Speaker 1 00:02
This is a Vision Australia radio podcast.
Speaker 2 00:19
On Vision Australia Radio, welcome to our conversations on the work and experiences of emerging writers. I'm Kate Cooper, and our guest today is Stacey Howard - owner and operator of Mockingbird Lounge, second-hand bookshop and cafe in Glenelg South. One of the aims of this program is to include reflections from people and organisations involved in supporting, encouraging and promoting writers and writing. Included in our plan is a series profiling book sellers in our state, so I'm delighted to come here to Mockingbird Lounge and speak with Stacey about her work in and perspectives on the art of second-hand bookselling.
Stacey, welcome to the programme. Mockingbird Lounge Bookshop and Cafe has been a feature in Glenelg South for some years now and has grown such that a while back you moved across the road to larger premises. Before you tell us the story of Mockingbird Lounge, would you tell us about your own background and what inspired you to become a second-hand bookseller?
Speaker 3 01:27
OK, well, I feel like there's so many, so many elements that have all come together here. But the main thing, I guess, has to be about the books and reading. And I think I can't remember learning to read. I feel like it's just something I've always done. And my whole childhood, I was reading. I was always that kid, you know, books under the cover with the torch when I should be sleeping. And, you know, family holidays is just photos of me reading a book in a different setting. So the love of books has always been part of me. And then when I was at studying at university, I got a job in an Angus and Robertson bookshop. And so I worked there while I was studying, which was my dream part-time job. And while I was there, I loved it so much.
And I thought, oh, I'd love one day to open a little secondhand bookshop and cafe. You know, that's my dream. And that's maybe my retirement dream plan. I thought, you know, once I finished my my serious job kind of thing. And, you know, my friend once said to me, like, well, if you want to do that, then, you know, why don't you just do it? So what happened was, yeah, I was working at Angus and Robertson, finished uni, and then had the opportunity to work as the assistant manager of that store, which I did for just over a year. So that gave me so much experience in the book industry and retail and management and all those things. That was excellent. And then, yeah, I decided, even though I finished uni, not to do the serious career, but to just go and start my bookshop.
And I really wanted it to be a secondhand bookshop because I do love the idea of reusing, repurposing and giving those books another life. And I also felt like there was a lack of good quality secondhand bookshops around. So I remember I was working at Angus and Robertson, obviously selling new books, which can be quite pricey. And I also loved op shopping. And I do remember, like, one day selling a book at Angus and Robertson. I think it was like a new hardcover. It was $59 .95. And then going op shopping the next day and finding the exact same book for one dollar.
And I thought, OK, where's the middle ground here? You know, where can you go and get really good quality, good condition secondhand books that are feels like a new bookshop in that they're categorised and alphabetised and there's no rubbish or poor condition. They're all just good. And then you pay obviously somewhere, not the op shop pricing, but nowhere near the new book pricing. So that kind of guided my whole plan for the secondhand bookshop side of things. And then I wanted the cafe because I've really wanted the whole combo and this whole business. It's interesting. Like, if you are wondering what Mockingbird Lounge is like or what my vision was like, you could just come here because this is exactly what I had in my head is here. So, yeah, it's amazing. So here we are.
Speaker 2 04:35
It's a lovely welcoming space and I find being surrounded by bookshelves full of books, the warmest, most comforting place to possibly be. But you haven't just got books and we'll talk about that a little bit later in our conversation. But yeah, it's a beautiful surrounding, lovely old building. You established the current and the previous Mockingbird Lounge premises on the Broadway, England and South. What was it about this location that so appealed to you?
Speaker 3 05:06
Well, it's been such an excellent community for the business and I wish I could say that I chose the community first, but in reality I had this vision for this bookshop cafe and the idea of having all the little different rooms like a big old house was part of the vision. So really what was important to me was that vibe and that feeling and that layout of the building. Like I didn't want like a square space, I wanted the nooks and crannies and so I did think, I had just thought, I have this vision, I want to build it and like I'll build it and they will come, you know, that's the kind of mentality I had.
