ALAN Spence, a renowned Scottish playwright, poet, and author who penned the Sailmaker play and the short story collection Its Colours They Are Fine, is being forced to shut his Edinburgh bookshop for good.
The shop’s landlord, who Alan says “has been very good for us”, is selling the shopfront, and Citadel Books will close on Saturday after eight years in Abbeyhill.
Alan opened the shop after retiring at the age of 70 from his post as Professor Emeritus at the University of Aberdeen in 2017.
Around that time, when Alan was named Edinburgh’s Makar – or official poet – he said he had an office full of books and “a very small” Edinburgh flat.
He and his wife Janaka began selling books at book sales to fund a Hindu meditation centre they run in St Margaret’s House in Edinburgh.
Eventually, the lease for a shop became available, and the pair jumped at the opportunity.
He said: “The core of the first stock was my own books from my office, but we very quickly added to that.
“Friends brought stuff, we got a few copies. I think when we looked last week at what we’re going to shift, it’s about 2000 books here, and not very much time to turn it over.”
He added: “The opening [of the shop] more or less coincided with me being appointed the Edinburgh Makar – that’s the poet laureate for the city. I did that from 2017 to 2021.”
They named the shop Citadel Books, and the store eventually became an oasis for writers and dreamers in the city, with regular poetry readings and writing workshops hosted in the small space.
“In the beginning we had some readings and some nice poetry evenings where we could squeeze 25 people in there,” Alan said.
“Back here has been my office, so it’s my workspace as well. So it’s doubled up – generally, I’ve been writing in the mornings and running the shop in the afternoons. So it’s been a nice wee balance.”
He added: “The best thing about the shop is the conversations you’ll have. People come in to talk as much as they do to buy a book.
“And it’s sad in that way that we’re going – it’s just going to be another office now, but at least it won’t be another nail bar.”
Alan says that “in some ways” it is disappointing to have to move, as he had planned to run the store until the “significant” milestones of reaching 80 years of age and 10 years of the shop being open.
However, he admits that the time may have come to move on: “In another way, it’s been a long time.
“The world is a crazy place at the moment, it’s not a safe world to be trying to function in.
“There’s a lot of very chaotic forces at work just now, so maybe it’s quite a nice time to step back and take stock.”
He added: “Our landlord has been very good for us, he hasn’t put the rent up in those eight years.”
Hinduism and Eastern philosophy have had a major influence on Alan’s work over the years, and the shop has come to reflect this, with an array of Hindu ornaments and meditation paintings adorning the walls.
Alan added that the shop has come to reflect their interest in Hinduism and grown with their meditation centre, which follows the teachings of Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy: “This has felt like a little peaceful space for us as well, and it’s often what people comment on when they walk in – nice atmosphere and all that.”
Although there may be some disappointment at being forced to close the shop, Alan says that new beginnings may yet spring forth from this ending.
Despite being almost 80 years old, his writing has shown no signs of slowing down, and he plans to release two new books this year.
The recent revival of his play Sailmaker, which was recently staged at the Studio Theatre and is finishing up a tour of the country, has ignited his imagination.
He said: “In fact, seeing Sailmaker inspired me.
“I’ve got another idea for a play – it’s been simmering away for a bit, but I’m going to definitely focus on that next as well.
“So it [the closure] just means it’s freeing things up and focusing on the writing some more.”
Taking a long look around the store, through which soft, serene tones were being piped, Alan pointed out a framed painting in the Japanese style.
He was given the painting after being honoured with the Order of the Rising Sun in Japan for his writing. He is one of very few Westerners to be awarded the prize – another in a long list of surprises the shop had up its sleeve.
Citadel Books is on Montrose Terrace in Abbeyhill, and will close for good this Saturday, 28 March.
In a drive to offload stock they are offering paperbacks for just £2. Any unsold books will be donated to the Four Square charity.
