This year, Authors for Indies Day takes place on Saturday, 2 May. To celebrate, the staff at Oxford University Press Canada have decided to highlight some of their favourite independent bookstores. Here are some of Canada’s favourite literary hangouts, and where you can find them.
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Novel Idea
156 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario
This is a cozy little locally owned bookstore, conveniently located in Kingston’s downtown core. They carry a good selection of fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, books by local authors, and magazines. They will cheerfully order titles not in stock. The Staff are friendly and knowledgeable – helping out when you need them, or otherwise letting you linger over possibilities!
— Brooke Healey (Sales and Marketing Assistant, ELT)
Bookmark
5686 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nestled near the end of one of the most frequented shopping streets in Halifax, Bookmark is a cozy bookstore that will capture the spirit of any bibliophile as well as casual literary explorers. You can go in looking for a travel guide, the newest Gibson, or nothing at all in particular and walk out with your newest treasure. The store will often carry new literary gems (both local and not) that big box stores won’t bother stocking. It is filled with a carefully considered, yet somewhat eclectic mix of books organized by genre demarcated with overly bright yellow signage, which is lovely. The store has a remarkably large selection given the small footprint. The staff is knowledgeable without being intimidating and strike the perfect balance between letting their customers get lost in exploration and making suggestions (if asked). I find myself going back over and over.
— Maïca Murphy (Sales and Editorial Representative, Higher Education)
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Curiosity House Books & Gallery
178 Mill Street, Creemore, Ontario
This little place looks exactly like a bookstore should. Wooden shelves are stocked with books of every variety, and the store is full of an ever-changing selection of art, not to mention lots of people browsing the shelves and chatting with the kind and knowledgeable staff. The store hosts and takes part ton of readings and events all around the Barrie/Creemore area, including a recent reading and signing by Canadian literary legend Margaret Atwood. The store is committed to turning kids and teens into book lovers, and kids are encouraged engage in lively debates with employees about their current faves. There are even a few young readers that spend an afternoon or two volunteering in the store, which is a wonderful thing to see. Curiosity House is a true member of the community, and a great place to spend an afternoon. Whenever I’m in town, I always make sure to stop in, and I inevitably leave with a few new treats for my bookshelf.
— Kate Abrams (Sales and Marketing Assistant, Retail and Wholesale)
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The Bookshelf
41 Quebec St, Guelph, Ontario
The Bookshelf in Guelph, Ontario was my favourite haunt while completing my undergrad at the local university. I loved reading staff recommendations on the shelf tags and would quite often be persuaded to buy a book by a well-placed review by a community member. While my grades (and wallet) may have suffered slightly by the amount of time perusing this quaint shop and then evaluating my purchases at the attached café, the contents of my bookshelf are that much richer.
— Krista Westmaas (Sales Representative, Retail and Wholesale)
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Bakka-Phoenix Books
84 Harbord St, Toronto, Ontario
My favourite independent bookstore is Bakka-Phoenix Science Fiction & Fantasy Bookstore in Toronto.
Bakka-Phoenix is Canada’s oldest science fiction and fantasy specialty bookstore, and after more than 40 years in business I suspect they’re one of the oldest in the world.
Yes, you can find great books here, and discover fantastic new authors and obscure gems from the recommendations of their incredibly well-read and friendly staff. But more than that, Bakka-Phoenix is the hub of a vibrant literary and fan community in Toronto. It’s the kind of bookstore where you become friends with the people who work there. You come in to buy books, and end up having hour-long conversations about, well, anything and everything going on in each other’s lives. Bakka-Phoenix hosts author appearances, readings, and panels; they participate in offsite events at libraries and conferences, too. Many noted Canadian science fiction and fantasy authors—including Cory Doctorow, Nalo Hopkinson, and Robert J. Sawyer, amongst others—have worked there at one time or another.
It’s this commitment to community, in addition to great selection, that I suspect is the secret of their success despite the vicissitudes of bookselling over the last several decades. Long may they continue! I, for one, couldn’t imagine my city without them.
— Stephen Kotowych (Acquisitions Editor, Higher Education)
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Munro’s Books
1108 Government St, Victoria, British Columbia
I love a bookstore with history. Munro’s books dates back to the early sixties, and was started by Jim and Alice Munro (yes, the author!). The architecture is beautiful – the location is a former bank, built in 1909 in the heart of downtown Victoria, and its loved by locals and tourists alike. What I like most, though, is their selection; in addition to the usual popular fiction selections, Munro’s features a ton of local and region-specific sections; from baby board books on First Nations History and Legends, to BC book prize winners, to Canadian-specific cookbooks or biographies. It’s rare to get a rainy day on the island, but when one comes along, Munro’s books is the perfect place to go poking around – you’re always sure to find something new and unexpected here.
— Bethany Joliffe (Sales and Editorial Representative, Higher Education)
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Do you have a favourite independent bookstore? Let us know in the comments below.
Heading image: Munro’s Bookstore. By Bethany Joliffe for Oxford University Press.
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