In June 2021, with the help of Eden a local boutique furniture store owner I opened the doors of a small pop-up bookshop in Chelsea, Melbourne, Victoria. What followed was a year of new books, new faces, lockdowns, deliveries, and the kind of community warmth that makes a neighbourhood feel like home.
This is the story of that year.
Chapter One
June
From “coming soon” to shelves full of books. The pop-up takes shape, stock arrives, and the dream becomes real.
Read June →
Chapter Two
July Open for Business
The shop finds its rhythm. Customers trickle in, the windows get dressed, and a community begins to gather around the shelves.
Read early July →
Chapter Three
July Lockdown
When Melbourne locked down again, the shop adapted local deliveries, click and collect, and a window display that kept the lights on.
Read late July →