Farrells Bookshop, Mornington 143 Main Street, Mornington

Farrells Bookshop services the people of the Mornington Peninsula, hosting regular author events and offer two in-store book clubs. See their website for details.

Great Escape Bookshop 75 Great Ocean Road, Aireys Inlet

Great Escape Books is a delightful bookshop nestled on the magnificent Great Ocean Road in Aireys Inlet. They offer a delightful program of events, including book launches, readings, children’s events and long literary lunches (Lighthouse literaryfest lunches)when possible.

Heads and Tales 45a Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads

Heads & Tales Bookstore is a long-awaited dream of Bella & Emma who met in London in 2015 and forged a special friendship over books and regional Victoria. The bookstore opened in April 2023 and is already at the heart of the Barwon Heads community, with a growing calendar of events and book clubs.

They offer a thoughtfully curated selection of books, catering to all ages, interests and budgets. The selection includes the hottest new-releases, popular backlist titles and the lesser-known gems they think more readers should discover.

Hill of Content Bookshop 86 Bourke Street, Melbourne

At the top end of Bourke Street for the past 96 years, Hill of Content bookshop host regular author events (Writers on the Hill) and book launches.

Jefffreys Bookstore 140 Glenferrie Road, Malvern

Jeffreys Books has been a favourite for Glenferrie Road locals over five decades. It is an independently owned bookstore and has a proud history of entertaining literary evenings, and a monthly book club. Event details can be found on their facebook page.

The Little Bookroom 220 St. Georges Road, Fitzroy North

The Little Bookroom has been bringing children’s books to Melbourne since 1960. The aisles are wide enough for a single pram and there is a reading nook at the back of the store with a train table and squishy bean bags.

The Little Bookroom is usually busy with events. They take pride with reader engagement on all levels. So whether it’s Story Time, Book Club, or other events such as their School Holiday program, Book Chat for teachers and librarians, there are plenty of ways to engage with books and the authors and illustrators who create them.

The Little Bookroom has a busy schedule including their fabulous school level Book Clubs as well as book launches and author events.

Neighbourhood Books 55 High Street, Northcote

Neighbourhood Books is an independent bookstore curated to nourish the local community.

A range of new fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, prioritising local writers, artists and publishers is offered by knowledgeable and friendly staff eager to talk books and share recommendations with all who will listen.

Neighbourhood Books aims to develop an events program that will bring together the community and support the literary sector.

Paperback Bookshop 60 Bourke Street, Melbourne

The Paperback Bookshop is an independent, general bookshop that was established in the early 1960s at the top of Bourke street. The original charter of the shop was to stock paperback editions of books that were not commonly available in Australia.

The Paperback Bookshops offers a weekly Salon Series usually on Wednesday nights event, held in a nearby bar, Bards Apothecary. Its aim is to bring together the community of writers and readers in a program of informal readings and discussions.

Readings Book Stores

Carlton, Doncaster, Hawthorn, Malvern, St. Kilda, State Library Victoria, Emporium, and a speciality children’s shop in Carlton.

Readings is very much a part of this city’s cultural fabric having opened in Carlton in 1969. Current owner Mark Rubbo took over in 1976, growing the business to include eight stores and an online presence.

Readings are well-known for a busy schedule of literary events across all its seven stores, and other venues. Events Manager, Chris Gordon, curates a fabulous series of events throughout each year.

The Bookshop at Queenscliffe 84 Hesse Steet, Queenscliffe

This charming little bookshop is in the heart of the Bellarine Pensinula. Author events are held throughout the year, in addition to two book club events, on the last Tuesday and Thursday of each month.

The Leaf Bookshop Shop 3, 283 High Street, Ashburton

High Street, Ashburton with its vibrant and connected community is the perfect place for a booskhop. The Leaf Bookshop provides a warm and friendly atmosphere for book lovers of all ages, a place of refuge or reflection for some, a place of magic and of mystery for others, but for all of us, the starting point of a great new adventure.

The Leaf Bookshop recently curated a fabulous digital series of ’30 authors in 30 days’. The author interviews run for approximately ten minutes and are insightful snapshots into the life of the guest authors. They can be seen via the Leaf Bookshop’s instagram or facebook pages.