Books / News
Is this Bristol’s smallest bookshop?
A 20 sq ft shipping container in south Bristol is now home to what could be the city’s smallest bookshop.
Very Small Bookshop occupies one of the 76 repurposed shipping containers at Willway Yard in Bedminster.
“The idea of this shop only existed in my mind,” said owner Leah. “But I’ve always, always wanted a bookshop, coffee shop or something.”
Books written in a wiggly font, invites passersby to the new shop in Bedminster
Leah, who lives in St Andrew’s, was going through a breakup in November 2025 and felt she needed something to divert her attention.
The idea of opening a bookshop, Leah admitted, at that time was more distant: “In my head, it was in about ten years’ time.”
But an occasional visit to Willway Yard in December of the same year with a friend pushed Leah to change her mind and “just commit” to the idea.
She said: “I was looking into how much it would cost for a container here, and then I booked a viewing. It was kind of as a laugh.
“But then I came to the viewing and accepted it and thought, let’s just commit.”
The really samll bookshop on Willway Street has an impressive collection of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books
As a 20-year-old working in Waterstones, Leah recalled convincing people into buying books she had never read as part of her job.
“But the best part was when I got to actually recommend a book that I had enjoyed. That was always my favourite bit,” she added.
Leah continued: “I left there thinking that dream wasn’t the dream. But then I became a massive reader in the last ten years. I realised I love talking about books, buying books.”
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For Leah, the biggest challenge before starting the shop was not having anyone to turn to for advice.
She said: “I couldn’t really ask anyone for advice. You can’t really ask your direct competitors in the city, because you’re their direct competitor.
“I tried to get in touch with a friend of a friend who has a bookshop in Sheffield.
“I knew what I was doing a little bit, having worked at Waterstones. Like I knew I needed a good stock system. I also know how to budget quite well, so that was good.
“And I’m lucky that I had that experience, otherwise I can’t even imagine how difficult I’d find it.”
Leah will be hosting a small event on March 7 to formally launch the shop.
Once more settled, Leah plans to host bigger events within a nearby space in Willway Yard.
Leah said: “Ideally, I would love to do book clubs, author talks and then I’m trying to think of some other stuff I can do.
“I’m trying to establish myself first but there’s a massive space behind for events when I host them, because obviously in here is tiny.”
All photos and videos: Karen Johnson
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