The Little Bookroom opens ‘big sister’ bookshop in Northcote

Melbourne children’s bookstore The Little Bookroom is opening a new independent ‘big sister’ bookshop, called Neighbourhood Books, in the inner northern suburb of Northcote.

Located at 55 High Street in Westgarth Village, Neighbourhood Books will carry adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as a range of children’s titles. The store will open for business on 2 June.

Little Bookroom co-owner Leesa Lambert will co-own the new store with her parents, Ian and Lesley Lambert. She said the independent will be ‘prioritising local books’, as well as running book clubs and events.

‘We want to bring authors and readers together, and that aim will certainly inform the titles that we prioritise,’ said Lambert. ‘One of the reasons we’re pushing hard to open the doors quickly is so that we can get to know what the community wants—we want to be collaborative in building our range.’

Lambert will oversee both stores, with a strong focus on events, while her Little Bookroom colleagues will take on new management responsibilities at the Carlton shop. ‘My colleague Michael [Earp] has taken over stock management and most day-to-day management of The Little Bookroom, all while managing to impressively build strong relationships with school customers,’ said Lambert. ‘Tace Kelly, who has been with The Little Bookroom for four years, will be based in Neighbourhood Books, and we will manage the ordering between us.’

Asked why she decided to make the decision to expand, Lambert said she saw an opportunity in the local area. ‘Northcote and Westgarth are ready for an independent bookstore. The successful retail and hospitality businesses in the area share the kind of patrons that we think will value and support a quality-driven, ambitious little bookstore.’

‘It is an honour to be the current custodians of an iconic business, and a privilege to draw on that experience to start something new from scratch,’ she added.

Neighbourhood Books will open its doors at 10am Saturday, 2 June, with the bookshop’s website set to launch the same day. To celebrate, Lambert said the store will be ‘throwing a big party’ at a later date, ‘when the piano is in and our permanent logo is ready’.

For more information about Neighbourhood Books, visit its Facebook and Instagram profiles.

Category: Junior Local news