There are many children’s books in your top ten best-selling books. Is it a successful Children’s Book Week?
‘Secure! Island children have longer autumn holidays than children on the mainland because the islanders’ work is often seasonal and therefore they cannot leave in the summer. Many children therefore came to buy a book for the holidays at the beginning of the Children’s Book Week. This year’s theme is ‘Gi-Ga-Green!’. Well chosen, we are also enthusiastic ourselves.’
And now the autumn holidays are approaching for the rest of the Netherlands. Do you expect a lot from that on Terschelling?
‘Yes, the holidays are important to us, it’s a kind of high season. Many tourists still come to the Wadden Islands in the autumn.’
Are you noticing inflation in the bookstore?
‘No actually not. We are still doing well. The people who come here may also have a holiday wallet with them, budget and time to shop. And the islanders also continue to buy books from us. I do expect a decrease in, for example, Christmas cards and stamps. But not in books.’
your number 3, Crisis! by Beatrice de Graaf, is the essay of the Month of History.
‘There is a lot of demand for that essay. And also to Etty Hillesum by Judith Koelemeijer, our number 9. That is now also in the national list of best-selling books, the Bestseller 60 of the CPNB. We can clearly see that the sale of non-fiction and history books has grown strongly in recent years.’
What is your book tip of the week?
‘How we became the most powerful animal on earth by Yuval Noah Harari. The children’s edition of the book sapiens. Also our best-selling book. For children from the age of 10 to read for themselves. I read it to my 8 year old twins. I also sell it to adults. It tells the story of evolution in plain language. With beautiful illustrations and full of facts. This book belongs in all school libraries in the Netherlands, really wonderful!’
Top ten best-selling books bookstore Funke on West-Terschelling:
1. Yuval Noah Harari: How We Became the Most Powerful Animal on Earth; WPG Media
2. Mathijs Deen: The Dutchman – A Wadden Thriller; Alphabet
3. Beatrice de Graaf: Crisis!; Prometheus
4. Hanneke de Zoete: The Sweet Sisters help nature; Cosmos
5. Raynor Winn: Landlines; Balance
6. Rutger Vink and Thomas van Grinsven: The time machine; Cosmos
7. Delia Owens: Where the crayfish sing; The House of Books
8. Yorick Goldewijk: Movies that don’t run anywhere; Ploughsma
9. Judith Koelemeijer: Etty Hillesum; Balance
10. Jessie Burton: The House on the Golden Bend; Luitingh-Sijthoff
The Volkskrant Boekenraad consists of: Athenaeum Zuidoost in Amsterdam, Bijleveld in Utrecht, Den Boer in Baarn, Funke in West-Terschelling, De Kinderboekentuin in Breda, Kramer in Winterswijk, Het Leesteken in Purmerend, ‘t Spui in Vlissingen and Wagner in Sassenheim.