A writer’s guide to the best bookstores in Melbourne
image via @second____thought/instagram
words by daisy henry
Happy browsing.
If you’re anything like me, then you’ll agree that nothing ranks as highly as an afternoon spent browsing your local bookstore. Whether or not you need a new book is usually beside the point (though let’s be honest, you always need a new book). Simply wandering the aisles, chatting to the bookseller and leisurely flicking through various titles is restorative in a way little else can compare.
For more author interviews and book recommendations, head to our Life section.
I spent almost a decade working behind the counter at a bookstore and it was every bit as romantic as it might sound. I spent far too long talking to customers about various authors and my staff cupboard was constantly overflowing. Since becoming a writer, my love for bookstores has only grown.
They’re a sanctuary, often tucked away from a busy street, allowing you the time to slow down, breathe in and quite literally escape into another world. Add in a rainy sky and post-bookshop coffee and your day is set. Below, I’ve rounded up nine of my favourite bookstores in Melbourne for your next visit.
Paperback Bookshop
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Paperback is one of my favourite bookshops in Melbourne. Its tall, winding aisles and overflowing shelves are perfectly atmospheric and easy to get lost among. The staff there are well-read and full of recommendations, and it has a reliable and large curation of titles, from popular releases to niche, hard-to-find reads. Plus, it’s next door to Pellegrini’s, so you can enjoy an espresso with your new read.
60 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Hill of Content
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A few stores up from Paperback, you’ll find Hill of Content. Having first opened its doors in 1922, it prides itself on being Melbourne’s oldest bookstore. It’s a large space with tall wooden shelves, a seemingly endless number of books and helpful staff recommendations. Plus, it even has a couple of armchairs you can cosy up in while you weigh up which book to get.
32 Bourke Street
Readings
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Whether you prefer zeitgeist fiction, memoir, a pop-culture and society read, or an art and design book, chances are Readings will have it (or will be able to order it in for you). Though there are several locations around Melbourne, it’s well worth a visit to the Carlton store. Give yourself at least half an hour to wander, and then see a movie across the road at Cinema Nova (it’s a sacred tradition).
Multiple locations
Pan After
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Although Pan After isn’t a traditional bookstore, it’s offering is unmatched. A stone’s throw from Smith Street, the Collingwood space is known for its curated collection of uniquely sourced homewares from around the world and its library is no exception. Browse magazines, cookbooks, photography, art books and zines.
38 Cambridge Street, Collingwood
Brunswick Bound
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Further north, you can find Brunswick Bound, an independent bookstore in the heart of Sydney Road. Alongside its wide variety of fiction and non-fiction titles, you can browse its collection of vinyl and Moleskine stationery (great if you’ve just read Patti Smith and you’re feeling inspired). Plus, if your timing is right, you might just catch an in-store author talk.
361 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Amplify Bookstore
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Founded by Marina Sano and Jing Xuan Teo, Amplify Bookstore was created as a way to platform books by black, Indigenous and other POC authors, and plays host to a variety of community events, including a monthly book club, trivia, speed dating and book launches. It’s also based in West Melbourne, right behind the Queen Victoria Market, so you can pop in before your weekly produce haul.
55 Peel Street, Melbourne
Brunswick Street Bookstore
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How many bookstores can count Paul Mescal among its customers? As well as the full range of Sally Rooney books, you can find new releases, indie titles and non-fiction, as well as staff who are more than willing to help you find whatever title you’re looking for. Based in Fitzroy, it’s a quiet refuge from the hustle of Brunswick Street outside. Plus, if you find yourself south of the river, you can visit its sister stores, Coventry Bookstore and Avoca Hill Bookstore.
305 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North
Perimeter Books
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Founded in 2011, Perimeter Books specialises in independently published books, special editions and zines spanning photography, art, theory, design and architecture. Though you aren’t likely to find a bestselling fantasy or romance, Perimeter is the perfect place to leisurely browse if you’re feeling creatively inclined.
734 High Street, Thornbury
Dymocks
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Although there are multiple locations spanning Melbourne, Dymocks’ iconic Collins Street store is well worth a visit. The largest bookshop in Melbourne’s CBD, it features an epic selection of books across all genres, as well as stationery, gifts and games. Plus, its Booklover system (where you get five cents back for every dollar you spend) means you’re practically saving money with each purchase.
Multiple locations
Find a roundup of the most beautiful bookstores in the world here.
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