Our region is full of small and special businesses that we do a pretty good job of keeping secret.
In particular, New England has an eclectic range of local independent bookstores that are not just selling books, but also creating welcoming communities for lovers of the arts, music and other curious and collectible things.
BooBooks Armidale
BooBooks Armidale prides itself on being a destination for locals and book lovers from afar. It has a café dishing up delicious, simple meals and treats such as toasties, cakes, slices and scones, and a bar, so you can pair a vino or a beer with a book. There’s an outdoor seating area where you can join in on a game of chess, backgammon or Bridge, with a pianist adding some extra bookwormish atmosphere. Boobooks regularly hosts musicians, and has plenty of book launches and other creative events. Many customers say that it’s best second hand bookstore out there, and owner Yvonne agrees.
Wise Words Moree
Another gem of an independent bookstore is Wise Words in Moree. Proprietor Philippa Mason say that she “suffers from ‘satiable curiosity” so they stock “books about all sorts of curious things for curiosity of all ages”. The bookstore is packed with books – many especially chosen for the locals – and it also stocks bestsellers. Wise Words has a book club with a diverse array of members, who love to get together and have a drink while discussing the latest chosen read. Like so many bookstores in small towns, Wise Words is a well-loved destination for locals to meet and have a chin wag.
The Book Market Glen Innes
Housed in the former Rural Bank of Glen Innes that was built in 1930, The Book Market Glen Innes is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of more than 15,000 books that have been handpicked by father and son team, Badja and Joe. The duo pride themselves on stocking books with Australian themes and authors, and so there are marked sections for things such as Australian birds and Australian history, and they are always on the lookout for collectible books.
Orpheus Inverell
After buying a carload of books from a garage sale, Garry Newley opened Orpheus Bookshop in 2010. As he has a passion for records, he bought a box of his vinyl LPs into the store to play. He sold a few at first, but then more and more people came to his store to buy LPs, so now Orpheus buys and sells quality new and second hand books, and second hand vinyl LPs, with a focus on music from the 60s until the 90s. For music lovers after a good book, they also specialise in musical biographies. Swing by and chat to Garry about music and whatever book he’s reading, and you’re bound to meet other locals and those passionate about reading and music.
The Boggy Book Exchange & Giftware
The Boggy Book Exchange & Giftware store is a second hand bookstore, a great place to pick up a present for loved ones, and a much-loved meeting point for the locals. Owner Donna Turner sells everything from kids’ books, toys and puzzles, to crafting kits, locally handmade jewellery, a large range of artworks, ceramics and so much more. It’s such a colourful and quirky range, you never know what you’ll find.
Burnet’s Books Uralla
What’s not to love about towering shelves laden with second hand and collectible books? Add a warmly lit lounging space with comfy couches, Persian rugs, tall-backed velvet chairs and a well-stocked fireplace, and you have the perfect place to wind down and read a book. Burnett’s Books Uralla is not only a popular spot for bookworms passing through, but also a local institution where owner Ross Burnett has been selling books here for more than 37 years. Drop in and have a chat about his latest book discoveries, and you’ll no doubt end up being another fan. The store also sells prints, maps, bookplates and printed ephemera.
In an age when so many people are glued to devices and gain the majority of their knowledge from the internet, it’s reassuring to know that there are still independent bookstore owners creating special places for people to gather, talk, and discover new things in the pages of books and beyond.
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