The English Bookshop celebrates 25 years

Birthday Greetings from around the internet – and around the world

Send us your greeting or memory of the bookshop! 

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or tell the world in the socials with the tag #englishbookshop25

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”I remember the 18th of November 1995 very well...”

Christer tells the story of how it all began on that November day 25 years ago in Uppsala. (And there are some fab photos from them olden days in the video!)

 

 

”Happy Birthday! A quarter of a century later and I must have aged the same number of years. Judging by myself that is no time at all! I remember when you started the bookshop in the rickety house down by the river. Moving from the safe confines of LundeQ to a completely new store was huge for you. It was a pure pleasure to visit the shop and I spent so much of my allowance on books. Just popping in for a chat and a look through the shelves to discover something new was a dream. You have managed to keep that spirit welcoming and of discovery in the "new" place, keep it up!”
– Teresia Fredriksson

”A wonderful bookshop! No physical place like it in Uppsala to get quality books on politics and international relations. Look forward to my next purchase!”
– Pasi H

”I found out about the shop some years ago when I was really into Doctor Who, I don't remember what I saw in the window but it was DW related and it made me go in. One of the best decisions I've made. Love the shop! I try to visit every now and then when I can. Happy 25th to the best bookshop in the world!”
– Izzy

”Grattis! Jag kommer ihåg hur jag stod där uppe på loftet och fingrade på den första Harry Potter-boken, många gånger, innan den var omskriven, och tänkte varje gång att den kanske var för barnslig... Tack för att ni har hjälpt till att fylla mina bokhyllor!”
– curiouscordelia on instagram

”One of the reasons I don't want to leave Uppsala is the English Bookshop. I wouldn't get my books or bookish company anywhere else!”
– Karin Backvall on facebook

”Happy birthday! Now looking forward to the next 25 years!”
– Anna Bredin on facebook

”Been a customer since 1996 and happier because of it. Congrats!!”
– Mattias Hennerfors on facebook

”Congrats! Best Bookshop ever!”
– Annlie Linghäll on facebook

 

”Happy birthday! Your shop is such a comfortable place, especially when I had just moved to Uppsala it made me feel more at home in a new city. Wish you another successful 25 years!”
– Karla

”Happy birthday!”
– carinaaaltonen on instagram

”Happy birthday! Thanks for all your support over the years - it is much appreciated.”
– faber_international on instagram

”Happy Birthday! We <3 you to the moon and back!”
– yesireadallthetime on instagram

”Grattis på födelsedagen! Jag minns när jag åkte till Uppsala från Västerås i slutet av 90-talet för att köpa William Gibson- och Terry Pratchett-böcker där uppe på loftet. Hoppas på minst 25 härliga år till!”
– angerforce on instagram

”Happy birthday! Cheers for another 25!”
– thenewbieguidetosweden on instagram

”Happy birthday to the sweetest bookshop with the nicest employees ever!!”
– emelie_silven on instagram

”Stort grattis till er!!”
– tehornanuppsala on instagram

”Thanks for many a great book circle, author talks and to a lovely staff who have greeted us with enthusiasm since day one. And great cake at every modern fiction book circle !!! Here's to 25 more years!”
– themeluniverse on instagram

"Happy 25th Birthday to you guys! Here's to the next 25!
I've read since before my pre-school years and started reading in english early too. The English Bookshop Uppsala is my idea of a perfect place. It's homey, cosy, very friendly and filled from floor to ceiling with my favorite things: Books!
Happy 25th!"
– Magnus Edgarsson

”The first time I entered the bookshop was probably over ten years ago, I worked there as an intern for a couple of weeks and I fell in love with the Fantasy section! I was surrounded by so many great books. Jan taught me a great deal. It was a wonderful experience! I wish you all a happy birthday! Cheers!”
– Dostan Rashid

