Imagine if a Twitter 'tweet' could be longer than 140 characters. Madness, you say? Nay, I retort, 'tis but Literature!
Common perception dictates that the novel is dying, crushed beneath the ever-rising popularity of film and gaming. And how should we respond to these claims? Well, if novels are on the way out, one should think we ought to buy a couple before we lose the opportunity! And where better than Mostly Books in Mitcham Square?
'Australian Literature is in a very exciting place at the moment. Authors have finally begun to wear their Australianness with a subtlety and sophistication far removed from the deserts, kangaroos and snake-bites that once baffled international readers,' says Samuel Williams, passionate employee of Mostly Books.
Of course, Mostly Books has your Dickens, your Austen, your King and your Stephanie Meyer, as does your typical bookstore, but where this independent establishment differs is in its passion for contemporary Australian writers. The store is sent proof copies of soon-to-be-published manuscripts, which all the workers are encouraged to read. Consequently, the staff is readily able to recognise, suggest and even, once the satisfied customer returns to the store, discuss at length a wide range of Australian fiction.
And after the demise of Borders and Angus and Robertson, you can't beat that fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you've just helped support an independent bookstore and, subsequently, the publishing industry at large. read more