Bookshops – old and new

Books Illustrated, the wonderful children’s bookshop and gallery at Gasworks Park in inner Melbourne is closing. This bookshop, owned by children’s book champions, Ann James and Ann Haddon, has been a wonderful place for all those interested in children’s books. The upstairs gallery has featured wonderful exhibitions of original picture book illustrations and also hosted book launches, industry gatherings, and many other events in its 15 years. It will be missed. But hopefully for Ann and Ann, it will mean time to pursue other interests, other challenges. They have plans for the future and I look forward to that.

A new children’s bookshop has opened in my local area, at Yarraville. I have long been a fan of the Sun Bookshop, a small independent bookshop under the roof of the wonderful, Art Deco Sun Theatre. (I could wax lyrical about the small and large cinemas in this building, but will save that for another time). The Sun Bookshop is stacked to the rafters with all manner of books and includes a substantial children’s book section. Now that has been expanded further with the opening across the road of ‘The Younger Sun’, a dedicated children’s bookshop. To my knowledge, it is the first children’s bookshop in the west of Melbourne. Well overdue and deserving of great attention. Congratulations Deb, I hope it does well.