KINGSPORT — William Wight went from teaching to a Kingsport small business owner in a matter of months, chasing a lifelong dream of owning a bookstore.
Wight, owner of Haven Booksellers, said he was inspired to bring this new Kingsport business to life after completing an English degree with a minor in education at ETSU. After a couple of years teaching, he decided to chart a new course.
“I started to go back to school to be a librarian when I got some encouragement, including a little bit of financial encouragement which was nice, to follow one of my lifelong dreams, which was this — opening a bookstore,†he said,
The store is located at 1880 N. Eastman Road, Suite 250, between Sport Clips and Annie’s Room. He said the book store will offer around 3,000 used and 1,000 new books, with the selection continuing to grow.
He said the curation process has taken a lot of time and effort, including scouring the East Tennessee region for the best literature finds. Wight mentioned he would also look for books on online auction sites and thrift stores.
“When I was really working on building my inventory, I would get in my car in the morning and pick a direction,†he said. “So sometimes I’d go toward Bristol, sometimes I’d go toward Knoxville, and then hit every thrift store that I could find in between.â€
Finishing touches
Wight said he is finishing shelving all the books and decorating the store before its opening later in July. He has worked over the past month to get everything prepared to open as quickly as possible.
He called the space a “great spot†with high foot traffic from surrounding businesses such as the nearby brewery and coffee shop. Both friends and community members alike have expressed their excitement for the new business, Wight said.
“When I’ve been talking to people, some people have been like, ‘Oh, you have to put that book aside for me,’†Wight said. “I talked to a woman who was telling me about some of the books that she enjoys, and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got this book and this book.’ She’s like,’ Oh, put my name on those. I’m coming to get them.’ So I think there’s a lot of excitement.â€
For Wight, he said he is especially proud of his collection of biographies and graphic novels. The store even features several books more than 100 years old.
“I love books, and I love talking to people about books,†Wight said. “Even if people want to come in and just, don’t even necessarily know what they’re looking for, I love to talk to people about books and figure out what’s a good fit. I feel like that’s where small bookstores and independent bookstores really excel.â€
A grand opening for the store will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 12, according to a recent social media post by the business. For more information, visit the store’s Instagram page at .
