A little over three years old, it boasts a ‘pay it forward’ board giving more people access to new books
Owners of The Small City Bookshop in Redfield, Christie Cluett and Sarah Balfour(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
Nestled among the colour and hustle and bustle of Redfield’s Church Road, home to an array of beloved local independent businesses, is a cosy bookshop owned and run by two women and recently the focus of a Netflix video featuring acting talents Helena Bonham Carter and Mia McKenna-Bruce.
Chosen as one of just seven UK bookshops by Netflix, which was celebrating women-owned independent bookshops, The Small City Bookshop, may have only been open for a little over three years, but is already proving to be part of the furniture among the community – and making a mark in the world of women-owned independent businesses and bookshops alike.
And while they admit that their beginnings may have been rather chaotic, owners Christie Cluett, 45, and Sarah Balfour, 33, say that bookshops are “delightfully calm places in an increasingly hectic digital world”.
They tell BristolLive: “We met at work and bonded over our love of reading. We started talking about books and then lending each other our favourites and haven’t stopped really.
“That sparked the idea that we could open a bookshop and once we centred on Church Road as the place we wanted to be, it was just a matter of finding the right place along with an urgent chaotic sense of ‘let’s give it a go’. With one or two crises, a few tears, lot of painting help from friends, some patient tradespeople and one tight deadline, we managed to open before Christmas 2022. It’s been both a delight and a steep learning curve ever since – it’s the best decision we’ve ever made.”
“We were so excited when Netflix got in touch to collaborate and then that we were one of only seven bookshops chosen from the UK. We had to read that email several times!
As one of seven independent women-owned bookshops in the UK chosen to collaborate with Netflix to celebrate the launch of the new Agatha Christie Seven Dials adaptation, goodie bags in store contain a free copy of the book, with one containing a pair of tickets to the premiere(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
“We’re really honoured to be part of this incredible list and representing great female-led independent bookshops. We hope it’ll shine a light on the hard work of our team and indie bookshops across the country.”
Bristol has recently seen the announcement closure of one of its oldest and best loved bookshops – Stanfords – and the team at The Small City Bookshop know just how tough the industry can be, but also just how important such places remain to local communities. Christie and Sarah say: “Independent bookshops are so important, from championing the benefits of reading to being part of a thriving local high street.
“They support their communities and schools, pay their taxes, are local employers, and are delightfully calm places in an increasingly hectic digital world. Also, the knowledge, enthusiasm and care of booksellers who will spend the time to find the perfect book for any age or (very) specific requirement can’t be championed enough.
“With rising costs on both sides, for businesses and for customers, every book bought means a lot if bookshops are going to survive. Support your local bookshop in any way you can – buy a book, order something in, go to an event, pop in and have a look around and if you can’t do any of those, tell a friend you know who likes books.
“2026 is the National Year of Reading so the perfect time to get into books and get to know your nearest indie bookshop.”
The Small City Bookshop not only sells adult and children’s books from a diverse range of voices, serving the local communities of Church Road, Redfield and St George – as well as those who visit from further afield – but also doubles up as an event space, hosting storytelling and author events for both literacy lovers and ‘reluctant readers’ throughout the year.
Inside The Small City Bookshop on Church Road in Redfield(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
When it comes to what makes The Small City Bookshop stand out from others, Christie and Sarah say: “There are incredible independent bookshops up and down the country, and Bristol is lucky enough to have loads of them. We love our shop as its ours, stocked with the books we love, championing the authors we think are amazing and hosting events that we’re passionate about, with a great team and a supportive enthusiastic book- buying community – who have been incredible since we opened.
“The enthusiastic use of our Pay it Forward board says it all, but, of course, every other independent bookshop is run with the blood, sweat, tears, passion and knowledge that makes them all incredible and worthy of everyone’s support. Go visit your local bookshop!”
The ‘pay it forward’ board is found at the front of the shop alongside flyers for local events and vendors. If a book isn’t in a customer’s budget when you visit the shop, they can take a tag or loyalty card from the board to help pay for one – no questions asked. The value listed on the tag is how much it’s worth, and all loyalty cards are worth £10.
The ‘Pay it Forward’ board at The Small City Bookshop in Redfield(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
Over the time it’s been up in place at the shop, it’s already had lots of donations from generous customers, giving as many people as possible access to brand new books.
When asked to name some of their other biggest achievements, the two friends add: “There’s a huge journey to opening at all, so we’ll always be proud of that! We’ve worked hard on developing our events and getting our favourite authors to come and chat about their books. That continues to be one of the most exciting additions to running a bookshop.
“We have been working with our local schools since we opened and are so pleased with the relationships we’ve developed with them, going to assemblies, bringing authors to talk to them and helping build their school libraries. Simply though, we’re always the proudest of the books we choose and champion. Our entire team are so good at recommending a book!”
The Small City Bookshop in Redfield opened Christmas 2022(Image: Paul Gillis/Reach Plc)
With the current climate putting a strain on many local independent businesses up and down the country these days, Christie and Sarah’s hopes for their calm and cosy, community-focused business are simple – keep doing what they’re doing and providing their community with what they love most about the shop.
“We’ve had the best three years,” the pair say. “It’s indescribable how proud we are of the community that has developed around us and we appreciate the support we’ve been given so much.
“So, for the future, we would simply love for that to continue. We hope for more great events with our wonderful audiences, people continuing to turn up every day, buy books, chat books and everything else.”
You can find The Small City Bookshop at 201 Church Road, Bristol, United Kingdom BS5 9HL.