It was not that long ago when the city was under lockdown. Most small businesses had difficulties during the Corona crisis. Sharon thinks that for some publishing agencies, the virus caused quite a headache, as they could not organize any activities or promote their books, and some bookshops could not buy as many books as they would have liked to. Since the pandemic began, the bookshop has had to be more flexible while respecting the restrictions. Although Java Bookshop mostly stayed open, it became difficult for people to reach the books they liked in person. “We stayed open throughout the whole period. The only two times that we had to close were in December, and we did. We delivered books instead. It was more of a mental switch, but the shop did well,” says Sharon as she reflects on the lockdowns. But for each bad thing, there is a good one too: people had more time to read during long days and nights at home, increasing their interest in books. “I think some people discovered reading again.”

One of the last questions I asked was focused on Dutch books and writers. Sharon gave me some recommendations for anyone interested in Dutch literature, for example, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s De avond is ongemak, or in English, The Discomfort of Evening, which won the International Booker Prize. Another book that is particularly popular at the moment is Aleksandra by Lisa Weeda, which tells a story about the author’s Ukrainian family. Some other popular Dutch writers are Philip Huff and Tobi Lakmaker. But who was an influential writer for Sharon herself? “Jón Kalman Stefánsson is an author I find inspiring. He writes beautifully about life and all its ups-and-downs,” she says about the Icelandic writer, known mostly for the Heaven and Hell trilogy.