• Kelly O
• L-R: Janis Segress, Tegan Tigani, and Mara Fitch demonstrate the fine art of shelving in the new space.

Last week, the day before 11,000 books flooded in to fill its empty shelves, I sat down with Queen Anne Book Company owners Judy and Krijn de Jonge and Janis Segress to discuss their plans for the brand-new bookstore that happens to fill the same retail space as the late, lamented Queen Anne Books. The de Jonges are longtime Queen Anne Books customers with no experience in owning a business, but Segress was a longtime bookseller and buyer at Bainbridge Island's beautiful Eagle Harbor Book Company, so she's provided the know-how and the connections to get the store together. Four former Queen Anne Books employees now work at QABC, but the only other holdover from the previous business is the large, beautiful desk that serves as the cash register and information desk for the space. It resembles an altar, or a piece of furniture in an important person's office. That desk was made for the space, and it provides an important sense of continuity with the old business, which for ten years served the community of Queen Anne in the space next to El Diablo Coffee.

Rather than spending a lot of time on the past, the staff of QABC is looking to the future. Segress assures me there will be e-readers in stock, and e-books will be available on the store's upcoming website. They have a prominent presence on Twitter and Facebook.

The new owners were surprised by how much support they've gotten from Seattle's literary community: Some of the store's shelves were given to QABC by University Book Store, and lots of local authors volunteered to help spice up the opening weekend festivities. Starting tomorrow , authors such as Maria Semple, Sherman Alexie, Matt Ruff, Jonathan Evison, and Jennie Shortridge will be in the store all weekend long not to give readings, but simply to hang out, talk with the neighbors, sign books, and browse the stacks. This ought to be a fun reminder of what neighborhood bookstores can be. A full schedule of visiting authors can be found right here. You should stop by and visit this weekend. (And when you're done visiting QABC, be sure to visit Mercer Street Books at the bottom of the hill; both stores are beautiful and staffed with charming booksellers, and Mercer Street's used-only stock nicely compliments QABC's all-new, general interest selection.)

• Kelly O
• Starting tomorrow, this front door will be open.