New Melbournalia pop-up store launches with books, events
A pop-up retail store selling books and gifts about Melbourne has returned to the city’s CBD.
Melbournalia is the brainchild of Dale Campisi and Michael Brady from boutique publisher Arcade Publications. Initially launched in November 2011 as a series of five pop-up retail stores, Melbournalia has found a new home this year at the Queen Victoria Markets, where it will stay until March.
The Melbournalia store faces onto Victoria Street, with its back entrance offering a glimpse of the market’s busy fruit and veggie stalls. It’s an emporium filled with locally produced souvenirs and gifts. There are handmade scarves and beanies, homewares, calendars and posters, and of course, plenty of books.
Melbournalia’s books have a distinctly Melbourne flavour: from Arcade’s own pocket books about Melbourne bookseller E W Cole and ‘Brunswick baby farmer’ Minnie Thwaites, to Affirm Press’ Slow Guide to Melbourne and Charmaine O’Brien’s culinary biography Flavours of Melbourne (Wakefield Press).
‘Books are a big part of the mix of what we do,’ says Campisi. ‘We’re currently stocking more than 30 Melbourne-centric titles by twelve publishers. And we’re adding more every day.’
Campisi says he was keen to showcase a different side of Melbourne through the store’s unique gifts and souvenirs. ‘Yes there are a lot of trams, but there’s much more to Melbournalia than that,’ he says. ‘It’s good to see that local icons are inspiring local designers.’
Melbournalia is also hosting evening events during the Suzuki Night Market each Wednesday, as well as book launches. Sarah Robins launched her book Seasonal Regional (Sustainable Table) at the store on 1 December and Jenny Sinclair’s new book A Walking Shadow: The Remarkable Double Life of Edward Oxford (Arcade) will be launched on 12 December.
Melbournalia is open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 6pm, and till 10pm on Wednesdays. For more information visit www.melbournalia.com.au.
Tags: melbournaliamelbourneretail
Category: Features
