Skip to content

Relief Bookseller Application

Temporary (Feb-July 2026) & Part time
Weekday/Evening & Event Work at Lighthouse - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop
3hrs/Week - £13.45/hr

Please read the full job description on the Lighthouse website HERE.
Only once this form has been complete, one final step is needed, send a CV to us as advised at the end of the questionaire!
1.Full Name
2.Pronouns
3.Email
BASICS
4.The team holds many different opinions on many different issues and that diversity of viewpoints is central to being a dynamic, engaged bookshop serving many readers - we do however have strong company values and operate a safe spaces policy (here) , that we expect all our staff to embrace and adhere to.

Please acknowledge you have read our safer spaces policy and accessibility information and are confident you can take on the position.
5.This particular role is physically demanding, please acknowledge that you have read the accessibility information in the job posting, and feel capable of taking on the role.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS

The following are essential skills required for this role, please acknowledge that you have the relevant experience!

If you do not have one of these essential skills this job won't be the right fit for us at this time, please consider applying for another position in the future.
6.Computer literate
The role involves searching trade databases (batchline / gardlink/ pubeasy), using various on- and off-line programmes, and use of Slack & Google Drive (including Sheets).
7.Till use/ Cash handling
This is a sales role that requires handling in person sales via cash & card, processing online orders and cashing up the till at the end of a working day. It is vital candidates have previously worked a till and/or handled cash in a previous role.
8.A passionate & voracious reader
This role involves offering a lot of tailored reading recommendations! Please tell us what genres you read the most AND share a few sentences on a book you have recently read and loved.
9.Have excellent interpersonal & communication skills for a public-facing role
10.Flexible
Shift patterns will vary week to week within agreed parameters, so please let us know what your day-to-day availability is (or days you definitely cannot work)
Desirable Skills
If you think you are a perfect fit for this job but don’t meet all the desirable qualities listed below please do still apply, it's just helpful to know as much as possible, and these skills will be used in the shop.
11.Do you have experience of basic design & image editing (eg. Canva)?
12.Experience with trade software (eg Gardlink/Booksolve/Batchline)?
13.Demonstrable knowledge of wider literary culture and current social justice movements?
14.Experience in a customer service role?
15.Experience in a bookshop or wider book trade?
16.Experience of lone working in a public/retail setting.
17.Experience working with websites or blogs.
18.Good spatial awareness & sense of aesthetics.
19.Be a quick learner, comfortable being thrown in the deep end. (We onboard all our new booksellers, but it is on-the-job training so you need to hit the ground running)
20.Experience working in events.
21.Copywriting skills.
22.Some obscure talent or book interest that will impress or delight a kindred spirit visiting the bookshop.
Inclusion & Diversity at Lighthouse
The book trade is overwhelmingly white, and middle class. Bookshops are a great entry point for publishing and other trade work, so as radical booksellers we’re committed to disrupting existing hierarchies and networks of exclusion wherever we can.

We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who are habitually underrepresented in the book trade, notably book lovers who are working class and care experienced, neurodivergent, Black, Asian or from an Ethnic Minority in the UK, GRT, and/or Queer!
23.If any of these apply to you and you’d like to share that with us at this stage, please do!
Our own team cuts across different class, educational and ethnic backgrounds. Most of us are queer; some of us have disabilities or chronic conditions and we have booksellers of varying faiths (and none). We all love books, and we all want to make a difference!

Please do let us know if you'd like clarity on any of the above!
CVs!

Once this form is completed, one final step is needed, don't forget to email mairi@lighthousebookshop.com a CV / A breakdown of relevant past employment, education or complimentary work placements & experience!