”One of the capitals of the World Republic of Letters! Thinking of the shop and my visit there unfailingly fills me with optimism for the future. As we say in Ireland, go maire sibh an céad!”
– Barry McCrea on facebook

  

”Happy birthday to the best bookshop in the world! I remember the old days of that loft near the river with great joy; it was something really quite special to climb the stairs to browse books in a room, often enough just you and the shop keeper. But the success and successive moves to bigger and more central premises have brought me even more joy. Knowing that others love and appreciate the fantastic service you provide makes me confident in its continued existence. The only thing I truly miss about the old location is the way you could point it out to people on the (old) hundra-kronor notes, but since those have gone out-of-service, just saying "across the road from the library" does the trick very nicely!”
– Solveig Felton on facebook

”Happy birthday to my favorite bookshop.”
– Bitte Aspenström-Fagerlund on facebook

”Congratulations! I remember your first shop by the river. It was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. I had a blast doing the storytelling for children. I wish you continued success.”
– Allison Jansson on facebook

”Grattis! Vi satsar väl på minst 25 år till?”
– Carin Nyström on facebook

”Happy birthday. I can't remember exactly when I first came into the English Bookshop. I remember having bought A. Scott Berg's biography of Wilson. I remember it was the place to go before Christmas, before knowing you would spend 10 winter days and nights mostly at home, to get books. I remember joking with the staff about the different holidays in France or in Sweden: you have Good Friday and we don't, we have May 8th and you don't. I remember finding the Autobiography of Malcolm X in a small paperback, a book that is almost introuvable in France. I remember knowing every December I should send a new year's card to the shop. I know when I come back to Uppsala, I'll have to go the shop.”
– Louis Andrieu on facebook

”Happy birthday – best book shop ever!”
– Julie White

”Happy Birthday from Norrköping!”
– Mats Granberg

”Happy Birthday My Favourite Bookworms!”
– Peter Tegelberg on facebook

”Happy birthday lovelies”
– Kristine Haukeli on facebook

 

”Happy Birthday to the best bookshop in the world! Thank you for 25 years of excellent service and advice! And hope to see you around for another 25!”
– lottabeming on instagram

”Grattis! Wow 25 år!”
– uppsalacity on instagram

”Bästa bokaffären någonsin!”
– busluren on instagram

”Happy, happy birthday!”
– pekkaheino on instagram

"Grattis!! Är utan tvekan den bästa bokhandeln som finns, bästa servicen som på alla nivåer - ställer upp otroligt mycket och special-beställningar av alla de slag är aldrig några problem - önskar er fortsatta framgångar och hoppas på många år till :)”
– Jonny Nilsson

”Congrats!”
– Paddy Kelly on facebook

”Happy birthday!!”
– Ruby Jand on facebook

”Happy Birthday!”
– Rita Woods on facebook

 

 

”Happy birthday! I have a clear memory of my mum cutting out an ad in UNT that said there was a new bookshop for books in English and saying that we should visit it next time we went to Uppsala. I was 12 at the time and you've kept me in books ever since!
Here's to 25 years more!”
– Ingrid McGarry on facebook

”Favoritbokhandeln de senaste 25 åren. Grattis!”
– Lars-Ove Love Karlsson on facebook

”Happy birthday to the best and friendliest bookshop ever! Wonderful staff, always a joy to stop by!”
– Ingrid Hinze on facebook

”Happy 25th anniversary! I remember seeing your little signs spread out along the streets, all those years ago. I climbed the stairs to that first shop, on the leaning attic floor, and felt like I had entered Alladin’s Cave of Book. I remember that I placed an order for a Monty Python book and you found it for me – I was astonished, you could clearly obtain any book that I wanted. All I needed to do was ask. And in the many years since, you have proven that over and over again. Thank you for being there and for being who you are!”
– Isabell

 

”Happy 25th! I remember when I helped doing inventory in the shop by the river in the early autumn 1997. Lots of fun and lots and lots of books! When Carolyn Cassady visited is another fond memory.”
– Ylva Hillström on facebook

