Jim Haynes

There's a new statue in town, celebrating Jim Haynes and his infamous Paperback Bookshop. Located on Charles Street and opened in 1959, the Paperback was a big success and locus for much artistic activity in Edinburgh in the 60s. On setting up the bookshop, Jim writes in his 'Very rough and very self-indulgent year by year chronology': 'Explore the university area and find a junk shop. Ask the proprietor if she would like to sell her shop and to our mutual surprise, she agrees to part with the shop and all the items in the shop for 300 pounds. Meet two people on a bus one morning and tell them my plans to open a bookshop.' You can read more about Jim's fantastic life on his website. The statue is a rhino's head, a rhino to remember the rhino whose head hung above the Paperback. Seek it out!