Independent bookshops in Australia are having a revival, the people who run them say. And after evidence from Britain last year that the number of independent bookshops grew for the second year running – a dramatic turnabout after a 20-year-decline – Australian retailers claim they, too, are thriving.

What’s behind the revival? Although online shopping is often cheaper and more convenient, when it comes to books people are increasingly looking for something more. Kate Treloar, co-founder of the Pop-Up Bookshop in the Adelaide Central Market, characterises it as “experience and soul”.

“It does feel like it plateaued for a little while there and now it’s coming out the other side,” she says. “People have probably reached screen saturation.”

Anna Low, owner of Potts Point Bookshop in Sydney, says embedding itself in the local community, as well providing pitch perfect service, has been critical to its success.

“Everyone who works here is a crazy book person,” she says. “It’s about being able to connect the right book with the right person.”

Storytime events for kids and author talks for adults help, too. “People really like being part of something, being part of the conversation,” Low says.

The Architect’s Bookshop in Sydney’s Surry Hills, meanwhile, has focused on carving a niche as a community space for architects. “We do talks, book launches, we are involved in the Sydney Architecture festival,” says Tom Dwyer, one of the store’s managers. “And we rely a lot on our customers for suggestions. We are always looking for what they are asking for.”

The bookshop next door, Title, has taken a different tack. It doesn’t do talks or events but it has diversified: selling records, gifts, headphones, hi-fi systems and board games alongside books. As the manager, Ian Underwood, says: “We are a destination store.”

So with Christmas around the corner, here are just some of Australia’s independent bookstores doing things differently – and where to find them.

Melbourne

The Paperback Bookshop

60 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Few stores in Australia endorse late night shopping, but the Paperback is an exception. During the week it stays open until 10pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays it’s open until 11pm, meaning this is the place to get your boozy book hit or to stop by on a literary date before or after cocktails and dinner on happening Bourke Street. It was founded in the early 1960s to stock paperbacks, and it has now branched out to hardbacks, too.

Hares & Hyenas

63 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne

Hares & Hyenas was founded in 1981 and stocks books ranging from coffee table tomes to erotica to memoirs by the likes of Patti Smith, and caters to queer and gender-diverse communities. But what differentiates it from other queer bookshops is its jazzy performance venue, the Hare Hole. An average of three shows are put on a week at the Hole, from comedy to spoken word events to Melbourne Fringe festival theatre. There is even a Gay Stuff markets with all sorts of paraphernalia for sale. A book club, too, tackles a new queer novel each second Saturday of the month.

But wait, there’s more

Australia’s city of literature is most famously the home of Readings Books. Its flagship store is at 309 Lygon Street, Carlton, but it also has stores in Doncaster, Hawthorn, Malvern and St Kilda, and at the State Library Victoria. You could also visit:

• Hill of Content – one of Melbourne’s oldest bookstores, providing a “broad and discerning range of books”, at 86 Bourke Street

• Coventry Bookstore – small contemporary bookstore at 265 Coventry Street, South Melbourne

• Brunswick Street Bookstore – warm and friendly indie space at 305 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

• City Basement Books – a bargain basement of secondhand books at 342 Flinders Street

• Sun Bookshop – beloved westside literary haven, tucked into the similarly beloved Sun Theatre, at 10 Ballarat Street, Yarraville

• Books for Cooks – for lovers of wine, food and the culinary arts, and books old and new about the same, at 115-121 Victoria Street

• Metropolis – specialises in graphic design, architecture, photography, pop culture, film, art and the like, with a curated general range, at level 3 of the beautiful art deco Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street

• Brown and Bunting – specialising in good quality secondhand literature and children’s books and more at 237 High Street, Northcote

• Kay Craddock, Antiquarian Bookseller – beautiful antiquarian and secondhand books in the Assembly Hall building at the leafy end of the city, 156 Collins Street

• Wayward Books – a tiny bookstore in leafy surrounds catering to the quirky, at 172 Bellair Street, Kensington

Brisbane

Avid Reader

193 Boundary Street, West End

For budding writers, Avid Reader is a bookshop that provides something more: a workshop series aimed at honing your craft. In 2020 author JP Pomare, journalist Jenny Valentish and literary agent Alex Adsett will provide the lowdown on everything from crime writing to finding your character’s voice to the ins and outs of the publishing world. While slightly pricey (half-day workshops start at $75, full day at $150), this is one way to get your ideas out of your head and maybe, one day, into a book and on to a bookshelf.

