A few years back, we posted a job listing for a ‘barefoot bookseller’ on the Maldives Kunfunadhoo Island.
At the time there was a huge response, with people from across the world clamouring to take the job helping holidaymakers relax with a great piece of literature at a beachside bookshop.
The eco-friendly resort of Soneva Fushi has been taking on a new bookseller each holiday season, and is now looking for someone to fill the spot between October 2020 and April 2020.
The lucky recipient will be able to live on the 5* jungle resort off the Baa Atoll, speaking to visitors and helping them on their ‘reading journey’ by recommending great reads.
Last year, Chrissy Ryan took the job, and said it was ‘a whirlwind of adventure where I have developed new passions, discovered new skills and built new friendships.’
On the company blog she continued: ‘I’ve moved 6,000 miles across the planet, left my friends and family behind me and found a whole new community on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. I’ve tested my boundaries and rediscovered my sense of self.’
According to Philip Blackwell, the CEO of Ultimate Library, which runs the bookshop with Soneva Fushi, there were hordes of applicants last time around, including ‘White House press corps to film directors, lawyers, IT managers, beach poets, retired librarians.’
However, the lucky individual who gets the role doesn’t need to be anything specific.
Philip states: ‘What works best is somebody with bookselling experience. They’ve got to love people and selling books, and they’ve got to know about books.
‘They’ve also got to be adventurous because this is not for somebody to sit in a bookshop eight hours a day, this is for people to get out there, engage with guests and help people on their reading journey, because reading for pleasure is a muscle that, like any other muscle in the body, is traditionally under-used until people go on holiday.’
He highlighted last time around that ‘The pay is derisory but the fringe benefits unparalleled.’
Those fringe benefits are fairly amazing, given you’ll be staying in paradise around nature and wildlife most people will never experience in a lifetimes.
Whoever the successful applicant is will get a month’s training before heading out towards the Indian Ocean to start work.
And for those worried about the current client, Soneva Fushi have assured prospective staff that the Maldives is ‘virtually Covid-free’ and that the island has medics on hand and rigorous testing.
If you think you’ve got what it takes you can apply here.
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Get in touch at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.
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