I had the pleasure of meeting Alison…
I had the pleasure of meeting Alison from Our Bookshop at CrimeCon 2026, and she was truly lovely and helpful.
As a woman who uses an electric wheelchair, I often find myself either invisible to the general public or, conversely, being stared at, though this certainly does not apply to everyone. When I gathered a selection of books and sought assistance, Alison approached me and provided help from the very beginning, even though the team was packing up after closing and preparing for the following busy day. Upon reflection, I am certain they must have had a very early start, yet Alison remained friendly, polite, and accommodating.
The following day, when I required further assistance, I was pleased to see her again. She went above and beyond for me when I had a rather large stack of books intended as special gifts that I needed signed. Although there was no official signing scheduled, Alison kindly offered to facilitate the process for me, as she clearly recognised the difficulties I was having with the schedule and navigating the crowds. She successfully arranged for them to be signed, which was an exceptionally kind gesture; I am fully aware that this is not a service they could provide for everyone, and it likely required her to make special arrangements beyond the store's own requirements. This meant a great deal to me, as these were meaningful gifts, and such acts of kindness are not easily forgotten.
I certainly do not wish to imply that this is a standard service, as it was a specific act of kindness tailored to my situation amidst the chaos and crowds.
Alison was lovely, friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable. The other staff members I encountered were also helpful and pleasant, proactively gathering information to assist with event timings.
I found that the shop offered a wonderful selection of books, and I appreciated that the majority were reasonably priced, allowing me to purchase several—a refreshing change from other events where high costs often make this difficult.
Furthermore, they offered pre-signed copies, which I thought was a fantastic idea, especially for authors we were unable to see due to scheduling conflicts. These also make excellent gifts and are sold at fair prices. Coming from the North, I often find that prices are significantly higher when traveling South, so it was gratifying to see such honest and fair pricing.
Thank you to Our Bookshop, and a special thank you to Alison; I truly appreciated your kindness, your willingness to hold my books, and everything you did to assist me.