So in Adelaide I sort of searched quite far and wide thinking okay there's lots of different little communities north, south, east and west and I just wanted to find the right place and I did more research really about the actual buildings themselves and the streets and the hubs more than the actual communities themselves and yeah one day I was just driving down Broadway and saw the four lease sign in the in the property and when I walked in I thought yeah this is this is right and yeah obviously this this strip in this area has a lot of buildings like that so it was right in that way.
Speaker 2 06:27
It's a terrific old building. There are several rooms. They're crammed with books. You've got other items, you've got some fabulous crockery, just decorating on top of the bookshelves, and lovely old furniture for people to sit in. How did you source the furniture?
Speaker 3 06:46
Well, just like everything for the business when I first started, I spent time gathering from op shops and vintage shops and sometimes the side of the road and I was searching just not just furniture, but also all the crockery that we use, high tea stands, old butter knives, all that sort of thing. I liked the idea of the vintage for the look of it and the repurposing of it. But yeah, so we now over the time, so many people bring us things. They bring, you know, they're clearing out their parents' home and they bring us some crockery or trio sets or chairs and furniture. So we kind of gather as we go along.
Speaker 2 07:28
You said "community" before, and I wanted to ask you what that word "community" means to you.
Speaker 3 07:36
Well, in terms of the business, that's one of the huge things that's blown me away, really, is the customers that come here and the regulars, like you always hear when you're starting a business how important regulars are. And I sort of thought I knew what that meant, but I had no idea that we would have people that come every single day and people that we know by name, we know their dog's name, we know their coffee order. We even have people that, you know, we have their phone number and if they don't tell us that they're going away and we don't see them for a few days, they're getting a phone call, you know, where are you? What's going on? Just like we have this whole group of people and we have all these customers that come on their own. It's a good place to come if you want to just come for a coffee and you can either sit by yourself or there'll be someone you can find to talk to.
The dogs are great for bringing people together. Lots of people meet up with other people or no one can resist stopping to pat the dog and that starts up the conversation. And there's so many people like that that come here that have made friends that way, made connections that way. And that really has been amazing for us. I think creating that place that everyone feels welcome and everyone feels safe and comfortable to talk to somebody else, I think so nice. And that's just with just the sort of everyday customers that are coming for that coffee. But with our book clubs, which is probably something we're going to get into, that has been an amazing community building thing where people sign up to a book club that has created such a community, the book clubs.
Speaker 2 09:08
Fantastic. Mockingbird Lounge, as we said, is a secondhand bookshop. It's also a cafe, and we talked before about how you found the premises here and how the premises suited your needs. What else did you need to do to establish your business? There must have been so many things to think about and so much preparatory work to do to go from finding the perfect location to getting it ready for the opening and then for running it day to day.
Speaker 3 09:39
Yeah, definitely. It was a very steep learning curve and I'm, I think I'm glad that I didn't know the full extent of what was required before I started because that would have been quite daunting. I think I was a bit, you know, innocent. I was 28 when the business opened and probably about, yeah, about 26, 27 when I was getting things underway, which obviously I didn't feel young at the time, but looking back, that feels young. And I think I just, you know, I gathered all the things. I thought, yeah, I'll just, I'll just give it a go. You know, we're going to gather all the stuff, gather some books, get a coffee machine, you know, build some bookshelves. How hard can it be, kind of thing?
I did do a small business course, which worked through doing a business plan. And that helped with a lot of the like things that I didn't know about, like legal requirements and licensing and things like that. So much has changed as well over the years that you have to keep up with, you know, the regulations and things like that, that you just have to keep learning really.
Speaker 2 10:41
So you don't just start a business, you've actually got to be on your toes the whole time with the changes in requirements.
Speaker 3 10:47
Yeah that's right and even the business itself I mean I had in mind to start a secondhand bookshop and cafe but now it's so much more with all the other things that we do and all of those things have developed over the years so we didn't start as what you see now we didn't start it exactly like this it's growing to this over the time.
Speaker 2 11:08
Stacy, what's the story behind your choice of the name Mockingbird Lounge?
