'Barefoot Bookseller' wanted in the Maldives

Barefoot Bookseller Role

Ultimate Library in partnership with Soneva Fushi, a 5-star luxury resort in the Baa Atoll, opened the first Pop-Up Bookshop in the Maldives last December to worldwide acclaim. After an incredibly successful first season, the shop will be opening its doors once again in mid-October. With Soneva Resorts best-loved for its Robinson Crusoe-style laidback luxury, the return of the Pop-Up Bookshop creates the ultimate vacancy for a desert island bibliophile: barefoot bookselling, in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The bookshop was created to reflect the stunning natural environment and intelligent luxury that Soneva Fushi provides. While most of us find that holidays are the only opportunity we get to read for pleasure, finding the perfect book that enhances your destination and opens your mind can be a challenge. Previous Barefoot Booksellers have provided guests with unforgettable literary experiences from writer’s workshops to personal reading consultations. We are interested to see what new ideas you can bring to the role!

The lucky individual will have a month’s pre-departure product training with the Ultimate Library team, prior to flying to the Maldives to join the Soneva team for a 6-month placement role in mid-October. The ideal candidate will be a team player with a passion for books and the ability to engage with guests of all ages. They will have excellent written and verbal English skills; a lively tone of voice to write an entertaining blog that captures the exhilarating life of a desert island bookseller, and the skills to host workshops and other guest experiences. They must have the ability to fit in with the distinctive Soneva culture.

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'Being the Barefoot Bookseller was an absolute dream. I got to meet amazing people, work with incredible books and live on a stunning luxury island. Very much the dream job!' – Aimée Johnson, Barefoot Bookseller 2019. Read Aimée's full story here on how she got on in the Maldives!

‘The Barefoot Bookseller has become an integral part of the Soneva guest experience, providing much, much more than reading recommendations.’ – Sonu Shivdasani, Founder and CEO of Soneva.

​Activities, duties & responsibilities:

• Day to day running of a small the bookshop including sales management, engaging with guests & hosts

• Responsible for all stock management and reporting back on sales & stock updates

• Hosting experiences for Soneva guests such as creative writing classes, bibliotherapy, tutoring (Ages 9-18) and literary lectures.

• Running the Barefoot Bookseller social media presence, including Instagram

• Writing monthly blogposts & creating entertaining and informative newsletters

• Liaising with Ultimate Library & Soneva marketing teams on potential events and collaborations

Required Skills & Experience:

• Excellent written & verbal English skills

• A love of reading & in-depth knowledge of both classical and modern literature

• Experience in bookselling/publishing is highly desirable

• Strong knowledge of running social media pages and following trends

• Experience writing blogs or newsletters

• To be a team player and self-starter with a sense of fun and creativity

Desirable:

• Experienced in sales

• Photography

• Tutoring

Check out the adventures of our previous booksellers @barefootbookseller or www.barefootbookseller.com.

To apply please read the terms and conditions before sending your CV & a covering letter to barefoot@ultimatelibrary.co.uk.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• We can only accept and respond to applications written in English

• Due to such a high volume of applicants we will only be responding to successful candidates 

• Applications will only be accepted if they are sent to barefoot@ultimatelibrary.co.uk and include a cover letter and CV

• Please don’t apply using any other channels or contact details, especially the Soneva.com website.

Application Deadline: 1st September 2019.