Latest news with #bookshop
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Customers rally to save Parentheses, a French bookshop in Hong Kong
Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we've written. Readers in Hong Kong saved a French bookshop that was in danger of closing. Parentheses has been open for nearly four decades. In April, the bookstore wrote a post on their website that read: 'This message is a cry of alarm because Parentheses is in peril ... After 37 years of serving our community, your bookstore could close its doors for good at the end of the year.' The message encouraged the community to increase their visits and order books from the shop. Madeline Progin is the store's general manager. She has been running Parentheses since 1990. She was grateful for everyone who helped the bookshop stay open. 'For me, it's not a job; it's much more. And I suppose if [customers] are all here after so many years, it's really because you like it,' she said. Hong Kong writer, illustrator Maple Lam explains how reading can help you focus A history of serving French learners According to Progin, Parentheses was Hong Kong's first French bookshop. It opened in 1987 in the Duke Wellington House in Central. At the time, Progin said, they sold books alongside items like wine and chocolate. Progin took over in 1990. Then, the shop moved to a larger space in the same building to focus only on selling French books. 'After a few years, it was full until up to the ceilings with books,' said Progin, who has lived in Hong Kong since 1979. Progin said they started by selling books to schools and other people who wanted to learn French. Today, they still have a large section on teaching and learning French as a foreign language. They also have books for children, young adults and adults. 'We even got some from primary [schools] already [learning] French,' she said. Hong Kong's university entrance exam still offers French. But Progin said the language had become less important in schools. 'The syllabus here has changed. French lost its importance for Mandarin took a lot of space,' she said. A change in trends Progin said there were two reasons that the company had not been selling as many books in recent years: online shopping trends and the Covid-19 pandemic. '[Many] of the French people living here have left [after the pandemic],' she said. Progin said their sales 'dropped by half' after the pandemic. It became hard for them to pay the rent. To save the bookshop, Progin said they reached out to everyone they knew in Hong Kong's French community. 'We had a lot of people coming and supporting, and now we just touch wood and hope,' she said. 'I think Hong Kong needs to keep these kind of places. Not only us, but ... there are many old places that are closing, and I think it's sad.' One supporter was Camille*. She moved from France to Hong Kong six years ago. She discovered Parentheses after the pandemic and 'immediately loved the shop'. 'The two ladies [working there] always find some time to chitchat with the clients. The young local shopkeepers remember what you ordered,' she said. 'We would hate to see this old Hong Kong centre of culture [disappear].' She added: 'What we wish is for Parentheses to be a place where more people meet by chance and talk about what ... we read.' The jump in customers has saved the store for now. Progin, her employees and their customers are relieved. But she is unsure how long this can last. *Name changed at interviewee's request. To test your understanding of this story, download our printable worksheet or answer the questions in the quiz below.
The National
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Postcard from Madaba: Cosy bookshop Kawon is a universe of rare titles, cats and community
The ancient Jordanian town of Madaba − known as the City of Mosaics − is a tourism magnet, with its historic streets, olive trees and hidden gems tucked away in every corner. One of these magical nooks is Kawon, a bookshop in the centre of town on Palestine Street, that is known for its stock of rare editions, quirky interior − and a resident tribe of cats. The bookshop, the town's first, was opened 10 years ago by Ghaith Bahdousheh, who left the corporate world to sell books. Mr Bahdousheh told Jordanian media at its launch that he started Kawon because there were no books accessible to him in his town, forcing him to drive almost an hour to Amman every time he wanted to buy some. He received help from volunteers around the world with funding and books, and also support from Queen Rania of Jordan. A circular black sign etched with the shop's name − which means universe in Arabic − hangs from an archway at the entrance to the 150-year-old building and its garden, which features spaces for browsing, dining or simply relaxing, with cats milling about for company. Going through the front entrance – where a wooden stand displays a colourful assortment of home-made jam and other condiments for sale – and going down the steps into the shop feels like being transported to a different world. Inside is a display of vintage audio cassettes, maps, records and handmade souvenirs. Past the cashier, new and second-hand books, sorted according to genre, are scattered around three rooms; some on shelves other stacked in piles on the floor. Works of art can be found in every section of the shop, including a prominently displayed portrait of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, decorated with coffee pods and the lids of tins. One of the rooms houses an extensive inventory of rare titles, antique books in several languages, and historical Asian artwork. For cat lovers, there is the prospect of occasionally discovering a cardboard box with a litter of kittens safely stowed away here. Besides being a bibliophile's dream, Kawon has an outdoor space that encourages social gatherings, especially among young people, and builds a sense of community. 