Folio Books announces closure

The owners of Brisbane bookshop Folio Books have announced it will not reopen ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Folio Books, which opened in Elizabeth Street in 1979, was most recently located in Mary Street in Brisbane’s CBD. However, in April the store announced it would close temporarily before relocating.

‘Today, we find ourselves in a situation where the continued impacts of Covid remain uncertain, coupled with the strain of relocation due to the demolition of our last premises at 133 Mary Street,’ said co-owners Angelos, Jenny and Alexis Kakoulidis in a statement on 31 July.

The owners said that over the years, the business ‘faced many challenges including floods; two relocations; the [global financial crisis]; the ascendance of international online book retailers; and the Covid-19 pandemic’.

‘Family has always been core to everything we do at Folio Books,’ they said. ‘Upon significant reflection and in line with this value, we have made the very difficult decision not to reopen for the foreseeable future.’

The owners recognised the support of the store’s customers and staff. ‘For us, it has been an incredible journey to this point, and it has been a pleasure to have shared our passion of books with you all—we take away so many wonderful memories and experiences, and for that we thank you.

‘Being with books daily, and talking about books with our customers, has been an extraordinary experience which we will greatly miss.’

Category: Local news