain, while one last survivor of this 'old world' – Meli Bookshop in Old Bakery Street – has been in business for over 50 years. "What keeps us alive is the love for books and when we sell them, we see the satisfied cus- tomer," Gerald Meli told Malta- Today. One major advantage is the direct connection between buyer and seller, one which of- ten develops in to a bond be- tween book lovers and not one between a salesman and a buyer as happens in a supermarket. "Our clients are more than cli- ents. Over time they become friends. We encounter all types of clients, from the ordinary laymen to the most high-up people in Malta. So, we easily adopt different approaches tai- lor made for different clients." In contrast, Meli suggests, buying from a chain store is "like buying the daily needs you chose; you buy and you pay". He recalls a particular incident in which a client was devas- tated at seeing the salesperson searching for 'Shakespeare' on the computer, apparently never having heard of the Bard him- self. "You ask for a particular book or auhor, and they are re- ferring to their computer," Meli says, lauding the small book- shop owners as connoisseurs of literature. "We are the owners and we are the workers so we know our job very well. If a client asks us about a book, we can easily say if we have it or not," Meli says, while also recognising the im- portance of online shopping. "I can't say anything against it – you will find whatever you want online, and you cannot expect to find Amazon's stock inside a small shop." Conversation vs Algorithms Kixxot is another independent bookstore and cooperative set in a cultural space which has planted its roots in Mosta in the past two years. Teodor Rel- jic, himself a writer of fiction, a freelance feature writer, and former culture editor and film critic at MaltaToday, succinctly explains the difference between an indie shop and a big chain. What defines an independent bookshop is "an increased like- lihood that the person behind the till (or bar, as it may hap- pen) will know more, or at least be passionate about, what they are selling," Reljic says. In contrast, employees work- ing in chains are unlikely to be incentivised to hand-sell and offer advice on books, nor are they likely to be equipped to answer any follow-up questions which may come up – either about the book/s in question, or similar titles that might be of further interest to the buyer. And even Amazon's recom- mendation palew in compar- ison to the friendly advice of a fellow book lover. "While's Amazon's algorithm may be an advanced piece of technology, it will only generate recommen- dations based on a pre-set as- sumption built on the browser's previous purchases or clicks. It is of course not capable of strik- ing up a conversation with the buyer, or creating any form of memorable experience beyond the crude transaction of con- sumption." Moreover, Independent book- shops can also serve as commu- nity spaces. Kixxot itself hosts a bookshop, a bar and various events including film screen- ings. "At Kixott, this is ampli- fied even further thanks to its dual function as a bar and cul- tural centre, which makes or- ganising book-related events all the easier." And unlike chain stores, indie stores reflect the cultural tastes of their owners, endowing them with an identity which also contributes to the creation of a community. The curated ser- vice and selection gives visitors the opportunity to experience a personalised space. While this means that the selection will not be exhaustive by proxy, it gives the space a signature feel- ing and atmosphere. In this way the shopping ex- perience becomes "less about Being run by book-lovers and other cultural practitioners, Kixott is well-placed to organise events that could benefit authors, publishers and their titles, "putting their message and goals at the forefront and allowing them to increase the impact and reach of their book in a way that transcends advertising on both traditional and social media". Try an indie bookstore this Christmas! MaltaToday catches up with three independent bookstore owners to find out why book lovers should support them by buying their presents from them "Buying from an independent shop also means believing that culture is not only profit," Solo's Pitetro Bossi says, whose shop is also a "concept store" which he believes gives the shopkeeper a connection with customers by understanding what they like and ask from him