A small cafe and wine bar is also planned to sit alongside the bookshop, as well as the creation of a new refuse and cycle store.
There are also plans to create a single apartment with four bedrooms across the building’s upper floors, described by Clarke as a “calm, well-designed space, a base for me when I’m in Sunderland, but also somewhere that can host visiting writers, artists, or others contributing to the city’s creative life”.
“Sunderland’s changing in brilliant ways, and I hope Home of Books can play a part in that, rooted in the city’s past, but open to new stories, new ideas and the people who bring them to life,” Clarke added.