In my city, there’s a company pops up in the local shopping centres every time there’s a vacant shop. They sell books for $7. It might be a children’s picture book, a book full of Vegan recipes, or a novel by a known or unknown author. They must buy end of print run lots for a good price and each shop is overflowing with stock and usually full of happy customers. Sometimes they have flash sales – every book $3 or even $2 and people hover around snapping up the bargains.
It warms my heart to see people buying books although I’m sure at $2, more than a couple end up on eBay or similar sites at a profitable mark up.
Other than these run out shops, most of the book shops here on the GC are gone. There’s a great independent shop called Bookface at the big centre and QBD and Angus and Robertson still do a roaring trade at the local malls but what we’re missing is more local bookshops with character. And wealthy benefactors who can sustain the shop even when everyone is buying books for $2.
You know that old question- What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? I would open and independent book shop with space to do launches and readings and a cafe. Brisbane people will remember the old Mary Ryan bookshop. Sigh.
I’d have space for writers and hold write-ins each week.
I’d call it A Room of one’s Own. Or Beach Reads. Or even Beachside Books so as not to confuse the punters. I’d have a neon sign on the wall that read Eat, Read, Love in the style of the famous Liz Gilbert book.
I’d be inspired by the style Gertrude and Alice in Sydney and have Gorgeous art on the walls for sale by local artists and our own locally produced tote bags. And people would come from all over to buy a book and a tote bag and a coffee and a croissant like I did when in Sydney last year for a wedding. I went to Bondi to only go to the bookshop. I didn’t even see the beach.
You should visit, have coffee and buy a book and not see the beach. It makes people crazy when you tell them. People who are non-book people that is, if you know any…
My dream bookshop would be grand.
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