Despite moving to a different state, Skylark Bookshop co-owner Alex George is determined to make sure nothing changes
Skylark Bookshop sits between Lakota Coffee Company and Boone Olive Oil Co. in Columbia, Mo on Nov. 18. Skylark Bookshop has been a part of the downtown Columbia community for over six years.
Holding two floors of space in downtown Columbia, Skylark Bookshop is nestled between Lakota Coffee Company and Boone Olive Oil Co. on Ninth Street.
According to co-founder Alex George, no days in the shop are the same, but they often follow a familiar routine — curious customers walk in with the ding of a bell, ready to take in the assortment of books. This moment is what makes the trials of the book-selling business worth it for George, and what made it so difficult for him to move to Boston this month.
“People walk in and gasp,” George said. “I’ve been known to send them out and have them come back in again and gasp again, because it is so much fun to watch them.”
For him, the bookshop is a haven.
“I get goosebumps,” George said. “Coming in every day is just such a gift. It’s wonderful.”
Bookshelves are lined with rows of books at Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, Mo. on Nov. 18. The bookshop has hundreds of shelves.
Along with the sleek wood finishes of the dozens of bookshelves, Skylark’s foundations lie in inclusivity, kindness and individuality. The Unbound Book Festival brings those exact themes to Columbia on a larger scale, and for the owners, this sense of community is what is most important. George said that it is in, for and by the people.
After meeting and marrying a woman from Missouri, George moved to the Show-Me state from England. It was soon after moving to Columbia that he knew just what else the vibrant town needed: a book festival. He pitched the idea to a business mutual, Carrie Koepke, who agreed to start this new adventure with him almost immediately.
Koepke has had a versatile career background ranging from gymnastics coaching to publishing work. However, working with George to host a festival dedicated to literature was a new experience for her.
“I was thrilled,” Koepke said. “I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity to be in this business again, so it was perfect.”
Unlike most book businesses, they started with founding the Unbound Book Festival, then opened the shop two years later after seeing the strong reaction to it from the community. When they realized there wasn’t an independent bookstore focusing on selling new books, they decided to fill that gap.
The children’s section is filled with books at Skylark bookshop in Columbia, Mo. on Nov. 18. The bookshop has a diverse array of books, catering to all ages of readers and people who enjoy an assortment of genres.
Soon enough, Skylark Bookshop came to life. Koepke and George worked together to build it up from scratch, from the display tables holding dozens of books to the walls lined with spines of all breadths and hues.
Koepke believes her friendship with George is a large part of how the bookshop has grown. She describes it as a healthy, productive business relationship. Koepke and George find that they’re very good at helping divide and carry each other’s loads.
After being at Skylark nearly everyday for six years, George is moving to Boston to be with his wife, who has worked there since this summer. His involvement with the bookstore will now partially be through Zoom calls and FaceTimes. George said that nothing will change, however. He intends to come back often.
Despite the move, Koepke also believes that not much will change.
“We might divide and conquer a little bit differently, but we’ve always regrouped every morning together, and we’ll just continue to do that from afar and disperse what needs to be done,” Koepke said. “There’s going to be some sort of evolution. We’ve always enjoyed flexibility in this job and we’ll continue to do that.”
Edited by Julianna Mejia | jmejia@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Amelia Schaefer and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com