Rasmus Schöll, owner of the Aegis bookshops, his own publishing house and the Aegis Café (formerly Kokoschinski), was the main speaker of the evening. In his inspiring presentation, he addressed the question of what motivated him to open a bookshop and what it means to be an entrepreneur. He also offered exciting insights into the development of independent bookshops.
Aspects that the audience found particularly valuable:
Social responsibility and engagement: local bookshops fulfill a social responsibility as a point of contact or as Rasmus Schöll calls it, "the social kit" for citizens.
Generational change among booksellers: A generational change is currently taking place, with 80 percent of booksellers over 60 years old and the younger generation increasingly turning away from the profession. Nevertheless, there is a lot of potential in the industry.
It's about people and culture: a fundamental aim of the café and the bookshops was to bring people into contact with culture and break down barriers. With over 140 cultural events in the last year, Rasmus and his team have already made several contributions to this goal.
You have to take your time to read: Reading is a quiet and deliberate activity - even as a successful entrepreneur, Rasmus makes time for his "sacred 10 pages" every morning ;).
