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Monday 21 March 2011

Out of the Ashes

Nup, this post has got nothing to do with cricket ... *yawn*  

More to do with the phoenix - the mythical bird that, at the end of its life, builds a fire for a nest, from which a new bird rises.


I mentioned in my last post about the demise of some chain-bookstores and my hope that this might enable small, independent High Street bookstores to start up again.  Well, a good friend of mine pointed out that this is certainly the case in Portland, Victoria, where The Little Bookshop has recently started trading.  I visited it a couple of times in January and bought a Haruki Murakami title on one visit and a Carson McCullers on the other - as well as some wonderful gift cards.  The owners are planning on running workshops and literary activities in the shop too, so it's got a lot going for it.  Even copies of my books!

Good luck to it and go visit it often if you happen to be near Portland, Victoria.

You can also visit its website and browse its gallery of photos - to see what a good bookshop looks like here.  Maybe it'll inspire other bookshops to rise up out of the ashes.


4 comments:

Jane Turley said...

Sooo can't take defeat eh?! Tut, tut PB:)

Well good luck to The Little Bookshop. Book shops seems to be a dying breed so they need all the luck they can get.
We've just lost our village mobile library service due to government cutbacks. It was perk having a library stop almost outside my front door but it's the old folks not on the net who will really suffer:(

Paul Burman said...

Took me a full 30 minutes to work out the reference to defeat, JT. Obviously that was a barb aimed at a cricket fan... whereas I've only ever viewed cricket as a cure for insomnia, whatever side is playing (but particularly if it's England ;-b ).

As for those Government cuts, maybe it's time to take to the streets and wo-man the barricades. I know of an old, library van that would block off a good half of the road at least.

Jane Turley said...

Shame, shame on you PB not supporting The Great Game!

Hmm... I wonder what they'll do with the old vans? Maybe there's an opportunity for developing a travelling reading holiday? You could hire a van and go camping around Europe with a load of books - a bit like Summer Holiday but without the ghastly soundtrack.

Paul Burman said...

I wouldn't mind doing a road trip in an old ice cream van!