Village Squire, 1974-06, Page 45in food and eating, sociology, the women's
question, theatre and children's books...we
have more children's books than you'll find in
any shop in Canada I'm pretty sure...simply
because they fascinate me and I think there is
great communications in children's books.
There's a lot of junk in children's books too,
but I try not to stock that."
There is a fine line between personal choice
and practicality -however, which Mrs. Stafford
recognizes. One can't be so -whimsical that
she stocks things that the public won't buy,
although Mrs. Stafford refuses to stock things
that she doesn't approve of, such as books on
the occult. These sell well, she says, but it
wouldn't make her very happy just to sell a lot
of books. There are enough other outlets for
this sort of book, she says.
She also has an interest in Canadian books.
She recalls when she first started as an editor
with McClelland and Stewart, before they
were as well known as they are now, and
Canadian books were hard to come by. She
had the idea that she was going to ferret out
exceptionally good manuscripts all over
Canada and she was going to be inundated
with an avalanche of exceptionally worthwhile
books, all waiting to be published.
"I was disappointed," she recalls, "to find
that there were very few Canadian books at
that time that were exceptionally well
written." There were some good ones that
came, but on the whole not many. Now, she
says, the tide has turned and on the whole,
Canadian books are better and better sellers
than American books are in Canada.
She points to the success of Charlie
Farquharson's Histry of Canada, the Don
Harron book that after 72 weeks, was still on
the Toronto Star best seller list last week. It
hit just the right note in Canada at the present
time, she says, but the publishing company,
McGraw-Hill Ryerson (an American com-
pAny) didn't expect the huge success and so
ran short of copies to sell to the book stores in
the earlier printings. It was the fourth
printing of the book before Fanfare finally
received its order that had been placed when
the book was first released.
The Festival, and the crowds it draws, she
says, are responsible for the success of
Fanfare. It would be impossible to carry on as
large and well -stocked a shop as hers in
Stratford just depending on local demand.
Most bookstores, she points out, make the
biggest part of their business at Christmas
and the summer months are the doldrums.
But for her, the three summer months when
the Festival is active, are her Christmas.
One of the things that makes Fanfare
unique is the tea room that Mrs. Stafford
operates in conjunction with the store. She
+
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House of Max
B russe Is
YOUR IN TOWN GIFT STORE
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(if' Gifts for all
Occasions
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Saucers & Plates 43
4k..." ---- •Fine China $
•Corn Flower ¢
Crystal,
• Mirrors
• Lamps $;
1
41 A
serves ham and cheese and fresh fruit salad
along with the beverages and one of the
reasons she moved to her new location near
the river is that it offers a beautiful view of
rolling lawhs, trees and the river from what
will be the tea area.
She had had her shop in three other
locations in the city but always wanted to
have it in its present location, a house which
she rented for five years but which finally
came up for sale this spring. She bought it
and converted it into the new Fanfare Books.
She did not get possession until the beginning
of May and it was a mad rush to get the
building ready for the beginning of the
Festival season in June.
One of the joys that owning a book store
has taken from her she says is going into a
bookstore and buying a book. She still visits
bookstores when she travels to Mexico or
elsewhere but wouldn't think of buying a
book in another local bookstore because she
can get it in her own store. She also says that
owning a bookstore means she also reads
fewer books. Her spare time is spent reading
book reviews, and trade publications and very
little time is left for reading.
"Anyway, there's a great joy to having my
own shop and knowing that if I ever do come
to the time when I have time to read at least
the books are there." •
Woollens — Sportswear
Gifts — Indian Crafts
Featuring special prices on
Mohair Throws
NATIVE INDIAN & CANADIAN CRAFTS
Mocassins
Sportswear
Hand -thrown pottery
Hudson Bay & Warren Knit sweaters
Visit our back room - we have a good selection of antiques.
ijc lilloollen
*UoUDe
BAYFIELD, ONTARIO PHONE 565-2775
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JUNE 1974, 7