New Life For Brisbane’s LGBTQIA+ Bookstore Shelf Lovers

Brisbane’s LGBTQIA+ Bookstore Shelf Lovers have revealed new plans to help keep the business operational after they made the difficult decision to close their store this year.

In April 2025 the doors on the bricks and mortar store of Shelf Lovers closed for the last time, with owner Kat vowing to find new ways to keep the business going.

Now Kat has revealed new plans to ensure the business can continue, under a new model to help bring the community our favourite LGBTQIA+ stories.

Shelf Lovers to continue trading under new business model

It’s been a tough year for Kat and her team, closing the doors on her store after two years of operation and community support was a devastating, but important decision she was forced to make.

“We loved every minute of the 2 years we were open, but we didn’t have enough financial resilience built up to cover the slower times unfortunately” she told The Star Observer.

“When we announced the closure, we were inundated with messages of support, with people telling us just how much Shelf Lovers meant to them and the impact we had had (a little hint: it was A LOT).”

“We have been trying to come up with a sustainable and financially viable way to keep the magic of Shelf Lovers alive and support the LGBTQ community in a very valuable, but often underrated, way – by sharing and celebrating queer books and authors.”

 

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Now Kat has revealed a slew of new plans she is preparing to ensure the business will continue to operate.

Moving forward Shelf Lovers will continue to operate as an online store, direct via email sales and also in person via pop-ups and stalls at events.

Kat plans to launch a new website for the business shortly and will be offering a user-pays type model to ensure continued sustainability for the business.

Shelf Lovers will continue to maintain much of what their customers loved, offering unique and sometimes hard to find LGBTQIA+ books, drag story times, book meetings as well as providing advocacy, support and a safe and welcoming community of like minded book lovers.

Part of their online offerings will include the Shelf Lovers Society of Readers, which will include to levels of memberships that include monthly newsletters with recommendations, reviews and pre orders available.

New options for local delivery and a possible click and collect option in Brisbane are also being explored.

As well as offering great LGBTQIA+ fiction and non-fiction offerings Shelf Lovers will focus on offering services for professionals/practitioners with comprehensive and reliable reading lists on a variety of LGBTQIA+ themed topics on important issues such  Supporting Trans Teens and other issues.

As well as taking special orders directly Kat and her team will still attend all major pride events with their pop up stalls as well as curating pop up events for professionals and organisations on top of their regular events which will take place at new locations.

Exact details of the new operating model are set for release in the coming days as Kat works to perfect the new structure of the business to best serve the community as effectively as she can.

It’s big changes for the Shelf Lovers team, but changes that will still see them keep the things the community love best about the business.

“I’m really excited to see where the new direction takes us” Kat says.

“At home we’ve been lovingly referring to the new business model as Shelf Lovers’ transition. Ultimately, while we are going through some changes, the Shelf Lovers name, heart and personality will be the same.”

To stay up to date on the Shelf Lovers journey follow them on social media or head to their website.