S1 Ep. 11: Mark Thornton, Bookshop.Org & Founder of Mostly Books (Oxford, UK)

Today's episode may seem like a bit of a detour from our usual bookseller interview, but you can rest assured, it's guided by the same love for independent bookshops. In November 2020, a new chapter began for UK indie booksellers with the opening of Bookshop.org. The platform prides itself with ethical and transparent book e-commerce that celebrates independent bookshops and with reading lists curated by writers, booksellers and voracious readers. Shops can customize their virtual window and their owners get 30% of the book sales they make here. Our guest today is Mark Thornton, the UK Partnership Manager for Bookshop.org. Mark is the co-founder of Mostly Books, an award-winning indie bookshop in Abingdon, which he sold in 2017. He then became a bookshop mentor and soon after, joined Bookshop.org. He has a background in computer engineering and tried his hand at several jobs that may seem world-apart from his current mission, but actually make it all the more exciting for us to connect the dots.