‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’: Retired lawyer David Hannay opens bookshop

When a retired Cairns lawyer with more than 4,000 books decided to clear out his collection, it sparked the birth of a ‘new’ second hand bookstore.

Clearing out his collection of books, retired lawyer David Hannay opened his second hand bookshop whose name, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, was inspired by Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novel The Shadow of the Wind. Photo: Catherine Duffy.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Lake Street, lies a small, unassuming bookstore.

Dubbed the Cemetary of Forgotten Books, it is hidden just a short stroll from the new Conservatory Bar.

Owner David Hannay, a former lawyer, opened the store in May 2023.

“I retired from law in December 2022, and I needed something to keep me out of trouble and I thought, well, this is a good idea,” he said.

“It was a good way of getting rid of all the books I had collected at home – got to keep the wife happy.”

Clearing out his collection of books, retired lawyer David Hannay opened his second hand bookshop whose name, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, was inspired by Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novel The Shadow of the Wind. Photo: Catherine Duffy.

Mr Hannay estimated he had 4700 books in his collection, which he used to set up the shop.

“I love buying books almost as much as I like reading them, and I like all the books, that aren’t readily available, you know, things that have got a bit of historical context,” he said.

“There’s only about 20 or 30 books at home now and they’re the special ones that I don’t want to sell.”

The shop includes a variety of books new and used from a range of ‘niche’ genres including spy fiction, history, law, politics, biographies, travel and wine.

“The taste in the books is very much my taste and the things that interest me, like history, politics, law, wine, sport,” he said.

Visitors to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books may be treated to a visit from Mr Hannay's 12-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Oscar, who visits the shop once a week. Photo: Catherine Duffy.

“The latest section to come in was science fantasy, which my friend Colin Price insisted was a good idea, because he likes it, which is fair enough, and he’s been instrumental in getting that section up and running.”

Among his favourite authors, Mr Hannay said he had a ‘special fondness’ for Spaniards Arturo Perez-Reverte and Carlos Ruiz Zafon, the latter inspiring the name of the bookshop.

“He gave me the idea for the name of the shop,” he said, holding up a copy of Zafon’s book The Shadow of the Wind.

“Isn’t that just a wonderful concept?”

In addition to the hundreds of books lining the walls, Mr Hannay set up a sofa and a large table with a communal chess set.

“Anyone who wants to play is welcome,” he said.

The store is open from 10.30am to 4pm on weekdays.

Originally published as ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’: Retired lawyer David Hannay opens bookshop