Interior of The Book Cellar
Chad Thompson and Megan Bordwine opened The Book Cellar in Abingdon, Virginia, in 2023.
“I had the idea of opening a bookstore in Abingdon and when space became available at The Spring House, it was the perfect opportunity. Books and storytelling have always been a big part of my life, and this is a way for me to continue to explore those passions, while also giving Chad and me a project to work on together. The goal has always been to cultivate a space dedicated to literature, sustainability, experience and community.
“We love sharing a space with Wolf Hills Coffee and Sidebar. What is better than cozying up with a good book and a cup of coffee or tea? Or unwinding with a cocktail and a relaxing read? Patrons of The Book Cellar are able to enjoy refreshments provided by our friends. Patrons are welcome and encouraged to browse our shelves while enjoying a beverage from Wolf Hills Coffee or Sidebar.We love collaborating with Sidebar to create fun specialty drinks for our literary events,” Megan says.
They primarily sell gently used books; however, they also offer new titles written by local authors. There are multiple reasons to shop secondhand, according to Bordwine. She says it is much better for the environment to reuse and repurpose. Last year the United States utilized 32,000,000 million trees for book production alone, plus the emissions of carbon caused by paper manufacturing. By selling secondhand, they can offer more affordable options in comparison to new bookstores. They are also able to provide rare and unique selections including vintage and out of print titles; you never know what you may come across in their shop.
“Sustainability plays a major role in our business and is something that we both are very passionate about. Not only is this something that we practice in our business but in our personal lives as well. We aim to reduce, reuse and repurpose wherever possible. Not only is the majority of our product secondhand, our shelving and decor are also. We are very proud of this and are very mindful of our sourcing,” Megan says.
They offer a monthly writing workshop, author events such as book releases and signings. They host a monthly silent book club, open mic poetry nights and other special events.
“During our silent book club, we bring our current reads and share them with the group, then we read silently. It is an opportunity to carve time out of our busy schedules to dedicate to reading and maybe make a friend or two. Silent book club is open to everyone and takes the pressure off meeting reading deadlines that can come from traditional book clubs. Plus, you can read what you want to. Silent book club has been such a great time and really well received,” she says.
Silent Book Club is held April 10 at 5:45 p.m. They hold an Adult Book Fair April 12 from 6-9 p.m. “This is one of the biggest events we do all year. We recreate a nostalgic scholastic book fair, with specialty cocktails provided by Sidebar. This event is a blast,” Megan says.
Local author Katelin Elizabeth Canter visits the bookstore for a meet-and-greet and book signing, April 19 at 2 p.m.
Damean Mathews leads a creative writing workshop discussing setting April 24 at 6 p.m. The cost for this workshop is $12. Tickets are available for purchase on the website.
Local children’s author/illustrator Annie Parsons shares her retelling of the children’s classic, “Stone Soup,” April 26 at 1 p.m.
Readers can find out more about the store and their events at thebookcellarva.com, or emailthebookcellarva@gmail.com. You can follow them on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (TheBookCellarVA).
