For the love of reading - Gympie's new Mary St book shop

Roger Broadley names new business after the teacher who inspired him

STANDING TALL: Roger Broadley presents Gympie's new book store, opening tomorrow - the one with the unusual name. Picture: Arthur Gorrie

ROGER Broadley says his new family venture into book retailing is dedicated to the Kenyan teacher who inspired him to love the English language.

Not satisfied with the worries and responsibility of one shop, Toyworld in Mary St, Mr Broadley is getting ready for tomorrow's big opening of a bookshop next door.

The name, Twiga Books and the shop's giraffe trade mark are not just meaningless gimmicks to get us talking, although they are certainly doing that.

Behind the motif is a story of a young man in east Africa learning to love the language.

Recalling his childhood in Kenya, Mr Broadley says one teacher left him and his mates with an abiding affection for books.

"We were young blokes and we should have been running around on the footy field, but we all fell in love with the English language.

"Our English teacher was extremely tall, like the giraffe, so we nicknamed him Twiga, which is Swahili for giraffe,” he said.

"Twiga taught us the majesty of language and the power of the written word.

"So I thought it would be quite appropriate to name our bookstore after him.

"We hope it has the same effect on our customers.”

After the departure of Gympie's Angus and Robertson franchise, the region has had to do without a specialist retail outlet for popular new books, he said.

"Nothing rude though,” he said.

He would need to be persuaded to stock even the children's books that talk about breaking wind.

And absolutely nothing even close to pornography.

"People who want that sort of thing can go to the G Spot,” he said, referring to Gympie's highway frontage sex shop.

"We're not doing second hand books either, because there is already a shop selling those.

"Just new books.

"We got four pallets of books in and by the number of people around who tell me they love reading... if it translates into sales, it should be a fair business.

"About one-third of our stock is kids' books, so with Toyworld as well, we should be a pretty good part of town for grandparents looking for presents.

"Toys, chocolates and books - that's what you buy your grandkids, isn't it?”

"It's my (business) swansong,” he said. "We'll see how it goes.”