The manager of Waterstones in Richmond has said demand for Prince Harry’s memoir Spare has been "overwhelming" since its release.
Callum Newton, 31, has worked for Waterstones for ten years and at the Richmond branch for two years.
Since Prince Harry's book release on January 10, Callum said he has never experienced the same demand for a book release during all his years working for the company.
Callum said: “I’ve been with the company for quite a while, and this is the fastest selling book I can remember in a really long time both in terms of demand and pre-orders.
“It has been our best-selling book since release.”
Waterstones branches nationwide opened early to meet the anticipated demand for the new release.
Callum also said the bookshop still had “plenty of copies for Prince Harry to sign” if he were to visit Richmond in the near future.
He explained: “The demand is pretty steady and we don’t really see huge hoards or crowds of people queuing up for the first day release of books.
“We do get quite a big initial burst on the first couple of days of sale and then it peters out to an extent.
“It still has kept a relatively consistent pace for the whole time it has been released.”
Callum has assured residents they will still be able to pick up a copy in Richmond, as Waterstones has ensured their bookshops are keeping their stocks full.
Callum said: “There will still be plenty to spare.
“From a national level, the company is making sure all the stores are well-stocked with the books and that is keeping up with the demand we are seeing.
“I think we will be fine to meet the current demand, but we are still obviously expecting it to sell very well for the remainder of the year and then into the longer lifecycle of the book.”
Callum was not able to reveal specific sale numbers for Waterstones Richmond store but confirmed it was the “best-selling book since released for the store and for the company on a national level.”
Callum added: “It is always nice to have best-selling books and it is always something we are looking for, as our aim as a company is to try and keep bookshops on the high street.
“A huge book which is selling a large number of copies is the best way for us to do that.”
With Harper Collins recently confirming Boris Johnson’s memoir is on its way and the Duchess of Sussex Meghan potentially bringing out her own memoir, Callum was asked if he thought these memoirs could sell more copies than Spare.
Callum said: “It is really hard to predict individual quantities and potential best-sellers.
“We have had other authors before like Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Tony Blair who sold huge numbers of their memoirs so I am sure those will do big numbers when they are out.”
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