Alex McQueen had higher put together to be inundated by job functions. Being paid to stay along with your ft within the sand, surrounded by books all day lengthy on a luxurious island within the Maldives should depend as the last word dream job for hundreds of thousands.

Mr McQueen is looking for a brand new recruit who’s captivated with books for a year-long contract promoting them to friends on the distant island of Kunfunadhoo within the Indian Ocean.

Carrying footwear is banned on the island, the place holidaymakers – who’re principally rich – are urged to change off from information and digital gadgets.

From October, the brand new barefoot bookseller will run the bookshop day by day, together with accounting and inventory administration.

“The applicant will probably be there on their very own, so that they’re just about operating the entire thing themselves,” says Mr McQueen, who’s gross sales supervisor for Final Library, a UK-based firm that curates e-book collections for lodges, resorts, outlets and personal residences worldwide.

“The ethos of the island is: no footwear, no information. They encourage friends to reconnect with the bottom,” he instructed The Observer.

He mentioned the bookseller will have to be a self-starter who’s completely happy to introduce themselves to friends and supply them with personalised e-book suggestions, so he’s on the lookout for somebody ideally with bookselling or publishing expertise.

The profitable applicant can have their lodging meals paid for, and have entry to a fitness center, a spa and watersports diving. Workers even have a non-public seaside.

The essential wage is $750 a month (round £620) however the bookseller will be capable of earn further “service charges” by, for instance, operating book-related workshops or lessons.

Georgie Polhill, 27, who just lately completed a six-month contract as bookseller there, mentioned one of many largest challenges she confronted was getting used to the gradual tempo of life.

“When you tried to struggle it an excessive amount of and harry everybody on to get issues completed, you’d completely burst a blood vessel,” she mentioned.

“I got here again a really completely different individual. I realized a wholly new tradition. I made buddies that I’ll have for all times.”

She is now beginning a brand new profession in theatre, and has needed to readjust to sporting footwear once more. She mentioned it “positively felt bizarre” at first. “I used to be so unused to sporting something round my toes and my heels.”