Talking Shops

Today, the BOOKS section at the Guardian Unlimited website features a story on independent bookshops. In this day of Borders, Kinokuniya and MPH, most of us are used to large chains that serve coffee and cheesecake, and have staff guilty of shelving Stephen Hawking under OCCULT.

We've all had scary experiences at big book chains. Ask for a book or an author and, very often, you're treated like you're speaking some obscure Eastern European dialect or quoting from a thesis on astro physics! I must say that this happens less at Kinokuniya, KLCC in Kuala Lumpur. Well, at least the people who work in the children's book department seem to be making more effort to know what they're selling. However, I did overhear one of them telling a customer that Malaysian Children's Favourite Stories is for toddlers: Wrong!!!

I had my favourite indie bookshops when I was living in England and one of the things I loved best about them was that the staff always knew what and whom I was talking about, always remembered what I liked and could always recommend interesting books. The shops all had dusty stacks of books and knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff in common. I haven't found the equivalent anywhere in Malaysia and am doubtful that it exists.

Even Payless Books, which deals in cheap, secondhand books, and excess stock, has the feel of a chain because ... it is a chain and copies of the same book (same edition too) can be found in every outlet you go to. As for the staff ... well, no comment!

What I miss most about British indie stores is the element of surprise. Yes, I have been surprised at Payless but it's not quite the same as wandering between creaking shelves full of musty-smelling volumes (that are often not arranged in any particular oder) and picking up a gem quite by accident. I've found some of my most prized possessions, including a number of first editions and many out-of-print titles, this way.

Of course, I do appreciate the convenience of a place like Kinokuniya, where you can find all the newest books, do computer searches, place orders and have a latte and muffin all under one roof, but nothing beats the charm, romance and excitement of indie bookshops (the older and dustier the better).

My all-time favourite is Camilla's in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It has three floors of old books, including a cellar that you get to via a narrow, dimly-lit staircase that groans and sounds like it's going to collapse as you descend. In the early 90s, the owners had a glossy black Great Dane-hybrid who wandered about quite happily - you'd meet him quite unexpectedly, in some dark corner of the shop and get the fright of your life. It all added to the experience :-)

Well, I've just Googled Camilla's and found a pic! It looks like they've now got a Dalmatian (see him lurking in the foreground?). You can also see the rickety staircase going up. The basement stars are in the back, directly behind the woman in the picture. 

If you're interested in reading a story about why independent book shops matter, click here. How much of it applies in Malaysia, is up for debate, but it certainly makes a case for the importance of people in the book business knowing and loving the stuff they deal in (i.e.books). And that's something all book lovers will agree on!

Comments

[Stuart Broad]

The secondhand book trade in Britain is under extreme pressure and many shops have closed. Lots just deal on line, and competition from Oxfam Bookshops,internet sales,and overheads like business rates and wage costs add to the problem. Brighton has 10 shops in the 1970s, and now has one or two.Many towns don't now have a shop, and in these cases many important out of print or valuable books will be dumped! So my message is support your local shop, ot tomorrow it will be gone

[Stuart Broad]

About the silver fish experience reminds me of the Fried egg I found in a book; rubberised and perfectly preserved in dried form.Since I handle a 1000 books a day when pricing at Camilla's Bookshop I've also found hollowed out makeshift booksafes,silk bookmarks,Loo paper,wills, unpaid bills from Saville Row tailors,love letters, watercolours,recipes for suet pudding, live bookworms in seld-made tunnels, spells an curses etc.

[Daphne]

Camilla's was one of the best things about living in Eastbourne, and if there was only one thing I could bring back from England to KL, it would be that bookstore. I hope it'll still be there the next time I'm visiting (hopefully it won't be befor etoo long). Will come say hello, Stuart! :-D

[Stuart]

Love all the chat about Camilla's Bookshop, particularly the mythology. Where's that secret passage in the basement?.Actually there is a locked room of the language section where we deposited 2000 books when we started the shop in 1985, and which we have not got round to opening again. And who is Adelyn? If she works here we haven't paid her in 20 years.The dog is not cross or not often anyway; its a harlequin Great dane called Hugo. Don't forget Archie the amazon parrot who entertains upstairs on tuesdays and Fridays.Meanwhile I'm not sure if we are in KL or eastbourne , or floating between. Keep up the blogging,we love to read i
Regards, All at Camilla's Bookshop

[Jonathan Rudland]

I've visited Camilla's before and found it to be one of the most fascinating shops I have ever visited. The helpful and incrediably knowledgeable staff where able to assist me with all of my Book-list, knowing their exact location - an amazing feat when you consider how many books there are!!! Over the years I have told numerous friends and colleagues about the shop and many have recounted similar experiences there, and how that more often than not they always seem find books there that they have been unable to locate anywhere else. So if you are looking for out of print books or that elusive title, then I would firmly recommend a trip - I promise you wont be disappointed.

[Jonathan Rudland]

I've visited Camilla's before and found it to be one of the most fascinating shops I have ever visited. The helpful and incrediably knowledgeable staff where able to assist me with all of my Book-list, knowing their exact location - an amazing feat when you consider how many books there are!!! Over the years I have told numerous friends and colleagues about the shop and many have recounted similar experiences there, and how that more often than not they always seem find books there that they have been unable to locate anywhere else. So if you are looking for out of print books or that elusive title, then I would firmly recommend a trip - I promise you wont be disappointed.

[Daphne]

Nyx: cool. Will have a look.

[nyx]

you have to read it!! upon seraching i came across a few online text (it's a short story), here's one http://user.mc.net/~urwhatur/velrabbit.htm

[Daphne]

Nyx: Adelyn, is it? OK, will quiz her when I'm next there.

And yeah, Camilla's was (is!) something else. Just looking at the pic makes me long for it. Damn the damn exchange rate!

BTW, have never read the Velveteen Rabbit altho it's highly recommended by various pple. Must have a go.

[nyx]

droooooolll, camilla's bookshop pic looks orgasmic. junk bookstore - you have to talk to adelyn there, she's got an amazing memory (she remembers practically all the authors that i've casually asked about), well read and knows what she has in her shop.

[Daphne]

Maya: I quite like Chowrasta altho the old books are so silverfish-infested that I don't dare buy them for fear that they will infect the rest ofmy collection.

[Maya]

hieeee

well, at least you guys have Kinokuniya. There is MPH and Popular in Penang but definitely NOT the kind of places you can find gems of books. Popular's good for cheap books though..esp those related to sales and marketing (Zig Ziglar and Jim Rohn stuff). The next best thing I can think of are the secondhand bookstores inside Chowrasta Market, on the 1st floor but I don't know if they are still there. But the heat inside is stifling and cuts short and browsing or treasure-hunting. Chulia Street has its bookstores for 2nd hand novels, the kind backpackers read and toss.

[Daphne]

Ahh .. yes, Junk Bookstore. I do like poking abt here and emerging dirty, dusty and sweaty. It lacks well-informed staff tho.

[eyeris]

sigh... I wish they had those kind of bookstores here.

The closest store I've seen that is like Camillia's is this Junk Book Store near the Masjid Jamek LRT station which sells lots of secondhand books and magas. Apparently, it was listed as the 'largest second-hand book store' in Malaysia in the Malaysian book of records.

MPH and Kino are all very nice, but just seem too... indifferent.