From Grand Forks to Lake Country, 26-year-old entrepreneur Dan Rothon has brought a new independent bookstore to the Okanagan Valley.
Coyote Indie Books, nestled behind the Dairy Queen on Highway 97, opened its doors Tuesday, Feb. 2, and Rothon said he’s received a warm welcome from the community.
Rothon, who studied writing in publishing at Okanagan College in Vernon and has family ties in Kelowna, is no stranger to the community.
Rothon brings with him a curated line of products and books that are tailored to the local audience presented in a quaint and comfortable boutique setting.
“I’d say it’s definitely curated towards the great outdoors, great indoors, independent books and someone kind of looking for something different,” he said. “A lot of books in here, you’re not going to find them in Indigo. They may be a bit more niche.”
The giftwares he carries is also linked to non-profits and have a charitable donation aspect to them, something he noted is not a feasible model for many big-box retailers such as Amazon.
But, he said, booklovers can still find the bestsellers they crave too.
As a lover of books himself, Rothon said if it weren’t for his own business, he’d probably still likely be working for Indigo or someone else, but now, since he opened shop in October 2018, there’s no looking back.
Owning his own bookstore, however, was not something he had ever expected for himself.
“When I was growing up, I was a bit of a hellion. I didn’t think I was going to do much with my life, but I was always fascinated with reading and writing and the worlds that people could create,” he said.
“It was just about the only subject that I was good at and I remember having really good teachers who, despite me going certain ways, encouraged me to pursue that.
“I learned a lot through it,” he said. “Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Rothon says he’s currently re-reading Dune, the 1965 classic science fiction by Frank Herbert, ahead of the new 2021 film adaptation. But he loves all kinds of genres from philosophy and world religions to fantasy.
“What I love to push the most is the outdoors stuff,” he said, noting Patagonia – better known for its clothing line – has a publishing company that specializes in outdoor books.
“I find them fascinating,” Rothon said.
“It’s the extremities of life, you know?” he said of the outdoor adventures.
“You get to live a little through that.”
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