Speaker 3 11:13
Again, I wish this could be more straightforward. I tell people, well, To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book. And I think, Oh look, it is definitely one of my favorite books, let's say. I really wanted a literary reference that when people hear the word, they think books. And I thought Mockingbird really does that for me. And then Lounge, I wanted because I wanted you to envision a cozy, comfy place that you wanna be and hang out. So that's how we got Mockingbird Lounge.
Speaker 2 11:44
Great story. And what about your own reading preferences? Are there particular genres that really appeal to you or do you enjoy a wide range of books?
Speaker 3 11:55
I think I would say not a wide range, I'd definitely like fiction and probably historical fiction or something with a setting that is foreign to me, either the place or an event. Obviously excellent characters and well-written goes without saying, but I'm pretty strict to that kind of a book, don't really stray into crime thrillers or sci-fi or non-fiction much either. It's just a really well-written story with really good characters.
Speaker 2 12:26
So as well as Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, who else do you think of as your favourite writers?
Speaker 3 12:33
So what would come to mind? John Boyne, Geraldine Brooks. I have other favourite books and then not necessarily favourite authors but those two probably come to mind where I've read and liked multiple books of theirs.
Speaker 2 12:49
Stacey, running your own business would be incredibly time-consuming, so approximately how many books are you able to read in a month, give or take?
Speaker 3 13:00
Hmm that's interesting. I definitely am a binge reader for books so I will sort of rather than have a steady pace of books I'll probably read three or four in a week and then you know maybe nothing for the next two weeks. So let's say on average maybe five a month - but I start many many more books than I finish. I used to be the kind of person that had to finish. If I started a book I had to finish but these days I'm reading with my book clubs in mind and which books I'm going to choose for there for sets for book club and so I start a book that I think might be good and if I don't get into it if I'm not liking it I put it down, move on to the next. So if I actually finish a book that's a very good sign for that book but there's definitely a big pile next to my bed that has a bookmark just a few pages in. So different to other people maybe that that will read the whole book and not stop.
Speaker 2 13:58
I reckon I was 40-something the first time I was able to actually say No, I'm not going to finish this book. I used to find it impossible not to keep going even if I didn't really like a book.
Speaker 3
Same, yeah.
Speaker 2 14:11
It doesn't happen very often at all, but just occasionally I think there's so much else to read I can't continue.
Our guest on emerging writers today is Stacey Howard, owner and operator of Mockingbird Lounge second -hand bookshop and cafe on Broadway in Glenelg South. Stacey, you mentioned the book clubs before and you have a number of monthly book clubs that meet here at Mockingbird Lounge. How did those work and how can our listeners find out more?
Speaker 3 14:46
So we have, I just did a count so I could be accurate for today. 101 book clubs and I didn't count the individual members but it's around 800, close to 850 individual members that have signed up to our book clubs so they're groups that meet here once a month. They either sign up as an individual or form a group of their own and contact me as a group but more often than not it's individuals signing up. Then I place those people in a group just of similar age range and on a day and time that suits. So we've got daytime groups and we've got evening groups as well and then they meet here once a month. They choose from our book club selection which titles they want to read.
So I choose which books go into book club as a set and then they choose out of those books as a group which ones they want to read and then I schedule those books for them when they're going in and out with other groups. So I get them to choose about six to eight at a time and then I would schedule those over the next six to eight months. They're the ones they're going to read along with all the other groups. So the book club membership fee is $17 a month which covers the book that they borrow for the month and also a coffee or whatever drink they'd like to have included. And information about this is on the website, so mockingbirdlounge.com.au - and also in-store we've got flyers you can pick up about that.
Speaker 2 16:15
101 book clubs and around 800-850 people. That's an incredible number of people, and a lot of scheduling for you with the sets of books.
Speaker 3
It is.
Speaker 2
And as well as the book clubs, Mockingbird Lounge also runs creative writing workshop groups on the first Tuesday of the month. Would you tell us about those?
Speaker 3 16:36
Yeah, so that has been running for years and years... it started one one day, someone asked me Do you have writing groups? And I thought Well, no, we don't - but we could, so I contacted someone from the essay writer centre and found someone who was wanting to take the group so that unlike the book clubs where you commit to a group the creative writing class is a casual class where you can just drop in when you like on that first Tuesday of the month at seven o 'clock and the teacher works through with everyone some writing exercises and they I think they can work on their own writing as well.
