Meet the Team!

Home Meet the Team!

Georgia

Owner

Georgia opened Imagined Things in July 2017! She left her job as an NHS Radiographer to follow her love of books & dream of having a bookshop! Georgia has always loved English & Science (don’t get her started talking about radiation!), and torn between an English degree or something more science based, Georgia decided on Diagnostic Radiography! After graduating from Leeds University in 2011, she started work in x-ray at Harrogate District Hospital, staying there for almost six years & training as a specialist radiographer in CT scanning during that time. So opening the bookshop was a bit of a change!

What I think of owning a bookshop: It’s amazing. It’s been tough, scary & challenging – but it’s WONDERFUL. It’s the most brilliant, creative, inspiring of industries & I love being a part of it. Leaving my career as a radiographer was a huge decision but its one I’m massively proud of – just because you’ve gone down one path doesn’t mean you have to stay on it!

Why I love books: I’m truly passionate about imagined things & the books that contain them! Stories are powerful & they are so important. They bind us together, teach us and transport us.

My Favourite Books: I adore fantasy because through things that couldn’t be real we often see the truth of our world & our lives all the clearer. I also love the what ifs & warnings found in dystopias. I’m a HUGE Stephen King fan & have read 26 of his books. I read fairly broadly but there’s usually an element of the fantastical, speculative or magical realism. I love REALLY good writing too (Margaret Atwood is the master!). I’m a fan of fascinating non-fiction of various kinds too. You can see more of my favourites here.

Random Fact: Georgia’s lucky number is 7 – after she had a car accident on 07.07.2007 – whilst that may not seem lucky the fact she was relatively unharmed after being rolled 9 times at 70mph was pretty lucky overall!

Georgia is finally back in the shop more (& is loving it!) after welcoming our baby bookseller in 2021 – Ruby-Alice is now already a toddler and can sometimes be found frequenting the bookshop with her Mammy! She is an expert at handing you books from low shelves – though they may not be the ones you were after!! When Georgia is otherwise occupied with the tiniest team member Fable will be keeping the booksellers organised!

Debbie

Manager

Debbie joined the Imagined Things Team in June 2018. Originally from Dublin (not America, as so many assume from her unusual accent!), Debbie was raised on stories, thanks to her parents who introduced her to the Brontë sisters and John Le Carré from an early age. When she’s not in the bookshop, Debbie works as an Acting Coach and Theatre Practitioner, directing, writing and producing shows, both for young people and adults.

Here’s what Debbie has to say about being an Imagined Things Bookseller: Even when entire days can be spent on admin, working for Imagined Things is a dream come true. Getting to connect with other readers, building relationships with local schools and recommending books to get someone interested in reading for the first time, is such a joy! I find the book industry fascinating and it’s great to have the opportunity to work with so many fantastic publishers and authors.

Her book tastes include: I tend to vary wildly between genres, but in my teens I fell in love with the Classics, (yes, I was Hermione Granger and read The Illiad for fun at fifteen). Fantasy is always my cup of tea, especially ones inspired or based around folklore and mythology. You can win my heart with a great Detective mystery, or psychological crime drama. And I’m a big advocate for YA books! If you’d like to see more of my favourites you can see them here.

Random Fact: I trained as a classical ballet dancer and worked as a guest teacher and choreographer for a UK touring company for a few years.

Why she loves books: Neil Gaiman once said: “Writers tell lies for a living. But they are good lies that tell true things”. Stories help us to learn in a comforting way. To find out more about the world we live in and ourselves.

Debbie was promoted to Deputy Manager, in late 2020, ahead of Georgia’s maternity leave, and promoted again to Manager in 2022, when we moved to our new location. Hooray for Debbie! She is very pleased that she now has full control over the level of clutter (& other important matters!) in the bookshop.

We’re delighted to have Debbie’s organisation, diligence and passion for books. We’re so thrilled to have her at the helm of Imagined Things as we enter this exciting new chapter!

Hayley

Senior Bookseller

Hayley joined the team as a Bookseller in Autumn 2020. In a year where many were taking great comfort in the escapism & solace of books, she found the perfect job recommending them!

