Gallowglass Books has been in operation as a bricks & mortar store since 1990 and selling books online since 1996. Our shop was one of the first out-of-print distributors to Amazon.com long before they opened up their operation to booksellers in general.

At one time or another, Gallowglass Books has been mentioned in the media everywhere from the local news to Forbes magazine.

The internet has always worked very harmoniously with bookselling, allowing readers to find editions they might otherwise never locate. So whether you live up the street or on the other side of the world, we hope we can help you find just the right book for you.

Jeff Downie

Jeff is the owner and manager of Gallowglass Books since 1997. He’s passionate about books, be they paperback novels or rare first editions, and he loves to talk about them with other bibliophiles.

Jeff has lived between Vancouver and Vancouver Island since he was a kid. He also thinks you should know he’s a huge hockey fan.

Pat Ormond

Pat has been with Gallowglass Books for several years now, joining the shortly after moving to Canada from England, and works hard to take care of the shipping and other things around the store.  She also happens to be a professional caterer, so in addition to all her hard work in the store, she also tempts us with various baked treats.

As you can imagine, we don’t ever complain about this.

Andy Downie

Andy shares ownership of Gallowglass Books with his son Jeff who has been managing the daily operation since 1997. A lover of reading since his earliest memory, he believes the written word and the heft of a well bound book combine to provide one of life’s great pleasures.

Richard Neftin

Richard is a long-time reader, language tutor, high-school teacher and also a published author. Born in Montreal, he has lived in the Maritimes, Bella Coola, BC, and finally settled in Duncan in 1998 with his wife Sharon. Richard has been with Gallowglass Books since 2004, and he’s got an amazing gift for knowing exactly what book you’re talking about when you say “Have you ever heard of that book where…?”

Update, autumn of 2009: Unfortunately Richard has moved away from the west coast, thus having to resign from the bookstore. We miss him as do so many of our customers!