Home 5 News 5 Barnes & Noble Acquires Tattered Cover Bookstore

Barnes & Noble Acquires Tattered Cover Bookstore

by | Jun 20, 2024 | News

Barnes & Noble is to buy Denver’s Tattered Cover, one of the world’s most famous independent bookstores.  According to news site Denverite, the deal – for $1.83m– will see Barnes & Noble retain the famous name on Tattered Cover four shops.

 

The deal is being concluded with Tattered Cover’s owners, Bended Page and has yet to be approved by the US Bankruptcy Court.  The bookseller has had a chequered few years; Tattered Cover filed for bankruptcy last October, closing three of its seven stores and letting go about a quarter of its 103 employees.  Successive rescue packages and changes of management failed to put the retailer back on track.  Now US publishers will be relieved at Barnes & Noble’s intervention.

 

Tattered Cover was founded in 1971 and, under the longtime leadership of the late Joyce Meskis, was one of the premier independent bookstores in the world, an inspiration for many booksellers, and an effective defender of free speech and the First Amendment.  Since opening in 1971, Tattered Cover has long prided itself on its independent spirit. Its second owner, Joyce Meskis, made a name for the store when she brought two lawsuits to the Colorado Supreme Court in 1984 and 2002. The first challenged a law that criminalized displaying sexually explicit material in shops, while the second challenged a policy that allowed the federal government to monitor which books shoppers bought.

 

Shelf Awareness observed: ‘Tattered Cover pioneered or perfected many staples of independent bookselling, including having cafes, encouraging customers to sit and read, offering an extensive range of author events and other programming, and seeking to make the stores community centers. Meskis also emphasized staff training, sent employees to booksellers schools, encouraged them to be involved in book world organizations, and treated staff with respect and openness.’

 

If the deal goes ahead, it will re-affirm Barnes & Noble’s CEO James Daunt’s position as the preeminent bookseller in the western world.  It will also affirm the importance of New York hedge fund Elliott Group to the global book industry.  Elliot Group owns Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.  Daunt now runs 600-odd Barnes & Noble stores, plus 300-odd Waterstone stores, nine Daunt bookshop, 7 Foyles and three other individually named UK indies.  The Tattered Cover deal only adds another four in number, but its historic importance should be noted.

 

Recent News

02Jun
Celebrating Austen Across England

Celebrating Austen Across England

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of famous author Jane Austen. Jane Austen was famous for her books on middle class English society, and is seen as a direct influence on the modern fiction books we read today. This is despite only publishing four books in her lifetime – Pride and Prejudice, […]

02Jun
Shakespeare’s Private Life: A Rediscovered Mystery

Shakespeare’s Private Life: A Rediscovered Mystery

New analysis of a letter fragment has possibly shed light on William Shakespeare’s marriage – suggesting it may have been less fractious than previously suggested. The wordsmith, it has long been assumed by some scholars, had a largely unhappy marriage with his wife, Anne Hathaway. It was said that he left her in Stratford-upon-Avon while […]

02Jun
English Editions Undermine Local Publishing

English Editions Undermine Local Publishing

The rise of the English language driven by social media and, chiefly American, popular culture, is affecting sales of locally published editions.  In a number of markets, notably the Netherlands and the Nordic countries where knowledge of English is often greater than that of English people, it means it is very difficult to sell original […]

Related Posts

Shakespeare’s Private Life: A Rediscovered Mystery

Shakespeare’s Private Life: A Rediscovered Mystery

New analysis of a letter fragment has possibly shed light on William Shakespeare's marriage - suggesting it may have been less fractious than previously suggested. The wordsmith, it has long been assumed by some scholars, had a largely unhappy marriage with his wife,...

English Editions Undermine Local Publishing

English Editions Undermine Local Publishing

The rise of the English language driven by social media and, chiefly American, popular culture, is affecting sales of locally published editions.  In a number of markets, notably the Netherlands and the Nordic countries where knowledge of English is often greater than...

“Bad Words” Sparks 10-Way Auction

“Bad Words” Sparks 10-Way Auction

HarperFiction UK and St Martin’s Press in the US have acquired the perfect debut for anyone who works in the publishing industry.  Entitled Bad Words it is set in the world of publishing and follows the fall-out from a poisonous review.   The synopsis says: “Parker...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this