London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Book shop inundated with orders after famous author reveals no sales that day

A book shop has been flooded with orders after a famous author revealed it had failed to sell anything that day for the first time in 100 years.

The Petersfield Bookshop took in over £1,000 in online orders all because fantasy writer Neil Gaiman happened to come across its plea for help.

Robert Sansom, who has worked at the shop for 13 years, uploaded pictures of the sad sight of the empty store on Tuesday with the message: ‘Tumbleweed… not a single book sold today.’

The shop assistant linked to the store’s website and urged customers to take advantage of a 25 per cent January sale.

The bookshop’s Twitter account gained 1,100 new followers within 15 hours along with enough orders to keep Robert working through the night.

It’s thought the tweet’s audience skyrocketed after Mr Gaiman shared it with his 2.8 million followers.

The author is known worldwide for his work on a number of DC and Marvel comics, creating The Sandman series and penning novels including Stardust, American Gods and Coraline.

Coraline was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film, and a successful TV series based on American Gods has been renewed for three seasons.

Bookworms around the world flooded the Petersfield with heartfelt messages and order requests, including many in the United States, where Mr Gaiman lives.

Robert, who runs the bookshop’s social media account, said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a real “kindness of strangers” story.

‘The number of likes and retweets started going up right before my eyes, it was like it was animated.

‘I had to stop replying to messages eventually at two o’clock this morning.

‘Somebody we have a connection with at the bookshop has a vague connection with Neil Gaiman, and sent it to him, and that was it.’

Petersfield Bookshop celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2018, and has been run by the same family for the last 60 years.

Robert described yesterday’s sales drought as ‘very unusual’, despite January and February being ‘notoriously bad’.

He said: ‘Yesterday was very strange. It was very stormy, so everyone was on lockdown.

‘We had a few people come in and browse, but nobody was really in the buying mood.

‘It got to about an hour before closing time and we realised we hadn’t taken a single penny all day. None of us could remember that ever happening before.’

But Robert was quick to add: ‘We weren’t really worried about it. We were a bit wistful, but these things happen.’

‘We can’t stress enough how grateful we are for all the support we have received.’

A tweet from the store’s account this evening said: ‘We are working into the evening tonight to try and service all the orders received.

‘If you are awaiting an answer to a query we WILL get to you, please hold on…’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×