Being an avid reader from a young age, Hayley went on to study English Literature, as well as Film and Theatre at University. Here she found a particular love of Gothic literature & continues to be enthralled by ghost stories, fallen women & tales of decadence. More recently she reads as widely as possible & her favourite books include Room, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Neverwhere, The Book Thief & The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, to name a few. See more of Hayley’s favourites here. She dislikes: A rushed ending!

Why I love books: ‘As a mental health advocate, the power of books is often unparalleled. The active escapism it provides not only focuses the mind, but reduces everyday anxieties & encourages imaginative creativity. I could easily & absently scroll through social media whilst watching something on telly, but a book is often your sole attention and better for it.’

What I love about the job: ‘You’ll often find me answering the phone or jumping on the computer ready to answer emails, as nothing beats interacting with our customers (and an empty inbox). Working at Imagined Things has also vastly improved my gift wrapping skills which started off as…dubious. But what I love most is the sense of community Imagined Things has cultivated since its opening, I often feel like I’m learning as much about books from customers as they do from me!’

When not working at Imagined Things, Hayley works as a Freelancer in theatre as well as at the local Cinema. She is passionate about story telling, whatever the medium: theatre, film, illustration, video games & especially books.

Fun fact: A devout film fanatic, Hayley’s friends often know her as their own personal IMDb.

We’re so pleased to have Hayley’s enthusiasm, expertise and extraordinary email answering skills! We’re happy to have encouraged her wrapping abilities – she even bought Christmas wrap!

Sienna

Bookseller

Sienna started at Imagined Things in August 2022. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sienna left Sixth Form early, intending to go to university to study Marine Biology, but due to the pandemic she decided to pursue other avenues for the time being. We’re so excited that her path has lead her to Imagined Things!

Here’s what Sienna has to say about being an Imagined Things Bookseller: “Having never worked in retail before it has been challenging, but incredibly enjoyable and worthwhile. Being surrounded by books, bookish items and literary enthusiasts is a dream come true. I had no idea there was some much to learn about the world of bookselling! From tidying bookcases and wrapping up our Blind Date With A Book choices, to interacting with customers and talking about our favourite reads, is all in a day’s work.”

Her book tastes include: Sienna’s preferred genres include but are not limited to; Historical fiction, YA, Fantasy and Horror. She particularly has a fondness for stories that include Gothic elements, dark twists and always loves a good scare. Some of her favourite books include The Shining, The Corset, Mrs England, and Mina and the Undead. Since working at the bookshop, her reading tastes have expanded and now finds herself with more than a lifetime’s worth of reading to get through! If you’d like to see more of Sienna’s Favourite Books, you can find them here.

Why she loves books: “Reading has always been a favourite past-time of mine. Being read to at an early age and encouragement from my parents has increased my passion for reading. It also has helped me through times when life/school has been overwhelming and I was in need of a fantastical diversion.”

When she’s not reading or in the bookshop, Sienna is likely to be watching a film in the local cinema or at home rewatching some of her favourite TV series, especially that of the supernatural/horror genre. Otherwise she would be listening to a podcast or musical/film soundtracks whilst embroidering/needle-felting. Or she may be cooking up an Italian feast!

Random fact: Sienna is a passionate fan of bats (the flying kind!) and is a member of the Bat Conservation Trust!

We’re so excited to have Sienna’s diligence and organisation and her extraordianry penmenship has definitely elevated our Blind Date book clues!

Fable

Bookshop Dragon

Fable, the bookshop dragon hatched in the bookshop in 2017 and immediatley joined the team. She lives in the bookshop and goes flying around Valley Gardens in her spare time. She loves guarding the books, though she’s sometimes a little over enthusiatic! Burnt books notwithstanding Fable is our most magical team member!

Her book tastes/specialisms include: How to Train Your Dragon, Firewatching and a Fergal is Fuming – she has a particular interest in magical realism and dislikes stories where the existence of dragons is denied! You can see more of her favourites here.

Here’s what Fable has to say about being an Imagined Things Dragon: “I love living in the bookshop – there’s so many books to burn, ahem, I mean, protect!”

Random fact about Fable: She hates mermaids (it’s a long story).

What she loves about books: “The taste.”