The Little Bookroom: Community Save World’s Oldest Children’s Bookshop

In an overwhelming show of community support, beloved local institution The Little Bookroom has narrowly escaped closing, with plans to reopen just in time for gifting season.

Swooping in to save the day was writer, editor and ex–store manager, Michael Earp, with more than a little help from the community, in the form of over $40,000 in donations.

Star Observer sat down with the 2021 Bookseller of the Year, now owner-manager to talk about the power of stories, their plans for the future, and the strength of community at a time when children’s literature are under a microscope.

When asked about recent attempted book bans both locally and internationally, Earp points out the irony of trying to ‘cancel’ a book. “I don’t think they understand that cancelling a book skyrockets its sales… cancelling a book doesn’t cancel someone’s existence. In fact, there’s no way to cancel someone’s existence. People exist regardless of your enthusiasm towards them.” Earp is passionate about children’s literature being accessible to all – and are working hard to ensure the shop and its stock are accessible too.

“My shelves will always aim to represent the world that is around me” because, Earp says, “I also know full well the long-term harm that telling children they, or their friends, or the people in their lives, are less than. Children’s books should always be here to broaden people’s minds, not narrow them.”

New shelves, new location, new owners — same heart

Founded in 1960 by Albert Ullin OAM, The Little Bookroom (TLB) was the first bookstore in Australia exclusively stocking literature for children, and is now the world’s oldest.

Over six decades it has changed hands and locations many times, an unbroken chain of dedication and love ensuring Melbourne’s children had nothing but the best books, but also the broadest selection, catering to children from all kinds of families and backgrounds.

 

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It also helped launch the careers of many celebrated local authors, with many turning to social media to spread the word using photos of book launches and readings from years past.

Sadly, following the challenges of the pandemic and personal circumstances, the Lambert family, who have stewarded TLB for 17 years, had to find a new owner for the business they’d cherished for so long.

A love of children’s lit comes full circle

In stepped Michael Earp, a non-binary writer and bookseller who (among many hats in the industry) proudly managed TLB from 2018–2022.

Between their 23 years’ experience as a bookseller, their in-house expertise at publishers like Affirm Press and Walker Books, and a Masters in Children’s Literature, Earp has experience galore. As if that’s not enough, they’re also Chair of the Board for Q-Lit (Victoria’s Queer Literature Festival) and have edited and contributed to three anthologies of queer writing including fairy tales, pirate stores, and queer young adult stories.

Earp says that owning TLB was something they “always dreamed of, and so when the opportunity arose, it was something that I absolutely pursued. I also knew that if I didn’t chase this, then I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

The community steps up to Save The Little Bookroom

Within days, it was clear that TLB wasn’t going to be allowed to fade into the history books.

The community rallied around Earp, and the donations started flowing in. “it’s very heartening to have such a strong community response and it’s very clear that people want this bookshop to exist.”

Within just two weeks, the goal had been met and exceeded, and will continue to take donations to ensure that not only is TLB allowed to survive, but given the opportunity to thrive and flourish. Far from expecting the support, Earp was stunned.

“When I set this GoFundMe up, I [thought] I might get a thousand dollars. I might get several thousand, and so the fact that I had 20 grand in 48 hours blew my mind. And then to reach 40 grand in 2 weeks? I’m so moved by people’s love of the shop.

“But, I guess to a point it is a belief in me as well, and I’m incredibly humbled by that. And I cannot wait to be open again, to be able to sell books or talk about books again with these people that have spent literal dollars on just having a bookshop survive, even if they’re not local.”

The list of known donors reads like a who’s who of children’s authors and illustrators, as well as some generous donations from other local bookstores who, far from seeing TLB as competition for their businesses, see the essential part it plays in the local ecosystem – one that has survived many replantings, and cannot be allowed to fall.

Earp says this kind of support is emblematic of the book industry as a whole, because it “is not a, ‘you have to tear down your competitors in order to rise up yourself’ kind of industry. We know that engagement with books is the battle, and so the more people who are encouraging engagement with books is the victory and the death of a bookshop is a sad thing for the entire industry.”

The future is printed in full colour

Earp has big plans for the future.

“I want to dedicate myself to it and what it can offer the community and build it up to be sort of that beacon of children’s literature, not just in Australia, but hopefully internationally as well,” they explain.

Their focus is on sustainability and growing the business naturally, but their vision for the future is bright, including developing “teachers and educators through to writers and illustrators” and “running workshops for kids and engaging young creatives”.

They’re also extremely passionate about using their platform to encourage the industry to do better by their youngest customers.

“I would love to establish a children’s literature journal where we genuinely delve into what makes a good book and review them in a critical sense…I’m very interested in being self-aware of what this industry at large is doing and what it contributes to its own development and future…at the end of the day, it is child engagement that is at the heart of what we’re doing.”

The generous donations will be used to fit out the space, ensuring this new iteration of The Little Bookroom is welcoming, flexible and accessible to all, ready for another 60 years of readers to discover a love of stories between the shelves.  And that’s not just younger readers — Earp is quick to point out that picture books are for everyone!

“As adults, we like reading and we like art and going to art galleries. Why do we see picture books as not for us? Because we love art and we love words. And so when they’re together, it’s okay. It’s okay to love a picture book as an adult, as a object in and of itself and be moved by it.”