First Draft Books, based in Bovey Tracey, is one of many thriving independent bookshops that provide a space for Devon’s growing literary scene. It not only serves as a bookshop, it also serves as a community hub for author talks, silent book clubs, and many more exciting events, uniting avid readers and talented writers alike.
Owner Leslie Leggett, a Kentuckian turned Devonian, opened her bookshop in 2023 after a varied career in community work.
What distinguishes First Draft Books from every Waterstones or bookshop chain out there?
In independent bookstores, the personality of the bookstore owner gets to come out in a lot of different way: from the stock I select to the events I run and partnerships I cultivate. Everything in the shop is intentional, designed with my readers’ interests in mind, and there’s a constant dialogue between staff and customers.
How did the idea for the bookshop start?
I’m lucky to be from a family of avid readers. We lived in a small town growing up, and it was through reading that I explored the wider world. Perhaps unsurprisingly, my first job was in my local library shelving books, and I had a few stints in a chain bookshop during college.
I lived in New York City for a decade before moving to Devon. My career focused on community building, helping people strengthen connections and design new solutions to problems facing their communities. During the pandemic, like a lot of people, I started thinking about what I wanted from my career. I felt removed from what was happening in my neighbourhood, and wanted a way to be innovative and entrepreneurial but still serve the community. I turned back to my first love: books. The bookshop came out of that.
When I discovered Bovey Tracey, I knew I was in the right place. It felt like my hometown in Kentucky. Not only is it full of equally avid readers, like me, it is an active and engaged community, from coaching the kids’ cricket club to volunteering at the library and everything in between. That’s what I like about living in a smaller town; there’s a role for you to play if you just go looking for it.
How much collaboration is there between other independent booksellers in Devon, such as Bookbag or The Bookery?
When I first moved down here, I toured through as many South Devon bookstores as I could to see what they were doing, get to know the booksellers, and learn a little bit more about how they run their shops. I was worried that there would be a lot of competition, but booksellers were happy to have me visit, talk about their experiences, and share their words of wisdom.
I’ve found a few bookstores in the region who have been open to finding new ways of working together: East Gate Bookshop in Totnes, Ivybridge Bookshop, and Gnash Comics in Ashburton. Because we’re all so close together in central South Devon, we saw an opportunity to connect and raise the visibility of our bookstores through the Great South Devon Book Swap. We’re now exploring other ideas for how we can strengthen the local literary ties.
I’d also shout out Exeter City of Literature, which plays such a critical role as an umbrella organisation. They’ve worked hard to raise the profile of Devon’s literary scene and create opportunities for independent bookstores to come together and increase their profile locally. Every small business needs a friend like that.
What have been the difficulties of maintaining a bookshop?
I had limited retail experience and no local network starting out. There was a pretty steep learning curve of managing the mechanics of bookselling, but fortunately I’m not the first one to open a bookstore and found a lot of great people and resources that helped me understand the basics. I then just started bookselling. I set up in farmer’s markets and community spaces to build my knowledge of how to run a bookstore, test out towns for the shop and get to know local readers’ tastes.
One of the hardest things was finding a permanent retail space that was affordable, in a condition that I could handle, and in a right location. I luckily met another independent business in Bovey Tracey, Grace & Favour Home, that was expanding into a new location and willing to take a chance on me. They sublet some of their space for me to open the bookshop. It took a lot of the risk out of that early stage of retail entrepreneurship and made the leap to brick & mortar possible.
Now I’m established in the shop, I am continuing to get to know my customers and evolve. I’m small enough that I can be quite nimble, so I can adjust as I’m learning from my community.
How do you reach out to your community?
When I opened in January 2024, I was extremely lucky to have Grace & Favour Home’s established network to welcome into the shop. I had also built a small social media community from my year as a pop-up. To become a known quantity in Bovey Tracey, I set out to work with local organisations who align with my sense of community: the local primary school around World Book Day, community arts organisation Bovey Paradiso on a readers/writers event, the local library on shared events, and other local shops.
These collaborations are important for me not only to meet readers where they are and be an active part of my local community. It has been hard to build that word of mouth, but I’m starting to see more repeat customers, and hear more people say they’ve heard about the shop through a friend, which is always a good sign.
How important would you say it is to build that literary network?
My bookstore has to be more than just a place where I sell books. I am motivated by those moments when readers discover something new and can’t wait to share it, or when they meet a writer who has changed their relationship with the world. A bookstore is the vehicle to make that happen.
What sort of events do you usually plan for the bookshop?
To start, I’m hosting at least one author talk a month to create spaces for readers to connect with the people behind the book. We just hosted Sophie Keetch ahead of her new book launch, off the back of a request from a couple of customers. I loved seeing them meet someone whose work resonates so deeply and get early access to a book they’re so excited to read.
I’ve also been running Reading Socials for people to get to know each other and connect around books informally. There’s a special energy in a room of people reading silently together.
Have you got any advice for anyone wanting to open a bookshop of their own?
- You’re not going to know everything from the start, and that is okay.
- Start with what you know and be open to adjusting and growing as you learn more.
- Follow the momentum. If you see a glimmer of an opportunity present itself, just follow it and see what happens, because those are often where the unexpected ideas emerge that excite you and your customers and community.
What are your book recommendations?
My favourite books this year so far have been Clear by Carys Davies, a beautiful, poetic book about a minister being sent to clear the last resident of a Scottish island in the 1840s, and The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard, about a village in which you can go east into the future or west into the past. It’s full of mind-bending ethical dilemmas, time travel and regret. Love it.
