Help South Africa’s beloved indie bookshops keep their doors open during lockdown
The latest edition of Burn After Reading tells you everything you need to know about supporting your local independent bookshop.
Burn After Reading is the books newsletter produced by The Daily Maverick in association with The Reading List.
- Read the latest edition of the newsletter here (including an article on why reading is hard right now)
- Sign up for Burn After Reading here (tick ‘Maverick Life and Books’)
Without further ado, here are all the ways you can help South Africa’s beloved indie bookshops keep their doors open.
Most bookshops opened at the beginning of Level 4 of Lockdown, but still encourage you to use their delivery options.
How to support your local indie bookshop
- Love Books, Bamboo Centre, 53 Rustenburg Road, Melville, Johannesburg
Love Books encourages you to opt for delivery or courier. Delivery to Melville and The Parks will be free. Visit SnapItForward to buy a voucher; redeem it in store using SnapScan. Alternatively, email kate@lovebooks.co.za for direct payments or call 011 726 7408.
- The Book Lounge, 71 Roeland Street, Cape Town
Open from 10am to 4pm each day of the week, but ask you to take advantage of their delivery service wherever possible. Delivery is free for orders over R300 and within 20km of the Book Lounge. Happy to make recommendations. Email booklounge@gmail.com, or call 021 462 2425.
- Bridge Books, 90 Commissioner Street and 24 Albrecht Street, Johannesburg
Buy gift cards for books or experiences; get 50% off their famous ‘underground booksellers’ walking tour; or 50% off their isiZulu classes; support The Johannesburg Literary District’s cleaners; donate from the USA. The store is open. Bridge Books offers contactless collection and nationwide delivery.
- Book Circle Capital, 27 Boxes, Melville, Johannesburg
Open 9am to 4pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays. Buy a voucher; alternatively, DM them on Twitter, or write to bookcirclecapital@gmail.com.
- Forgarty’s Bookshop, Shop 20 Walmer Park Shopping Centre, Main Road, Walmer, Port Elizabeth
Forgarty’s, a Port Elizabeth institution, is open, and selling all sorts of educational books – on dragons, crosswords, the history of the ANC, creative flower arranging, novels (of course) and whatever the learned customer desires. If you are a high risk individual please contact the shop for delivery arrangements. Phone 041 368 1425, WhatsApp 084 497 9774 or email fogartys@global.co.za for more information.
- Bookdealers, branches in Melville, Athol Oaklands, Craighall Park, Rivonia.
Bookdealers is a small bookshop chain based in Johannesburg, selling a large variety of both second hand and remainder (end of run) books. They are running a voucher campaign. Buy one here. Contact information for the different branches here.
- Ike’s Books and Collectables, 48a Florida Road, 1st Floor, Durban
The store is open. Write to ikesbooks@iafrica.com for information.
- Clarke’s Bookshop, 199 Long Street, Cape Town
The store is open, and encourages telephone or email orders. They are offering free delivery around Cape Town and can courier or post across the country and internationally. You can buy a voucher here, which can be redeemed at any time.
- Kalk Bay Books, 124 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Make a donation: write to kalkbaybooks@gmail.com and ask for banking details. Alternatively, buy a gift voucher via the same address.
Do you own an indie bookshop that’s not on this list? Please DM us on Twitter and we’ll add you to the list!
Categories Africa Afrikaans Cookery Fiction International Lifestyle Non-fiction South Africa South African Current Affairs
Tags Book Circle Capital Books Bridge Books Cape Town Clarke's Bookshop Durban Ike's Books and Collectables Johannesburg Kalk Bay Books Lockdown Love Books The Book Lounge
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