National Bookshop Day

To celebrate National Bookshop Day on Saturday 9th August we asked some Black Inc. authors to tell us about their favourite bookshops.

Alice Pung

"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

David Hunt

"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."

David Hunt is the author of Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia

Andrew Leigh

"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."

Andrew Leigh is the author of Battlers and Billionaires: The Story of Inequality in Australia

Anna Goldsworthy

"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."

Anna Goldsworthy is the author of Welcome to Your New Life

Brad Hutchins

"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."

Brad Hutchins is the author of Game, Set, Cash!: Inside the Secret World of International Tennis Trading

Claire Dunn

"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."

Claire Dunn is the author of My Year Without Matches: Escaping the City in Search of the Wild