Margaret River Bookshop is a local icon

The town became the major beneficiary of Keith McLeod and partner Polly changing occupations 15 years ago, when they decided to join forces and open the Margaret River Bookshop.

They have worked hard since, driven by a love of books, to build a popular business frequented by locals and visitors alike.

Mr McLeod said they catered to a broad customer base which also had a wide range of tastes.

"The challenge is always trying to cover all the bases in terms of stock," Mr McLeod said.

"It's hard work, and lots of it, like any small business, but it's a great place to work - I love it."

He said one of the best things about running a book store was its vibe.

"People are relaxed, they drift around on a little bit of a cloud until they stumble metaphorically upon a little gem, which they clutch to themselves," he said.

"And then they come to buy it - happy, relaxed, ready for a chat.

"Selling books can be quite moving, people open up their souls a bit."

Then there are the small children, sprawled out on the floor, propped up on their elbows reading a shiny new book, which Mr McLeod gladly encourages.

"There's no 'don't touch the books' from us," he said.

Despite living in an increasingly digitally-reliant era, Mr McLeod said it didn't concern them, because they found paper books were still popular.

They also weren't too adversely affected by the pandemic, because despite having to close for five weeks early on in 2020, Mr McLeod said in the proceeding months the State's hard border meant that WA people started exploring the State, including Margaret River.

While it wasn't intentional, Mr McLeod is proud that he has been able to build a successful small business in the town, following in the footsteps of his great grandparents, grandparents and parents.

"It's a nice connection," he said.

SOME OTHER GREAT READS

The store is open seven days a week and there is an extensive selection of books available for purchase online on the bookshop's website to be either collected by click-and-collect or delivered by post.

Being community minded, the pair often support events for authors, such as an evening in conversation for WA writer and Jasper Jones author Craig Silvey earlier this month, which included a book signing of his latest release Runt.

That was a free event presented by the Margaret River Bookshop along with Arts Margaret River and The River Hotel, while in November Tasmanian gourmet farmer, chef and author Matthew Evans visited the Margaret River Men's Shed to talk about his latest book, The Real Food Companion, where he signed copies.

Mr McLean said the book scene was ever-changing, with new releases every month that people were always chasing - such as the new Cormac McCarthy, the biography of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, called The Storyteller, Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave's new book, Faith, Hope and Carnage, and new novels.

The store also has a best seller stand, but Mr McLeod is not afraid of steering people to some of his personal favourites among the more than 300 classic fiction titles in-store including the 1851 novel Moby-Dick and 1925 release The Great Gatsby, books by The Catcher in the Rye author JD Salinger and English writer Virginia Woolf.

"They may not be everyone's favourite, but you can only be honest about things you love," he said.

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Margaret River Bookshop