Initially NO's Blog: IN - Posts Tagged "fitzroy"
Melbourne’s iconic bookstores
Fitzroy, where Johnston Street meets Brunswick Street has three bookstores that are all very different.
There’s the arty Brunswick Street Bookstore, one of the last independent bookstores in Melbourne. Brunswick Street bookstore has a nice feel with comfy chairs and books that I can get into. It’s got comics that are by activists such as Joe Sacco and popular authors like Tim Winton, but also will take indi publications, if they’re of a high standard. Very friendly staff too.
Across the road is Polyester bookstore. These are very in-your-face books, but not activist books, as far as I’ve seen. Lots of lust and depravity, drug loving coprophagia, weird fun comics and some really awful books that I wish I’d never picked up and looked at the pictures within (I’ll give you a hint, the one I’m thinking of contained forensic pictures of corpses). That said, this store is a major icon of the street and I’d never want to see it go. It is a really small store that is louder than loud. I’ve been told their lease expires in 2016 and they’re deciding whether to continue. I really would like the Polyester fans to realise what they’ll miss, if that store goes. Like the Brunswick Street bookstore it stays open late, but it has different stuff. Bookstores that you find nowhere else, that stay open are much needed in this street that stays awake very late.
Down Johnston Street heading towards Nicolson Street is Hares & Hyenas. They’ve got ideas happening, with a big stage, audience seating for performances and readings, plus a bar. There are regular poetry nights held at Hares & Hyenas. I asked the bar staff if they had any organic preservative free wine, and they responded by saying, ‘We’re thinking of heading that way.’ The best response I’ve got from a bar so far! Nice, might be able to have a glass at a venue without coming up in gremlins. But the most important thing about Hares & Hyenas is all the books to look at. They took some of my books on consignment, back in 2004 and also a few months ago, so they will take independent publications.
Want this lovely triad of diverse bookstores to stick around for a lot longer. Do visit these bookstores, when you’re next in the area, have a browse, buy a gift for yourself, or your friend. The best thing about paper books, is that if you tire of them, you can give them to your local poetry group that runs a raffle to raise funds for the feature poet. The closest open mic, with a book raffle, being Passionate Tongues on a Monday night at the Brunswick Hotel, but there is also, West Word poetry every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 2pm, if you want to take your book across town to Footscray.
Speaking of second hand books, there’s Grub Street Bookstore, just a little further down Brunswick Street, from The Brunswick Street Bookstore. They also have a backroom for book launches and readings.
There’s the arty Brunswick Street Bookstore, one of the last independent bookstores in Melbourne. Brunswick Street bookstore has a nice feel with comfy chairs and books that I can get into. It’s got comics that are by activists such as Joe Sacco and popular authors like Tim Winton, but also will take indi publications, if they’re of a high standard. Very friendly staff too.
Across the road is Polyester bookstore. These are very in-your-face books, but not activist books, as far as I’ve seen. Lots of lust and depravity, drug loving coprophagia, weird fun comics and some really awful books that I wish I’d never picked up and looked at the pictures within (I’ll give you a hint, the one I’m thinking of contained forensic pictures of corpses). That said, this store is a major icon of the street and I’d never want to see it go. It is a really small store that is louder than loud. I’ve been told their lease expires in 2016 and they’re deciding whether to continue. I really would like the Polyester fans to realise what they’ll miss, if that store goes. Like the Brunswick Street bookstore it stays open late, but it has different stuff. Bookstores that you find nowhere else, that stay open are much needed in this street that stays awake very late.
Down Johnston Street heading towards Nicolson Street is Hares & Hyenas. They’ve got ideas happening, with a big stage, audience seating for performances and readings, plus a bar. There are regular poetry nights held at Hares & Hyenas. I asked the bar staff if they had any organic preservative free wine, and they responded by saying, ‘We’re thinking of heading that way.’ The best response I’ve got from a bar so far! Nice, might be able to have a glass at a venue without coming up in gremlins. But the most important thing about Hares & Hyenas is all the books to look at. They took some of my books on consignment, back in 2004 and also a few months ago, so they will take independent publications.
Want this lovely triad of diverse bookstores to stick around for a lot longer. Do visit these bookstores, when you’re next in the area, have a browse, buy a gift for yourself, or your friend. The best thing about paper books, is that if you tire of them, you can give them to your local poetry group that runs a raffle to raise funds for the feature poet. The closest open mic, with a book raffle, being Passionate Tongues on a Monday night at the Brunswick Hotel, but there is also, West Word poetry every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 2pm, if you want to take your book across town to Footscray.
Speaking of second hand books, there’s Grub Street Bookstore, just a little further down Brunswick Street, from The Brunswick Street Bookstore. They also have a backroom for book launches and readings.