 

”Grattis on a beautiful 25 years of The English Bookshop! It is an honour to have worked with you over my last 5 years in publishing and I'm so proud of all you've achieved. Here's to many, many more years. All the best to the wonderful staff and hopefully I can come and visit soon xx”
– Victoria

”G'day Guys! Det är jättekul att se att ni är igång och att allt går väl. Jag kommer ihåg när ni startade och jag gick från att köpa böcker på LundeQ och istället gick och botaniserade hos er. Tack för allt under åren och ha en suverän 25års dag.”
– Lasse Norén

”Grattis! Vi Uppsalabor är stolta över att ni finns i vår stad!”
– Karin Stensjo on facebook

”Ni är suveräna och förtjänar verkligen att vara rörda till tårar. Det är en vacker boklåda ni blåst liv i och den kommer alltid att finnas”
– Jens-Petter Palmquist on facebook

”Grattis Grattis”
– Lena Valdesdotter on facebook

”Grattis Christer och Jan! Fantastiskt!”
– Marianne Bergström on facebook

”The very heart of Uppsala. Onwards!”
– Jonas Thente on twitter

”25 Very Good Book Years!”
– Isabella Laihorinne on twitter

”Happy 25th anniversary to The Uppsala English @bookshop_se! Here's to the next 25!”
– Risto Pakarinen on twitter

”Happy birthday! xx”
– Jen Campbell on twitter

”Kommer aldrig glömma doften när man gick upp för trappan och kom upp bland alla härliga böcker.
Känslan när man gick in bland böckerna och letade sig fram till fantasyavdelningen och upptäckte att en uppföljare hade kommit till någon serie man läste.
På den här tiden fanns det inte i samma utbud som det finns idag, och det var inte ens i närheten av lika många som läste fantasy. Så UEB var en underbar upptäckt för mig som elev på Linnégymnasiumet
Härliga minnen. Tack för allt!”
– Knt Hag on facebook

”Congratulations, Uppsala English Bookshop, and congratulations to all of us in Uppsala – to have this wonderful place to escape to!”
– Eva Erlman on facebook

”Happy birthday!”
– George Kenneth Berger on facebook

”Congratulations Jan Smedh and Christer!”
– Lisa Finch on facebook

”Congratulations!”
– Åsa Felton (and Cecilia and Daniel) on facebook

”Congratulations”
– Natalie Pougher on facebook

”Grattis, världens bästa bokhandel!”
– Helena Dahlgren on facebook

”Ah the memories of being there on opening day! Glad you are still going strong”
– Stephan Grundy and Melodi Grundy on facebook

”Happy Birthday English Bookshop! For 25 years my husband Hans Öqvist and I have been filling our bookshelves with books from you. Shelves, by now, taking up a wall or two. In that way you'll always be a part of our home. Thank you!”
– Annette Öqvist on facebook

”Congrats! You're the best! And greetings from our bookshelves.”
– Birgitta Ericsson on facebook

”Congratulations! What a brilliant achievement. I can't wait to visit you again! Thanks for your support and for being such a vibrant bookshop to work with, with the loveliest and most passionate people. Enjoy the celebrations”
– Elena Bianco on facebook

”Congratulations on your quarter century! Looking forward to coming to visit again soon. Here's to the next 25...!”
– Hannah Pocock, Simon & Schuster

”Congratulations on 25 years, Jan and Christer! What a wonderful anniversary. Looking forward to being able to visit in 2021 (fingers crossed!)”
– Sophie Kossakowski, Harper Collins

”A very happy birthday to The English Bookshop – always such a friendly and welcoming shop! I hope you have wonderful celebrations planned.”
– Joanna Vallance, Bloomsbury

”Happy Birthday to you! You are a gem! You make my life shine brighter in this gloomy world!”
– Hélène