And That's been going for such a long time and and people really, yeah, we have people that come every time or people that just drop in when they want to spice up their writing a little bit. It's been really nice to be able to offer that.
Speaker 2 17:28
That's fantastic. And you offer a knitting and crochet club.
Speaker 3 17:33
Yes. {?} that story, same stories, you know people wanted some help with their knitting or crochet and I thought Well, surely someone around here knows how to teach it... and so can't remember how we found the teacher, but yeah we just started the class where they come along and they pay $15 which covers the class and includes a coffee as well - and that is again like a casual kind of thing where you can just drop in and you can get individual help from the teacher with whatever you're working on, so the teacher can give you a project to start from scratch if you like or you could bring your own project and just get help when you need it from from the teacher. We have a whole bunch of women that come every week and they don't need the help they just want to sit and do their knitting in a nice group setting so that's so nice as well.
Speaker 2 18:22
So that's another lovely dimension of what you were describing before about the community part of this.
Speaker 3
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2
Mockingbird Lounge also showcases the work of local visual artists. Tell us how that works. Do you have a feature artist for a time period or a selection of different works by a range of artists?
Speaker 3 18:41
So we have a monthly exhibition with one artist using our space for the month and the space is in the hallway so you know these old buildings with their long hallways it was just a good use of the space so they get the space for the month to display their works and then we try and sell them for them.
Speaker 2 19:01
That's terrific. Stacey, what are some of the day-to-day rewards of your work?
Speaker 3 19:07
It's... so funny because there are, there are so many, but it's also quite, I feel like I get rewarded quite literally, you know, almost every day when with people saying to me how much they love this place, how much they love coming here, how much they love their book club, or they've just come in for the first time and they're, you can see them blown away by everything they're seeing here. And, you know, they, they tell me that. And so I'm, I'm get quite a literal positive feedback, you know, almost daily.
So it's been so lovely to have that lots of jobs. I imagined you don't really get that kind of feedback, but I do get it almost every day and just being able to also, I'm really proud of creating jobs as well. So we've got like 13 staff now that's worried 7 days and also the nights for book club. So yeah, mostly we've got university students, that kind of thing. And so it's been so nice to provide all those jobs as well.
Speaker 2 20:11
That's brilliant. Following on from that question, we spoke before about keeping up with regulations and so forth. So what are some of the other day-to-day challenges involved in managing what is a combination secondhand bookshop? You also have jigsaw puzzles and various other items and you have a full cafe.
Speaker 3 20:36
Yes and the book club's pretty much a full-time job as well, with all the scheduling and things like that. So sometimes you know I do feel like I'm running three or four businesses because I do all the all the back end things as well. You know they say that about people running their own businesses, the many hats that you wear - and it's so true, you know sometimes I'm changing light bulbs, you know sometimes I'm paying superannuation payments, you know it's so varied, all the things that I do - which is great and I love that, but it is... a lot.
Speaker 2 21:07
You'd have to be a highly organised person to manage, as you say, effectively three or four businesses in one with what you've got.
Speaker 3 21:16
Yeah, I think it's a combination of the business developing slowly over time. So all those things that I sort of organise and manage have just developed slowly rather than being hit with them all at once. I have a really great team of staff that run a whole lot of things that I don't even have to think about anymore, which is amazing. And the fact that I really enjoy it, I think helps. I still love going out and sourcing all the secondhand books for the shop.
I really love sourcing all the new gifts like the puzzles and the jewelry and socks and everything that we sell doing those kind of sourcing. So the fact that I think I still love it really helps. I even still like scheduling all the books for the book clubs when they make their selections and then I see what they've chosen and then I schedule it and I get so satisfied with good good scheduling. Yeah, so I think that helps.
