Marianne

I'm the Director of The Willoughby Book Club, and I'm so proud of our team and the service we offer.

My career has taken me on a meandering path through bookselling in the UK and Ireland, and I am so excited to be able to bring all my experience to bear at The Willoughby Book Club, offering curated reading subscriptions. Access to books and reading is one of my favourite soapboxes, and I love being able to donate a book for each subscription we sell.

When I'm not messing about with books I like painting and am inspired by the natural world and geometry. Of course I also love reading too, and always return to E F Benson and P G Wodehouse. 

 Aishah

I've been Operations Administrator here for three years and can often be found with my big ol' pair of headphones on as I busily run around the office. My colleagues are thankful for this, as I've long been banned from using the office speaker due to my 'unique' taste in music.

I love reading manga, playing video games, and going to live gigs. I'm a big fan of re-reading my favourite books to discover different ideas and perspectives that I may have originally missed. Some of my favourite books to re-read are To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hunger Games- books that really hold up to a second, third, or fourth re-read!

Olivia

I'm one of Willoughby's Book Selections Specialists and I've been a part of the team for just over 5 years now.

I love reading lots of different things- weird fic, translated, introspective. Some of the best books I've read recently include: Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa, Big Swiss by Jen Beagin, and A Touch of Mistletoe by Barbara Comyns.

I'm currently learning to play the bass, which is an interesting experience for someone without any rhythm! I also enjoy fermenting things, like kombucha and kimchi. Stand still long enough and you're going in the Kilner jar. 

I also study Italian and can be found shouting random phrases at everyone in the office (which I'm sure they greatly appreciate).

Alisha

I’m the Customer Service Administrator here at Willoughby, but I also take photos, videos and plan our social media each month. It’s been over 6 years since I started at Willoughby and have tried my hand at many things from packing books, to social media!

I’ve always loved reading, ever since I was little. There’s even photo evidence of me reading at family parties! I tend to read a mix of most fiction genres, but I do have a special place in my heart for any kinds of folklore or magical realism-infused stories.

The cinema can almost be counted as my second home. It’s a great place to be and you can’t beat that atmosphere when watching a new movie. My friend and I also run an Instagram food account and we love finding small and local restaurants/cafes/bakeries to try out. Just give us a bit of food and we’re happy!

Chloe

I’m one of the Book Selection Specialists here at Willoughby, and have been here for about 9 years now. I originally started picking books for the Crime subscriptions, but now I pick a bit of everything for everyone and I really enjoy the variety.

I’ve always loved reading and remember saving up my pocket money when I was younger to buy the latest Goosebumps book, which I would read in one day and then I'd have to wait to buy another one! Nowadays, I read pretty much anything from crime & psychological thrillers to general fiction and even children’s books. I wish they would put illustrations in adult books! 

When I’m not at Willoughby I can be found reading with my cat, Beasley, on my knee, running/kick-boxing/spinning/yoga/swimming/dancing, booking holidays and eating cake!

I am currently teaching myself British Sign Language. It has always absolutely amazed me to see people do this and I’ve always wished I could do it too, so I thought: why not?! Although I’m finding it quite challenging, I’m really enjoying it, especially using my 13 year old son Stanley to practise with and who’s picking it up a lot better than I am!

Nic

I'm Willoughby's Wrapping and Packing Assistant and I've worked at Willoughby for almost three years now.

I'm the office's chief snack provider, reigning table tennis champ, and am obsessed with anything sporty. I try and get to Wimbledon every summer, as it's my highlight of the year! I've recently joined the Benjamin Myers fan club, having recently read and loved The Offing and The Perfect Golden Circle. I can't wait for what this year's reading will bring.

The team often refer to me as a 'machine' for how quickly I work, regularly timing me to prove how speedy I am!