Whether you’re a hipster reader, lover of local literature or just a curious explorer, you may have passed by a quaint bookstore in the quiet neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru.
Tucked away in an alley, BooksActually thrived on adventurous minds who seek the store out, but now, its time has come to an end.
After operating solely online for several months, BooksActually is closing the physical store for good.
Staff members and owner Kenny Leck announced the news in a candid post on their website early Sunday morning (13 Sep).
True to the store’s aesthetics, the rather sad news was delivered in a creative, conversational format that belied the heartbreak.
Like many shops, BooksActually had to close during the ‘CircuitBreaker’ period and take its business online.
However, the store stayed close for months after, spelling an inevitably permanent goodbye.
Singapore literary aficionados need not worry, as BooksActually will still be operating online.
Its publishing branch Math Paper Press is also alive and well, so you can expect more exciting local literature.
Instead of tiptoeing to peek at the upper shelves or bending to reach the ones below, you can now browse through the collections online here.
Once you’ve decided what to buy, add to cart and check out.
Fans of the store would know about their literary events like the annual #BuySingLit street party and 24-Hour Bookstore.
Those aren’t going away either, as owner and co-founder Kenny promises to bring them back once Phase 3 kicks in.
As for the resident cat Cake, we hope that it’s leading a comfortable life, still cosying up to books and perching atop bookshelves.
To hear or read about brick-and-mortar stores closing amidst a health and economic crisis isn’t news at this point, but tragic nonetheless.
Let’s show our support for our local entrepreneurs and keep their businesses running, in this case, by shopping online.
We hope that BooksActually can indeed continue to be Singapore’s “neighbourhood” bookstore for years to come.
Featured image adapted from Twitter.
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