The beach and books: two of our favorite things. Now imagine a job that combines the two. Reading and selling books on a remote island in the Maldives where temperatures average at about 80°F all year. That’s the reality for two publishing professionals who just gave up their house-shares in London for a unique opportunity in paradise.
Since 2018, Ultimate Library, along with the luxury five-star resort Soneva Fushi, seek a temporary Barefoot Bookseller to run a pop-up bookshop in Baa Atoll. This role typically lasts six months, where the selected candidates sell books, curate libraries, host creative writing classes and author events, and share their experiences on the Barefoot Bookseller website and Instagram.
This year, for the first time, the role went to two people: Alice Spencer (27) and Aislinn Shivakumar (29), who arrived in the Maldives in November after undergoing COVID-19 tests and successfully competing against 600 other candidates. Alice, originally from Bradford, is on sabbatical from her position as a senior press officer at Penguin Random House. On the other hand, Aislinn, a writer from Ireland, has prior experience as a bookseller at HarperCollins and Waterstones. Aislinn is overseeing the bookshop at the Soneva Fushi resort, while Alice has established the bookshop on the sister resort of Soneva Jani.
“After a turbulent year, the last thing I imagined was moving over 5,000 miles around the world to the Maldives to establish and run a bookshop. However, this unusual year made me want to embrace a new experience even more,” says Alice. Aislinn shared similar sentiments, explaining how she knew she had to apply as soon as she discovered the position in a group chat.
“I had just completed my MA and held a position with HarperCollins in the digital marketing and e-commerce team. Consequently, when I saw that I met all the requirements and possessed the desired skills, I decided to take the leap and flew out just a few weeks later,” she states. “Returning to the joy of bookselling and having the time to work on my writing has made this one of the world’s most dream jobs for me.”
While in Baa Atoll, the Barefoot Booksellers will have ample opportunity to enjoy everything this paradise island offers, including yoga classes on the beach, swimming, scuba diving in the clear sea, sunset dolphin cruises, and films under the stars at the resort’s open-air cinema.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” adds Aislinn. “To work in a bookshop on a luxury resort in the Maldives, surrounded by stunning views, leading sustainability research, and a fantastic cast of colleagues and guests.”
