Jamaica Plain’s New Bookstore, Papercuts, Opens Saturday

To judge from sheer social media buzz, Saturday's opening of a new bookstore on Green Street may be the most-talked-about JP business opening in years.

Kate Layte, owner and manager of Papercuts, has already attracted 1,808 "likes" on her 5 Green St. store's Facebook page. And that's before the first book has been sold.

That first sale should come around 11 a.m. Saturday as the shop begins its grand opening celebration. The event, which features live music from Michael Tarbox and a visit from "Dirty Old Boston" author Jim Botticelli, runs through 7 p.m.

Jamaica Plain News sat down with Layte in October at Fazenda in Forest Hills. She explained how she hopes to turn her love of the written word and experience in publishing into a sustainable small business.

Layte isn't deterred by the trend toward e-books and the seeming market dominance for physical books by discounters like Amazon. She sees a niche for a carefully-curated brick-and-mortar shop, providing she listens closely enough to her customers.

She points to recent independent bookstore openings on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and elsewhere as evidence the changing marketplace for books has room for her kind of bookstore.

Layte, a JP resident, said the neighborhood serves as a continuing inspiration for her. For instance, she's a frequent visitor to the grave of e.e. cummings, who is buried on a slope facing Lake Hibiscus in Forest Hills.

Certainly the buzz around the neighborhood bodes well for her project. In addition to the high level of interest on Facebook, Papercuts already has 777 followers on Twitter.

Layte has planned her opening for Small Business Saturday, an event started by American Express that urges people to shop at local, independent stores.

Papercuts

5 Green St.

Grand opening is 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29

 

Previous coverage on Jamaica Plain News:

Bookstore Plans to Open on Green Street