How Melbourne booksellers are dealing with coronavirus
There’s never been a better time to catch up on books. From the store posting out ‘isolation’ care packages to a surprising item flying off the shelves – here’s how booksellers are adapting to the crisis to keep you well read.
South East
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Readers have stocked up on books as Victoria was sent into lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
And while pandemic flicks such as Contagion and Outbreak were proving popular on streaming services, Melbourne’s indie booksellers said customers were gravitating towards escapism in these uncertain times.
Many bookshops are vowing to remain open as long as they are allowed to do so, and here’s how they are adapting to social distancing rules to continue to replenish your literary supplies.
Corrie Perkin, owner of Hawksburn store My Bookshop, said people were so bombarded by news and “fake news” at the moment that many saw bookstores as an escape.
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“With public libraries, schools, book clubs and reading groups all closing, readers now more than ever need a place where they can chat about books,” she said.
Ms Perkin said she had extended their delivery service to within 20km of the store.
“We are also happy to put together ‘Isolation Book Parcels’ according to (people’s) interests. “For example, if they love crime and thrillers, we will carefully curate a nice range. Or cookbooks, we will check whether they have the titles we love, if not, we will put together a nice recipe collection,” she said.
Meryll Williams, who owns Rainy Day Books in The Basin, said books should be classified as an “essential” service.
The librarian of 20 years has been running the shop for 14 years and said she might be forced to retire if the shop closes and she has to continue paying rent.
“I’m going to operate as long as the government lets me,” she said.
“A lot of people have been coming in wanting cheerful books, like light romances.
“We do need a bit of cheer at this time because they are a lot of people frightened – not just of the virus but of the isolation, worry for their family and friends and about their jobs.”
Shops reported an uptake of activity and children’s books ahead of school holidays and shutdowns.
Jaye Chin-Dusting, of Mary Martin Bookshop in Port Melbourne and Southbank, said people anticipating the lockdown had bought twice to three times the number of books they normally would.
“Our recommendations at this time include such absorbing, easily accessible reads as Grown Ups by Marian Keyes, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and such local crime novels as Where the Truth Lies by Karina Kilmore,” she said.
Heather Dyer, from Fairfield Books, said the shop would be staying open “for as long as we can” and that jigsaw puzzles for kids – and adults – had flown off the shelves.
For reads she recommended The Weekend by Charlotte Wood, One Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
If anyone was after a medical page-turner, Kate Horton from Farrells Bookshop recommended 2018 book The Second Cure by Melbourne author Margaret Morgan, which she described as a “pacy political thriller set in present-day Australia”.
The Mornington shop closed temporarily from March 24, but will still trade over the phone and email with a free home delivery service covering most of the peninsula.
Dymocks stores across Melbourne are taking phone and email orders. You can find your local branch here.
Benns’s Books in Bentleigh is offering free delivery to Bentleigh, East Bentleigh, East Brighton, McKinnon and Ormond.
Neighbourhood Books in Northcote has free local delivery to Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Reservoir, Fairfield, Carlton North, Fitzroy North, Carlton, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Princes Hill, Clifton Hill, Brunswick.
Over at Eltham Bookshop they are taking calls and email orders at 9439 8700 or books@elthambookshop.com.au
The Sun and The Younger Sun bookshops are still trading behind closed doors.
The Yarraville shops are offering free local deliver for online and phone orders in Yarraville, Kingsville, Seddon, Footscray, West Footscray, Spotswood and Newport.
They are also posting Victoria-wide and interstate through Australia Post.