'Kawon is a unique and special place in Madaba,' says Mera Sayegh, 26, who lived in the town before moving to California. 'Sometimes, I went alone when I needed some quiet time. With friends, it was fun and lively, and alone, it was calm and reflective.' Ms Sayegh says she misses the 'vibe' of the shop − from its coffee to its music, books and people. 'I always enjoyed spending time there. It had a peaceful atmosphere that made me feel comfortable and happy. It always lifted my mood.' Madaba residents are not the only visitors though. Travellers from all over the world have made it a point to come here when visiting Jordan. One tourist on Tripadvisor said the wall murals caught her eye, and she has had the best cup of chai in Kawon. 'So glad we stopped in, wish we had done so sooner and more frequently during our stay in Madaba … a treasure when travelling. Don't miss this place,' she said. Another user recommended Kawon's cafe. 'My favourite part was the cafe. There's a section upstairs, just outside the entrance to the bookstore that offers food, so I ordered from them their dish of the day – which was superb! Seriously, it was probably my favourite meal during my time in Jordan,' she said. A vegetarian kitchen – which serves a new dish daily – and coffee shop sit between the bookstore and garden outdoors, its walls lined with jars of herbs and local spices. As customers wait for their orders, conversations blossom about food, books they are reading, or how their day has been. Madaba being a small town, many of the visitors are likely to know each another, creating a strong local community. People can also be seen stretched out on the Arab floor seating in the large outdoor area, reading and sipping sage tea as soft music plays through the speakers. Tables and chairs are also set up for dining around the garden, each set with its own personality, with some seat cushions upholstered from coffee bags and rugs. When there are no customers, the seats are occupied by sunbathing felines that can also be seen strutting about the place, enjoying the bowls of food and water the owners leave out for them. Over the years, their presence has become a feature of the bookshop, attracting new customers and adding to the ambience.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Kings Heath bookshop owners overwhelmed after winning award
When Catherine Gale and Claire Dawes signed up for a virtual course to learn about running a bookshop, they had no idea where it might take years later, they are co-owners of The Heath bookshop in Kings Heath, Birmingham, and have won an award for Independent Bookshop of the Year. Their success was announced at the British Book Awards. The pair said they were "completely overwhelmed" by the news and had received so many positive messages."We are absolutely delighted and are so lucky to be in such a lovely area, we've had so much support," Catherine Gale said. Ms Gale and Ms Dawes became friends in 2021 after meeting on the bookshop training course and opened their shop a year later to share their love for reading and coffee with others."It's a lot of hard work but it is really fun. We are book lovers and we enjoy being in the shop, at events and speaking to people," Ms Gale said. Ms Gale said she had dreamt of opening a bookshop since she was young, but she didn't think it was something she would ever be able to achieve. However, after lockdown she gave up her job as a behaviour analyst after more than two decades and made the leap to change careers. The British Book Awards, also known as the Nibbies, has been showcasing authors since 1990 and described the bookshop as a "thriving community hub" in Kings Heath. The pair received a golden nip-shaped trophy from the awards on Monday, which now sits proudly on a shelf in their bookshop, and has been named Nancy. Since opening the bookshop, the pair launched their Literature and Music Festival last year to celebrate authors and musicians in the area."It's that balance of small authors with important voices and bringing celebrities to Birmingham because we haven't had many bookshops here for a long time," Claire Dawes co-owners thanked their assistant Abi Buller for volunteering in the shop before they could afford extra staff."We created a space where we love to spend our time and it turns out that other people love it here too," Ms Dawes said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
News.com.au
18-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Erotic trend sweeping posh suburbs as spicy fantasy books take over TikTok
