Zzz Books
2020

I have been having the same recurring dream about a beautiful and bright bookshop for a while. In my dreams, it’s always a warm, sunny day, and I wander round the bookshop, exploring the shelves, a bit giddy, just picking up books that take my fancy. 

There are books full of strange and new ideas; books that fold out into impossible formats, in weird shapes and brand new colours; books full of things I wish I’d thought of; books about artists who don’t exist yet; the best kind of books, with ideas I don’t really understand, but feel a connection to and take a chance on — books that will one day make sense and become books I cannot live without.

It’s a place of learning and true happiness.

In my dreams, the bookshop is located at No. 8, St James Street in Sheffield: a building I have never been inside on a street that, in reality, I have absolutely no connection with. Sometimes I’ve visited No. 8 in real life and stood outside and looked for a while, imagining all the books and ideas inside. So close. Just behind the door. Standing on the street, I allowed myself to be in a place where real life and my dreams overlapped.

I decided to name the dream shop Zzz Books.

The logo above the door acts as both a signifier and a portal, a real life intervention to the building, a real life shop sign with enough mystery so that it acts as a kind of entry point to imagination across the threshold. 

Zzz Books is open whenever I am asleep. I hope that you enjoy the books as much me.