The Bookshop is a 2017 drama film written and directed by Isabel Coixet, based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Penelope Fitzgerald, in which the lead character attempts against opposition to open a bookshop in the coastal town of Hardborough, Suffolk (a thinly-disguised version of Southwold). Shooting took place in Portaferry and Strangford, County Down, Northern Ireland and in Barcelona during August and September 2016.
The film stars Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Bill Nighy. It won three Goya Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Plot
Set in the late 1950s, the film opens with an explanatory voice-over narration. Florence Green has decided to open a bookshop in the small coastal town of Hardborough, Suffolk, where she has lived for years as a war widow. She acquires as her premises the Old House, a damp and abandoned property that has been standing empty for many years.
As Florence is securing a loan from Mr Keble at the bank to open the shop, she is warned that others may have different ideas for the space. She cannot imagine that to be true, as it has been neglected for so long. News of Florence's intentions spread quickly through the small town, and several residents are quick to point out the difficulties Florence may face in opening a shop.