Stepping into bookshop Romancing the Novel in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs, one might think they've walked directly into a fictional world. It's only been nine months since the glass-panelled door swung open on the two-storey bookshop in Paddington, but romance novels have been flying off its painted pink shelves 'like hot-cakes'. Despite a Mills & Boon book being purchased every four seconds across the world, and the 50 Shades trilogy selling over 150m copies, owner Scarlett Hopper recognised an untapped market that was begging for attention. 'I noticed a bit of a hole in the market (over) the last few years,' she told NewsWire. 'America was getting a lot of romance bookstores, but Australia didn't have as many.' Ms Hopper, a self-published author, admitted that she 'eats, sleeps and dreams' of romance novels, but decided to take the plunge and open her own bookshop after growing impatient waiting for one to open nearby. 'I've just been waiting for Sydney to get (its own romance bookstore), and when it never came, I felt like this could be my moment,' she said. 'I just woke up one morning and I was like, 'I'm gonna do this'. And I did, and it's been amazing.' Surrounded by cafes and restaurants in Sydney's swanky inner suburbs, Romancing the Novel doesn't appear like any run-of-the-mill bookshop. With its soft pink walls, flowers adorning the bookshelves, literature references hanging in ornate frames and plush velvet chairs nestled into cosy corners, it's a place where readers can relax and escape the world for a few hours. 'It's like a warm hug, as dumb as that sounds,' Ms Hopper laughed. 'It's a safe space … it's very calm.' The bookshop's welcoming and romantic aesthetic was hand-curated down to a tee, she said, and has ushered in a community of like-minded people who want to explore a world of romance from a mix of traditional and self-published indie authors. 'Indie authors are the backbone of romance novels,' she told NewsWire. 'And the beauty of the indie bookstores, especially the romance ones, is most of the time we're gonna have a huge focus on indie novels.' Skeptics warned Ms Hopper that bookshops were a 'dying breed', but she was determined to prove them wrong with her Paddington store, which opened its doors in September last year. 'I think now more than ever, we can see that is so not true,' she said. Behemoth online retailers like Amazon quickly gobbled up many independent bookshops since launching in Australia, with the number of bookshops dropping from 2,879 in 2013 to 1,457 a decade later, but genre-specific shops like Romancing the Novel remain a staple for the community. 'People want to support small business,' she said. 'Also, with (retailers like) Amazon, there's not a lot of quality control. Whereas in a bookstore, people love to pick out specific books … some readers have already read the book on their Kindle, and they want it for what they call a 'trophy' to have on their shelves.' Some of the best-selling genres in the Paddington bookshop include small-town romance and dark romance, which 'has been having its moment'. That's not to say she hasn't been faced with challenges, with some passers-by making remarks and suggestions her shop 'would be closed in a few months … especially in such an expensive suburb like Paddington', but she predicts more romance-focused bookshops to open across the country. 'The joke's on them because romance is (one of) the top-selling genres of fiction … and I know the store speaks for itself.' Although the love for romance books have been a favourite among majority female readers for centuries, with the first reference to the genre tracing back to Shakespeare's 1596 play A Midsummer Night's Dream, romance novels have experienced a renaissance thanks to apps like TikTok, which is slowly shedding the stigma that once cast a shadow over the genre. 'Back in the day these types of novels were the ones you read behind closed doors, but it's becoming common for women to be open about their tastes, perhaps even feeling confident reading this type of book on a bus,' clinical psychologist Maria Elena Lukeides told NewsWire. 'It feels like social media has given a voice to so many people and highlighted an intense interest this specific niche. Social media has also allowed people to feel as if they are a part of a borderless book club. Inclusive, non-judgemental and highly engaging.' Several misconceptions fuel the flames of romance novel stigma, Dr Lukeides said, including accusations of the books being 'anti-feminist', 'unrealistic' and 'all about sex'. 'The reality is, many of them are quite PG or focus primarily on emotional intimacy and relationship development,' she told NewsWire. 'The idea that romance novels lead to unrealistic expectations is also sort of a myth because many people are able to distinguish fiction from real life.' For Ms Hopper, the stigma stems from 'ignorance' and desire to 'discredit' a genre dominated by women. 'People love to yuck on other people's yum,' she said. 'I think we're kind of over trying to have to make excuses for it. 'We're pretty proud; we're going to stand on our two feet and scream it from the rooftops.'
