Many readers dream of running a cozy bookshop where people gather to talk about favorite authors and discover new stories. For most, the practical and financial risks of opening an independent shop put that fantasy out of reach — but in Wigtown, Scotland, there is an imaginative alternative.

The Open Book offers what it calls a bookshop holiday: guests live in the flat above the store and volunteer to run the shop for one to two weeks. Visitors shape the experience — arranging the window displays, choosing opening hours and organising events. Past activities have ranged from wine tastings and karaoke to tea parties, author talks and live music sessions.

One of the shop’s founders, Jessica Fox, says people are drawn by the “what if” of stepping into another life, if only temporarily. Fox herself left a high-pressure filmmaking career in Los Angeles, where she worked on projects for NASA, and settled in Wigtown after volunteering at Scotland’s largest secondhand bookshop. She later wrote a memoir, Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A Real-Life Scottish Fairy Tale, about finding a new life among books in the village.

Since opening in August 2014, The Open Book has proved popular. The shop and its apartment often book up as far ahead as Airbnb allows—typically up to two years—and new booking slots are released on the first Monday of each month. Many guests return repeatedly, Fox says, because beyond the novelty they discover a genuine sense of community and face-to-face connection that feels different from online interactions.

Wigtown itself is a small coastal village of about 1,000 people in Galloway with a long association with books. In 1998 the Scottish Parliament designated Wigtown Scotland’s National Book Town, and the inaugural Wigtown Book Festival launched the same year. The festival has grown into an annual event offering more than 200 occasions for readers and writers; in 2026 it runs from September 25 to October 4 and is an important contributor to the local economy.

Before these book-focused efforts, Wigtown struggled with economic decline and numerous empty buildings. Festival organisers note that there were once 83 properties for sale in the village; that number has fallen significantly as bookshops and literary tourism helped revive the area. Local bookseller Joyce Cochrane, who runs The Old Bank Bookshop, says the town’s rebirth was fuelled by a shared passion for reading that united residents and visitors alike.

For book lovers who want a hands-on taste of shopkeeping, a chance to host events, or simply a quieter life among shelves and conversation, Wigtown and The Open Book offer a rare and tangible way to live the bookshop dream, if only for a week or two.

Many bibliophiles imagine leaving daily life to run a small, cozy bookshop where readers gather. For most that remains a daydream—too risky to act on. In Wigtown, however, a practical, creative option exists: The Open Book offers visitors a “bookshop holiday,” letting guests run the shop while living in the apartment above for one or two weeks.

“You come here because of the dream—the ‘what if’ moment,” says Jessica Fox, one of The Open Book’s founders. “It feels like you’re the main character in a movie.” Fox knows that feeling well. She left a high-pressure filmmaking career in Los Angeles, where she even did work connected to NASA, and after volunteering at Scotland’s largest secondhand bookshop decided to settle in Wigtown. She later turned her story into a memoir, Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A Real-Life Scottish Fairy Tale.

Keen to let others taste that fairy-tale life without giving up their everyday commitments, Fox helped create The Open Book. Guests can rearrange window displays, set opening hours and program events—wine tastings, karaoke, tea parties, author talks and live music are all on the menu. The experience is hands-on and intentionally analog, giving visitors a break from screens and a chance to connect with a tight-knit community.

Since opening in August 2014, the idea went viral. The shop and its apartment are usually booked as far ahead as Airbnb permits—about two years—and new availability typically appears on the first Monday of each month. “What keeps people coming back—and some have been three times and still wait—is the community they find,” Fox says.

Wigtown, a coastal town of roughly 1,000 residents in Galloway, has long been a destination for readers. Designated Scotland’s National Book Town in 1998, it launched its first book festival that year. The annual Wigtown Book Festival (scheduled in 2026 from September 25 to October 4) now stages more than 200 events and contributes an estimated £14 million to the local economy.

Before the book-focused revival, Wigtown struggled—many buildings stood empty and threatened demolition. “It is essentially the books that have saved Wigtown,” says Joyce Cochrane, owner of The Old Bank Bookshop. “Wigtown has risen from the ashes because of books. It’s a community built on books, a wonderful success story.”

For anyone curious about the life of a bookseller, The Open Book offers a chance to step into that dream for a week or two—shelving, chatting with customers, hosting events and coming away with a deeper appreciation for what books can do for a place and its people.