Judi Mitchell has worked at Readings for close to 20 years. At the moment, she juggles four different roles: Senior Customer Service Officer, Staff Trainer, Digital Content Assistant and the Editorial Assistant for the Readings Monthly. Phew! Here, she tells us her favourite thing about working at a bookshop, and what books are next on her TBR pile. Why did you decide to work in books?

I’m no…

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Tom Hoskins has worked at Readings for 15 years, and been manager of our shop at the State Library Victoria since 2010. Tom is also involved with making the Readings Podcast, and is the manager of the Melbourne Writers Festival Bookshop at Federation Square – please come visit him at this year’s festival! Here, we chat with him about how bookshops serve communities, and the thrill he gets from s…

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Angela Crocombe has worked at Readings for more than seven years, and is now the manager of our Kids shop. We chat with her about the bookselling trends she’s noticed in recent years, and her favourite part of a working day. Why did you decide to work in books?

Books have always been my passion. Despite this, I never really believed it was possible to work with them every day. But after doing…

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Bernard Vella has worked at Readings for close to 15 years, and managed our Malvern shop for six of those years. We chat with him about the singular pleasures of physical books, and what he likes to read – everything from the classics to books about dinosaurs. What is your favourite part of your job?

That’s easy – looking after our customers. I’d like to think that each of the Readings shops …

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Kara Liddell recently stepped into the role of shop manager at Readings Doncaster. Here, she shares the authors she’d invite to a dinner party, and explains why customer queries make her nervous. Why did you decide to work in books?

I don’t think I ever consciously decided to work in books – books chose me. I’ve always been an avid reader and one of my very first jobs was bookselling. When I …

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After working as the assistant manager at Readings Carlton for almost 10 years, Sharon Peterson has recently moved into the role of shop manager at Readings St Kilda. We chat with her about bookshop proposals, her love of the classics, and what exciting reads she has on her TBR pile. Why did you decide to work in books?

I can’t say that I actually ‘decided’ to work in books (I vaguely remembe…

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Joe Rubbo has worked on and off at Readings over the past 13 years, and is the son of our managing director, Mark Rubbo. The former manager at Readings Doncaster, he now manages our Carlton shop. Here, we chat with Joe about his favourite recent reads, and what happens in bookshops between 9pm and 11pm. Why did you decide to work in books?

I started out at the Hawthorn shop, a part-time job w…

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We chat with Pia Spreadborough about her work as a bookseller, and why Annihilation is the best book she’s read lately.

Why do you work in books?

Social capital. Furthermore, this job yields a great deal of approval and respect from individuals whom I’d be unable to impress otherwise. The Readings lanyard around my neck gives me an immense feeling of power and responsibility.

Also for the i…

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We chat with Tara Kaye Judah about her fondness for feminist film theory and capitalist critique, and why she loves the cover of David Vann’s Goat Mountain.

Why do you work in books?

If I were to build a fort with walls of knowledge, the final result would be a bookstore. I want to live peacefully in a fort of knowledge. At Readings, the fort is also friendly.

What book would you happily spe…

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We chat with Alexandra Mathew about her love for immersive books and classical music.

Why do you work in books and music?

My primary area of interest and knowledge is in classical music, but I also happen to love reading, so the two go together nicely. It’s a privilege to share my love of books and music with like-minded people.

What book or music would you happily spend a weekend indoors…

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