Speaker 2 22:12
And you spoke before about feedback so you've had that feedback from the book clubs as well What they thought of the books and you can see what the trends are I guess in people's reading yeah and likes
Speaker 3 22:23
that's it. I get to talk about books every day so it's so interesting how varied people's reactions to the same book can be. I've seen a group, a whole group absolutely hate a book just so scathing, just all of them agreed how terrible the book is and I'm thinking oh maybe this book shouldn't be in book club. Then the next day a different group coming all loved it so it's so amazing how like how books can mean so many things to so many different people.
Speaker 2 22:55
And it's wonderful that we've all got such incredibly diverse tastes and different understandings of what makes a good board.
Speaker 3 23:03
Yeah and hopefully like the book club discussions can open people's minds to that. So I love, I love when a book club member comes to book club and they say oh I didn't finish the book you know I didn't really like it. Then they sit and have their book club meeting and at the end of the meeting they say oh do you think I could borrow this a bit longer I really want to finish it now because it's, their perspectives changed a little bit in the discussion, so I love that.
Speaker 2 23:29
And how wonderful to have that time to talk about books. Firstly, what was the impact of COVID on your business?
Speaker 3 23:38
Well, at the beginning, it was completely devastating. We had to close, we couldn't operate. And, you know, I thought, Oh, what have I done? I've started this business that is bringing people together, different people from different families and things together, physically in a small, cozy space. And I thought that is the exact opposite of, you know, what you need for a COVID outbreak. So I thought, I didn't know what I was gonna do. We had to shut. It was quite devastating for a short time. And then when we decided to, that we would be reopening, you know, that it was gonna happen one way or another, that's when we took the opportunity to move to the new premises.
And so we spent that time while we were closed, was about three months in the end, moving across the road. So moving all the bookshelves, moving all the books, setting up in the new space. And then we also took that time to change over our whole inventory system to the current one, which is our online store as well. So now we have all the books listed online where we can search for search by title or author for a particular book. And that's been really, that's been really great. So in the end, it's turned into a real bonus for us because I don't think we would have ever had the time to move to a bigger and better premises or the opportunity to change the inventory like that.
Speaker 3 25:04
So it kind of gave us the time to do that and improve the business. So that was the real silver lining.
Speaker 2 25:10
others I've spoken with on this program have said they noticed people began reading more because of Covid because people were at home more often and didn't want to spend as we said earlier the whole time on digital devices. So began to come back to books and fall in love with books all over again. Yeah that's true. The answer to this next question is really obvious and we've just talked about it but I'm going to ask you anyway why do you think that bookshops will always be an essential part of our community and our cultural life in South Australia.
Speaker 3 25:43
Well, just books in general. I feel like I've been, from the start, even getting the business started, people were thinking, Oh, are books really still hanging around? You know, it was right when e-readers were taking off and things like that. And I'm so sure that, of course, books are staying around. And I think the way the world goes with more things on screen and more things, like having you sitting down at a computer, you wanna get away from that. And like, there's just nothing like reading books. So I think books are always gonna be around and therefore book shops need to always be around. So the amount of people we have joining a book club all the time shows me that people are still very interested in reading books and reading the physical books as well.
Speaker 2 26:25
Yeah, I think for me there's nothing more enjoyable than the physicality of picking up a book, turning the pages. Yeah, it's a full experience. Absolutely is. Stacy, would you tell our listeners exactly where Mockingbird Lounge, Second Hand Bookshop and Cafe is located, and also your web address?
Speaker 3 26:46
Okay, so we're in Glenelg, South, 68 Broadway. MockingbirdLounge.com.au, which is our website that has all the information about our book clubs, writing group, meeting group. It's also got our menu listed there. And it is also an online store where you can purchase all of the secondhand books and all of the gifts as well.
Speaker 2 27:07
Thank you so much, Stacey. I really enjoyed hearing about your experiences in setting up and running Mockingbird Lounge. Our guest on Emerging Writers today was Stacey Howard, owner and operator of Mockingbird Lounge, second-handbook shop and cafe on Broadway in Glenelg South.
This program can be heard at the same time each week here on Vision Australia Radio, VA Radio on Digital, online at varadio.org, and also on Vision Australia Radio Podcast, where you can catch up on earlier episodes.
Speaker 1 27:51
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Speaker 4 28:02
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