Laurence McKeown in Conversation with Phil Scraton at Roe River Books
Laurence McKeown in Conversation with Phil Scraton at Roe River Books An Evening of History, Justice and Memory | Dundalk
A Week in an Irish Independent Bookshop: Marina Santaeugènia’s Book Exchange Visit to Roe River Books
RISE Booksellers Exchange | Spain to Ireland | 2026
A good bookshop is never just about the books on the shelves. It is about the people behind the counter, the conversations at the till, and the quiet knowledge that connects a reader to exactly the right title at exactly the right moment. This spring, Roe River Books in Dundalk had the great pleasure of welcoming Marina Santaeugènia, a bookseller from Spain, as part of the RISE Booksellers Exchange Programme.
Marina spent one week with us, and from the very first morning she brought an energy and warmth that quickly became part of the fabric of the shop. Our regular customers noticed it. We certainly did.
About the RISE Booksellers Exchange
The RISE Booksellers Exchange is a European programme coordinated from Brussels that connects independent bookshops across the continent. It gives passionate booksellers the opportunity to spend time working inside a foreign bookshop, to observe how things are done differently, share best practices, and build genuine lasting relationships between shops that might otherwise never meet.
The principle is simple and effective: you learn by doing. There are no classroom sessions or observation-only days. Participants are placed on the shop floor from the start and expected to contribute as a full member of the team.
“She brought an energy and warmth that quickly became part of the fabric of the shop.”
For Roe River Books, that meant Marina was involved in practically everything across her week with us. She helped customers find titles, contributed to shelving and stock, and engaged in the natural daily flow of the shop with a confidence and genuine interest that made her a real asset from day one.
What a Week Like This Gives a Bookshop
Hosting Marina Santaeugènia reminded us that running a bookshop is part of a much bigger conversation. When someone arrives from another country, from a different bookselling culture, they bring a fresh pair of eyes. They see things you stopped noticing. They ask questions that make you think about why you do things the way you do. That kind of exchange is genuinely valuable, and it goes both ways.
We hope Marina took something home with her too. A sense of how an independent Irish bookshop works, some new titles to recommend to her own customers, and perhaps a few good memories of Dundalk along the way.
Interested in the RISE Programme?
If you are a bookseller curious about taking part in an exchange, or a bookshop interested in hosting, we would encourage you to get in touch with the RISE Booksellers Exchange directly. They are a warm and professional team based in Brussels who coordinate the whole programme across Europe.
RISE Booksellers Exchange
Brussels, Belgium
risebookselling.eu
info@risebookselling.eu
+32 2 580 18 11
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A sincere thank you to Marina Santaeugènia for the week she gave us. We wish her well in everything ahead, and the door in Dundalk is always open.
Photos from the Visit
View and Download Photos
Browse the full photo album from Marina’s visit and download individual images directly from the link below.
Open full album on Adobe Lightroom
About Our Digital Partner
Behind every image in this post, every video on our channel, and much of what you see on the Roe River Books website, there is one team making it happen. Astory Media has been working with us since 2025, documenting our events, managing our digital presence, and helping us tell our story in a way that feels true to who we are.
Astory Media is a full-service digital and creative agency based in Dundalk, Ireland. They work across a wide range of services: website design and development, ecommerce stores, SEO, hosting, social media management, flier and graphic design, event photography and videography, and ongoing technical support. They work with bookshops, businesses, actors, artists, writers, musicians, and anyone who needs a strong and professional digital presence.
If you are looking for a team that genuinely understands creative and independent businesses, we cannot recommend them highly enough.
Astory Media
Dundalk, Ireland
www.astory.pro
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