About Us
Readings was founded in
1969 by Ross Reading, his partner Dot and Peter Reid. The original
shop at 366 Lygon Street was partly funded by Dot’s teaching wage.
Occasionally, after a particularly busy day, the shelves would be
temporarily restocked from Ross and Dot’s bookshelves at
home.
In 1983, the growing business moved to larger premises on Lygon
Street. Today, Readings is a major Australian business, employing
over 140 staff in five shops around Melbourne. Despite its
large-scale operations, each Readings shop retains an intimate
feel, with strong community ties and carefully selected ranges that
reflect the character of the area and the tastes of their
customers.
Readings has a renowned
and long-running music department and is becoming known for its
burgeoning DVD range. However, the business is best known by its
formidable reputation as one of Australia’s best bookshops.
Managing Director Mark Rubbo, a former judge of the Miles Franklin
Literary Award, is recognised as one of the book trade’s leading
authorities. He was awarded a Medal (OAM) in the General Division
for service to the community through fostering an awareness of
Australian literature as a bookseller, literary critic, and
promoter and supporter of Australian writers.
So, it’s slightly surprising to reflect that at the time Mark bought the business in 1976 with partners Steve Smith and Greg Young, he was the owner of Lygon Street’s Professor Longhairs’ Music Shop. (Greg owned the South Yarra Record Collector and Steve ran a mail-order music business.)
In 1983, the growing business moved to larger premises on Lygon Street. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, business boomed, leading to a final move in 1998, across the road to the former Commonwealth Bank building.
Readings has always been
enlivened by a thriving events program. It’s not unusual to wander
into a Readings shop on a weekday evening to discover a book launch
or reading in progress, wine glasses in hands and an author at the
mike. Readings also runs lively children’s events and an array of
off-site events to accommodate the large crowds drawn by authors
such as David Malouf and Peter Carey.
‘Promoting
Australian writing has always been a personal passion,’ says Mark.
‘Our business has grown with the growth of Australian
publishing.’
Readings is a gathering place for writers, publishers, artists and
intellectuals. Long-time customers include the likes of cartoonist
Michael Leunig, actor Sigrid Thornton and property developer Morry
Schwartz, as well as a veritable ‘who’s who’ of local writers.
Helen Garner, whose novel
Monkey Grip, set in Carlton and Fitzroy, was one of
Readings’ most successful titles ever (over 3000 sold) is a regular
sight among the shelves of the Lygon Street store. And she’s passed
the baton to the next generation: her daughter, actor and writer
Alice Garner, chose the store to launch her own first book.
‘I’ve always wanted a Readings launch’ is a commonly voiced ambition among aspiring writers.
Today, Readings boasts
stores at five locations, each with their own distinct character:
Carlton, Hawthorn,
Malvern, Port
Melbourne and St Kilda. St Kilda, the
latest addition to the family, also has iconic origins (formerly
Acland Street independent bookshop Cosmos) and its own famous
clientele, including musicians Paul Kelly and Nick Cave.
Readings won Australian Independent Bookseller of the Year 1998 & 2001 and Australian Chain Bookseller of the Year 2006. Readings is Official Bookseller for the Melbourne Writers’ Festival.