17.27°C House of Joy is an independent bookshop and café located on Crouch Street in Colchester.
There has already been quite a buzz about House of Joy, the independent bookshop and café that has opened on Crouch Street in Colchester. Curious to see what all the excitement was about, Paul T. Davies stopped by to meet owner Ryan Bogle and find out more about the inspiration behind the shop.
Ryan explains that the idea for House of Joy grew from his own early love of books.
“So many different things, really. I grew up in London, and near my primary school, there was a little bookshop that I loved; my grandma used to take me there after school. That got me into reading and the habit of reading.”
That passion continued into his university years.
“This continued through my teenage years, and when I came here to do Film Studies at Essex University, reading was essential. But I found it frustrating to find the books I was looking for.”
Ryan explains that many of the books he needed were quite specialised.
“Yeah, those that related to my studies, especially my dissertation, which was on Black female representation in film, and it was very, very difficult to get the texts. Even trying to order them in was frustrating. We are always encouraged to support local businesses, but online was where I could get most of the books. I didn’t feel that was quite right, so it was the seeds of House of Joy, which has developed over the last six or seven years, and here we are. I wanted to create a place that celebrates diversity, where you can find the mainstream titles, but also different books that introduce and support under-represented groups.”
Looking around the shop, there is a wide range of titles on display.
“We have Richard Osman because people are always looking to buy him, but we also have Japanese crime, especially Hooked by the author of Butter, Asako Yazuki, and more ‘out there’ books. We support Black and minority writers in both our fiction and nonfiction departments. Perhaps politically, we are not that diverse as it’s pretty left wing!
The shop also includes a children’s section that has already become popular with families, with storytelling sessions taking place on Sundays.
“Yes, we’ve been doing storytelling on Sunday, which has been popular for a few weeks now. Led by my partner, who is a primary school teacher. We have interesting and diverse stories there too – representation is really important. Stories of children with ADHD, and dyslexic supportive versions of books like Dracula.”
Visitors can also stop for a coffee, something Ryan says helps create a different atmosphere from a typical bookshop.
“The world is so fast, but people are coming in for fifteen minutes, half an hour, taking time to chat about books and art. We encourage you to slow down.”
Asked what might tempt someone walking past the shop window to come inside, Ryan says the displays often spark curiosity.
“Our children’s display gets a lot of interest, but the books most people stop and look at are the political ones. I hope people see an interesting selection of books, highlighting books people don’t see every day.”
For April reading recommendations, Ryan highlights two titles currently catching attention in the shop.
“Hooked by Asako Yazuki, although people are saying it’s a different vibe to Butter, and we’ve got one coming in called About to Fall Apart by Ashley Hickson-Lovence, which I think is going to be a must-read.”
House of Joy already has a distinctive atmosphere, with plans for future author events and gatherings around books, conversation and art.
Books – Coffee – Conversation
House of Joy
37 Crouch St
Colchester CO3 3EN
