Singleton Books Etc, located on the corner of George and Cambridge Streets, has been an iconic local store adored by book lovers for many years.
From March 7 owner Sarah Johnstone is closing the doors but the service will continue from home, with deliveries and pop-up shops, markets and Facebook.
Clemmie Tulloch operated the store around town for about 30 years before Sarah took over the reigns at the current location 15 years ago.
Over that time she has made friends with customers who drop by to say hi and always walk out with arms full of books.
The big challenge now is to unpack the shop and if you have ever walked in, you fully understand the challenge.
Sarah only had a week’s notice she needed to leave after a complex situation, a series of unfortunate events and a very important missed email she still can’t track.
To cut a long story short, she found out on February 27 that she needed to hand the shop keys back to the real estate on Tuesday but managed to string the time limit out to today.
So it has been all hands on deck and she cannot thank her helpers enough.
“David Andrews from the PCYC has been coming every day and taking books for their annual Book Fair in July but I am telling everyone to come in and grab a bargain,” Sarah said.
“I have been blown away by the number of people who have contacted me to see how I am.”
The bookstore has been a passion for Sarah since she was a little girl. Over the years she has tracked down rare books for customers and says any book, particularly those based on local true crime, walk out the door.
Sarah thanks her many customers and those offering practical help right now.
Future contact with Sarah for all you book and author requests can be made through the Singleton Book Etc Facebook page or through messenger on 0402 188 740.
