Business of the Month: These Thunder Bay bookworms had a novel idea

Michael Sobota just may well be the biggest supporter of Entershine Bookshop in Thunder Bay.

Even if that’s true, it’s a close race. The independent bookshop, which opened in the Bay and Algoma Historic District in 2021 (yes, during COVID), is already a fixture in the community — for readers and writers.

Entershine hosted several notable book launches and readings from local authors and writers passing through the city. The bookshop has that meeting place vibe, much like Shakespeare & Company in Paris, where it’s as much about the local community as it is the books.

Sobota, a local reviewer and strong supporter of the arts in Thunder Bay, often moderates those events including a semi-regular series called In Conversation with Michael Sobota. Past Q&As have featured local authors such as Marion Agnew, Jean E. Penziwol, Marianne Jones, and recently Lance Robinson, a winner of this year’s Writers of the Future Contest for science fiction writers.

“Whenever I am talking to friends or discussing Entershine Bookshop ... I refer to Entershine as ‘one of the most important rooms in Thunder Bay,’” Sobota said. “It is always a pleasure, and exciting, to say that while in the bookshop itself.”

Two of the managing partners, Jenn McKenzie and Lynne Warnick, said that Sobota reached out to them before they even opened. They suggested that the bookshop seems to manifest many similar unexpected connections.

“There’s something about the space,” McKenzie said. “People feel comfortable here.”

“Yes — it’s a special space; it’s a welcoming space; it’s a safe space,” Warnick said. “I think people feel that, and so we have these amazing points of connection with them. Which I didn’t expect when we opened the shop, but it’s been one of the greatest blessings.”

With independent bookstores closing across Canada, opening a new one could certainly be considered challenging. Opening during COVID might be seen as out-and-out brave. In fact, the idea was a “COVID baby” of sorts. Both McKenzie and Warnick had retail bookselling experience, and both have a love of independent bookstores. They said COVID gave them the opportunity to plan and open their own.

“Thunder Bay was definitely lacking an independent bookstore,” McKenzie said, adding that they found the perfect location almost immediately.

“It was a pandemic decision,” Warnick said. “We were all feeling itchy, scratchy. We were looking for something that created community and embodied our beliefs about kindness and connection.”

It took seven months to bring that idea to life from its conception over Christmas dinner to finding a place in January, signing a lease in February, and opening on July 24, 2021.

Despite past experience in the book business, they went on instinct rather than relying on what other bookshops have done before.

For example, unlike the typical dark-wood and crammed-shelves atmosphere, Entershine is light, airy, and accessible. Most books are on shelves lining the walls and face outwards. Warnick said that the name “Entershine” itself means light filtering through leaves, which during many parts of the day is an apt description of the shop.

“We wanted it to look almost like the shelves in someone’s living room or library,” Warnick said. “We incorporate gifts and photographs in our displays. I’m not sure that’s something you’d see commonly in other independent bookshops.”

Display tables in the shop are all on wheels so that they can easily be rolled away during events of up to 50 or so people. Entershine was designed with an event space in mind from the beginning.

“We wouldn’t exist without the writing community,” Warnick said. “They’re the engine that drives this shop, and they’ve been unbelievably welcoming and supportive.”

The Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW) and the Laughing Fox Writers are two writing groups in particular they work closely with.

It’s a two-way street. Whereas some bookstores might have a “Local Author” section, Entershine promotes local writers on two racks of bookshelves, on display tables, on posters, and near the cash register. Upcoming events with local authors are posted on a chalkboard behind the register. In most cases they know the authors, which makes promoting them easier.

“We started with one section (of bookshelves) and expanded to two,” McKenzie said. “There are just so many local authors.”

Featured gifts and artwork are also local wherever possible, they said.

Entershine has grown to become a community-driven bookshop in many ways. Although McKenzie and Warnick curate the book offerings and events, they said that many of their choices come directly from customer requests and tips.

“We have our Customer Pick section, and many of the books on the shelves are there because customers have told us how much they love them,” Warnick said. She added that 60 to 70 per cent of the books on Entershine’s monthly bestseller list consists of local writers.

Other unique touches include a “Reader in Residence” — right now, 11-year-old Maddox has a shelf full of his recommendations for readers nine to 12. Various subscription packages are available for gifts or personal purchase providing a curated list of books. Online sales are also available, which are most popular around Christmas time. That coupled with subscriptions account for about 15 per cent of sales, Warnick said. A book club is also in the works, which they want to develop into a salon discussion. Finally, Entershine’s Artist in Residence program commissions an artist to produce five bookmarks for the year, one for each season, plus Christmas.

“In the age of digital and technology, we’re like a little taste of what life used to be like,” Warnick said.

“We’re like a neighbour. A good neighbour.”