To celebrate
National Bookshop Day on Saturday 9th August we asked some Black Inc. authors to tell us about their favourite bookshops.
"My favourite bookshop is Readings in Lygon Street, in Melbourne. I have been going there since I was 20 - such a warm and friendly place. They are so supportive of local writers - my favourite memory was when Helen Garner launched my book Her Father's Daughter there and made my dad all teary."
Alice Pung
's novel
Laurinda will be published in November 2014
"If you like books, and I do, you can’t go past Newtown’s Better Read Than Dead. The staff are both friendly and informed and I love haunting its zen-corridor space. Abbey’s Bookshop is an institution that hasn’t dated and its adoption of Galaxy means that’s where I go for my regular sci-fi and fantasy fixes. Pages & Pages in Mosman has the advantage of being well-stocked with Jon Page, a bookseller par excellence. Readings in Carlton is my home away from home and Berkelouw Book Barn at Berrima has the best book and burger combo in Australia."
"Around the corner from my office, in the newly funkifying suburb of Braddon, sits Electric Shadows. Its tall bookshelves are a browser’s delight, and the owners generously host book launches and other literary events. Even on those days when I’m too busy to pop inside, Electric Shadows’ ever-changing book displays give me a chance to see what’s just been released. Like so many bookstores around Australia, it contributes to making us a smarter and more interesting nation."
"In Adelaide, I enjoy Mostly Books in Mitcham. Its staff are warm and helpful and clearly readers (you can recognise one a mile away). It supports local authors and knitting circles. And it has a table of highly seductive toys. In Melbourne, Readings."
"As I live in both the Gold Coast and
Brisbane I have two local favourites who are friends and have been
really supportive with my book launch.
Nobby
Beach bookstore, on the Gold Coast, is a vibrant little family run book-exchange nestled
amongst the ever-popular stretch of cafes, restaurants and bars of Nobby
Beach. John and Leah moved up from Tassie years ago for a bit of warm
weather and have run the store ever since. They have a wide range of
used books and a great exchange program that rewards loyal, avid
readers. They also stock new books with a great selection of classics,
non-fiction and new releases. But what I really dig about this store is
the friendly and helpful staff who are all enthusiastic supporters of
Australian writers, with a genuine love for the written word. Ask them
for a recommendation – they’ve read ‘em all!
Karen
and Michael are the friendly owners of Books @ Stones in Brisbane; a wicked store
in the middle of Brissy’s bustling ‘burb of Stones Corner. Their shop
has it all, and they do a great job of helping people delve through
their extensive range to find a winner. If they don’t happen to have the
one you’re chasing, they’ll gladly order it in. What stands out about
this shop is the commitment they have to helping Australian writers.
They’re constantly organising events for local authors. With such
professional, passionate people keeping a thumb on the pulse of the
publishing world, it’s no wonder they run such a fantastic operation."
"Last year I moved to a leafy little townhouse in Glebe, Sydney. It was a great location for an avid walker. While in one direction I would meet harbour, in the other, I would invariably end up at Gleebooks. During my university years it held a kind of mystique; wandering the aisles I occasionally allowed myself to wonder whether anything I wrote would ever adorn its shelves. Fifteen years hence I still love the feel it has of a bookshop full of secret corners and unusual finds, but yet organised with care and attention. I find the books I want, and those that lay waiting for me to discover them. Each visit is an adventure, these days with the added treasure of locating my book amongst the spines."
