When Jacqui Delbaere opened The Little Green Bookshop in Herne Bay, she wasn't simply fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning a bookshop. She was responding to a moment in life when everything had changed.

After a career in public relations, her children leaving home and the end of her marriage, Jacqui found herself asking a question many of us face at different points in our lives: what comes next?

In this episode of Bookshop Stories, Jacqui reflects on creating not just an independent bookshop, but an entirely new chapter. We explore the realities of opening a bookshop from scratch, how she turned an old physiotherapy clinic into one of Kent's most welcoming literary spaces, and why independent bookshops can become so much more than places to buy books.

Along the way we discuss:

• Why owning a bookshop had always been quietly waiting in the background

• Creating a space that feels like someone's front room rather than a shop

• Learning the realities of stock management, cashflow and running an independent business

• Building a community through author events, book clubs and Herne Bay's first literary festival

• Why greeting cards sometimes matter as much as bestselling novels

• The impact AI could have on bookselling

• Why Jacqui now describes the Little Green Bookshop as "life part two"

Whether you've always dreamed of owning a bookshop, love discovering independent bookshops, or are simply interested in stories of people finding a new direction, I hope you'll enjoy this conversation.

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

• The Safekeep — Yael van der Wouden

• All Fours — Miranda July

• Clare Chambers

• Jonathan Coe

• Jacqueline Wilson

• Katherine Rundell

• James Rebanks

• Robert Macfarlane

Bookshop Stories is a podcast exploring the people behind Britain's independent bookshops and the stories that shaped them.

If you enjoy the episode, please follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. You can also find companion articles, recommendations and behind-the-scenes reflections at the Bookshop Stories Substack.