Bookseller Crow: Crystal Palace’s famous bookshop was run by Jonathan Main for 27 years
Jonathan Main, for more than a quarter of a century a force behind one of Crystal Palace’s favourite shops, Bookseller Crow on Westow Street, died yesterday morning after a brief illness.
Bookseller Crow was voted “Bookshop Heroes” in 2020 in The Bookseller magazine, for the stoic and innovative way Main and his family, including Justine Crow, his partner, and shop worker and author Karen McLeod, managed to keep the business operating during the covid crisis.
Bookseller Crow helped to raise the profile of the Crystal Palace Triangle as a place to visit, eat out and to shop – especially, of course, for books.
After a spell last month when he mentioned “feeling under the weather”, Main was admitted to intensive care at Kings College Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma.
Yesterday, McLeod posted a message on social media: “It is with a profound sadness that we bring you this news about our Jon. As you know he has been very sick in ICU at Kings for the last couple of weeks.
“At about 10am this morning, we lost him.”
Big loss: Jonathan Main
She went on to explain that, for the first time, they had decided to cancel their monthly book group meeting, usually held on the first Wednesday of the month.
The shop has been closed all this week.
In an earlier note, the Crows had posted: “The retail landscape has been difficult enough without this shock and right now, we ask for your patience and sensitivity while we work out our next steps.”
Yesterday, they said, “Thank you for all your incredible love and support over the past week or so, but for now it is time to catch our breath.”
And McLeod signed off, “Keep fighting evil”.
One prominent figure in the Crystal Palace community said: “Jonathan will be a huge loss.
“He really was a lovely guy.”
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Nice shop, nice bloke, hope the business will continue to trade
Best shop on the Triangle. Tragic. I really hope they keep going.
A huge loss to our community. RIP, Jonathan. We shall remember you with fondness. Sincere condolences to Justine and the family.