But wait, there’s more

• Riverbend Books – breezy and friendly bookshop with cafe adjacent, and the place where the Indigenous Literacy Foundation got its start, at 193 Oxford Street, Bulimba

• Archives Fine Books – specialises in rare books and in the heritage-listed John Mills Himself warehouse, at 40 Charlotte Street

• Folio Books – a wide range of titles, offering discounts for members of RAIA (Australian Institute of Architects), at 33 Mary Street

Sydney
Grand Days

220 William Street, Woolloomooloo, Sydney

Kings Cross may be dead, but Grand Days harks back to its bohemian glory era. Front and centre are the beautifully presented secondhand books, although bric-a-brac and vintage clothes also make an appearance. An entire back room is dedicated to vinyl, with founders Tamara and Tom often on hand to help with any selections. In the evening come for the “grand nights”, ranging from scarf-tying workshops (who doesn’t want to learn how to tie a neckerchief?) to fashion sales, acoustic gigs and movie screenings, all with refreshments in tow. This is a neighbourhood gem.

Gertrude & Alice bookstore and cafe

46 Hall Street, Bondi beach

This firm Bondi favourite is minutes from the beach but feels like its own world. Although there are a sprinkling of outside seats for those wanting to bask in the sunshine, most patrons stop by to sink into oblivion in one of the old armchairs or communal wooden tables in the darker, cosy, European-feeling interior. There are thousands of secondhand books to choose from but the cafe menu and Campos coffee are themselves reasons to visit. Try the breakfast crumble served with coconut yogurt and the floral pink-coloured rose latte.

But wait, there’s more

Sydney is thriving with independent bookshops. Here is a (by no means exhaustive) list:

• Gleebooks – while its satellite stores can be found around New South Wales, including Blackheath, Dulwich Hill, and even the Roslyn Packer Theatre, its main store can be found at 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, right next door to …

• Sappho Books – a secondhand bookstore, cafe and tapas bar that also hosts Da Capo music bookshop, at 51 Glebe Point Road

• Bookoccino – northern beaches bookstore and literary events hub led by Pulitzer prize-winning writer Raymond Bonner, at 66 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon beach

• Better Read than Dead – 20-year-old Newtown institution with popular events schedule, at 265 King Street, Newtown

• The Architect’s Bookshop – a community space for architects, at 499 Crown Street, Surry Hills

• Title – books, records, gifts, headphones, hi-fi systems and board games, at 400 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney

• Potts Point Bookshop– modern bookstore with a wide range of children’s books and free gift-wrapping at 14 Macleay Street

• The Bookshop – catering to Syney’s queer community, at 207 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

• The Best Little Bookshop in Town – new and secondhand books at 97 Cronulla Street, Cronulla

• Dog Eared Books – specialises in new releases and paperbacks, at 2/7 Hillcrest Road, Pennant Hills

• Berkelouw Books – sixth-generation booksellers whose flagship store specialising in antiquarian and secondhand books is at 19 Oxford Street, Paddington

Adelaide

Adelaide’s Pop-Up Bookshop

Shop 10, Central Market Arcade, Adelaide

Founded by Kate Treloar and Nick Patrick, Adelaide’s Pop-Up Bookshop started as a pop up all over the city, appearing everywhere from unused shopfronts to street corners. The idea was to both repopulate Adelaide with books (critical since so many bookshops have closed) and to create an ever-changing space in which readers can browse. Now the bookshop – which features secondhand titles and also buys books from punters – can be found online and in a flagship shop in the Adelaide Central Market, stuffed with treasures. When the Central Market is redeveloped in a $400m makeover, however, it will go back to what it does best: pop-ups.

But wait, there’s more

• Dillons Norwood Bookshop – South Australia’s largest independent family owned bookstore, at 160-166 The Parade, Norwood

• Imprints Booksellers – selling an eclectic range of books since 1984, at 107 Hindley Street

• O’Connell’s Bookshop – secondhand and antiquarian books at 19 Bank Street

• Booknook & Bean – coffee, books and a cosy corner to read, at Topham Mall, shop 18, 52-54 Waymouth Street

• Michael Treloar Antiquarian Booksellers – dealing in out-of-print and antiquarian books, at 196 North Terrace

• Booked at North Adelaide – new titles and designer stationery, at North Adelaide Shopping Village, 81 O’Connell Street

• Matilda Bookshop – specialising in new release fiction and lifestyle titles, plus a dedicated children’s room, at 1/8 Mount Barker Road, Stirling

Canberra

Beyond Q

Weston Arcade, 11 Brierly Street, Weston Creek

Boasting several kilometres of bookshelves, Beyond Q stocks secondhand and antiquarian books (if you have books to sell, it offers shop credit in the cafe or bookshop in return). Music is central here, too, with gigs every weekend, ranging from classical guitar to jazz bands to piano recitals and the blues. Gigs are free, although donations are welcome, and refreshments are BYO with a corkage fee of $5 for wine.

But wait, there’s more

• Paperchain Bookstore – established in 1982 and a favourite of local and visiting authors alike, at 34 Franklin Street, Manuka

• Muse – restaurant fused with new and secondhand bookstore running a vibrant literary events program, at East Hotel, 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston

Perth

Boffins Books

88 William Street, Perth

Bang in the middle of Perth’s CBD, Boffins Books has won the Australian Book Industry Association’s award for best specialist bookseller six years running. It was, in fact, founded in 1989 as a technical-title bookshop, stocking everything from books on tech to racehorse training. It has since expanded to fiction, current affairs and kids’ books as well, but Boffins still shines through its knowledgeable staff and special order service. Via the latter, it is able to track down rare titles that might otherwise be hard to find – meaning you can finally get hold of that Jewish-Japanese cookbook you’ve always wanted.

But wait, there’s more

• Planet Books – for all things “slightly left wing, quirky and unique”, found at 638 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley, and 192 William Street, Northbridge

• Crow Books – for books both mainstream and hard-to-find, at 900 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park

• White Dwarf Books – for all things science fiction, fantasy and paranormal, at shop 1, Albert Facey House, 469 Wellington Street

• The Lane Bookshop – solid all-rounder with cafe adjacent, at 52c Old Theatre Lane, off Bay View Terrace, Claremont

Hobart

Fullers Bookshop

131 Collins Street, Hobart

Established in 1920 by WE Fuller in Hobart, Fullers today focuses not only on books but on fostering community. Clubs nurtured by the shop include the Shakespeare group, the philosophy group and the Fullers reading group, which has run for two decades. There is also the Fullers Ferrets – a club not for furry small animals but for kids. If that all seems a bit too hectic, then visit Fullers’ Afterword Cafe instead. Windows offer stellar views of Mount Wellington and there’s even a “poet’s breakfast” of muesli, preserved fruits and Tasmanian honey.

But wait, there’s more

• The Hobart Bookshop – close to the wharf and right in the heart of Salamanca market, at 22 Salamanca Square

• Cracked and Spineless – formerly The Imperial Bookshop but renamed in 2013, stocks new and secondhand books at Shop 9, 138 Collins Street

• State Bookstore – a boutique bookstore specialising in art, architecture, travel and film, adjacent to the State Cinema at 377 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart

UPDATE: Thank you to all the readers who have been writing in and commenting below, telling us all about your favourite independent bookshops. Here are just some of your additions. Please continue to tell us about your favourites in the comments!

New South Wales

• Gould’s Book Arcade – 536 King St, Newtown

• Abbey’s Bookshop – 131 York Street, Sydney

• The Turning Page Bookshop – 125 Macquarie Rd, Springwood

• Megalong Books – 183 The Mall, Leura

• The Book Connection – 178 Macquarie St, Dubbo

• The Constant Reader – 27 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest

• Cooks Hill Books – 72 Darby Street, Newcastle

• Roaring Stories (formerly Brays Books) – 268 Darling St, Balmain

• Urchin Books – 238 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville

• Candelo Books – 208 Carp St, Bega

Australian Capital Territory

• Book Lore – 94 Wattle St, Lyneham

• Canty’s Bookshop – 4/59-61 Wollongong St, Fyshwick

Northern Territory

• The Bookshop – 1/30 Smith Street Mall, Darwin

Victoria

• Avenue Bookstore – Albert Park, Elsternwick and Richmond

• The Book Bird – Shop 1, Pakington Village, 111 Pakington Street, Geelong West

• Fairfieldbooks – 117A Station St, Fairfield

• Brunswick Bound – 361 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

• New International Bookshop – Trades Hall, 54 Victoria St, Carlton

• Stoneman’s Book Room – 101 Mostyn St, Castlemaine

• Antipodes Bookshop – 138 Ocean Beach Road, Sorrento

• Minotaur – 121 Elizabeth St, Melbourne

• That Little Bookshop – 819 Doveton Street, North Ballarat

• Minerva Books – 121 Sturt Street, Ballarat

• Mary Martin Bookshop – 3 Southgate Ave, Southbank

Western Australia

• Rabble Books and Games – 2/46 Eighth Ave, Maylands

• New Edition Bookshop – 41 High Street, Fremantle

• Kimberley Bookshop – 3 Napier Terrace, Broome

• Stefan’s Books – Shop 2, 431 Murray Street, Perth

• Elizabeth’s Bookshop – multiple locations in WA, and also in Newtown, Sydney

South Australia

• Mostly Books – Mitcham Square, 119 Belair Rd, Torrens Park

• The Raven’s Parlour – 66 Murray St, Tanunda

• Mockingbird Lounge – 63a Broadway, Glenelg South

Queensland

• Mary Who? Bookshop – 414 Flinders Street, Townsville

• Braille House Bookshop – 507 Ipswich Rd, Annerley

• Pulp Fiction Booksellers – Blocksidge & Ferguson Building Arcade, 144 Adelaide Street, Brisbane

• Rosetta Books – Shop 30 Maple St, Maleny

Have we missed your favourite independent bookstore? Tell us about it in the comments below

• This article was updated on 20 December 2019 to add a second list of independent bookshops