Bookshop Darlinghurst’s Noel Lee Nominated For Bookseller Of The Year

Noel Lee from the iconic LGBTQIA+ bookstore Bookshop Darlinghurst has been nominated for the BookPeople 2025 Bookseller of the Year.

The Bookshop was Lee’s very first foray into retail bookstores more than 20 years ago, and his nomination reflects the thousands of people he has made an impact on during his time on Oxford Street.

The organisers behind BookPeople say the awards “recognise individual booksellers who go above and beyond in their work – sharing knowledge, sparking conversations, and helping readers discover new stories every day. They highlight the unique role booksellers play in their communities and the lasting impact they have on readers of all ages.”

Lee said that his nomination was less about his own individual achievements as a bookseller, and more of a recognition of the customers themselves.

“I thought the fact that the shop could be recognised, a small independent queer book shop could be recognised in this way on a national level- it’s kind of like a reflection back on our customers.”

Anyone who has stepped through the doors of the Bookshop knows it carries a different weight than other bookstores, even independent ones. There’s a great privilege in living in a city with a queer bookshop, and it’s not something Lee takes lightly.

“For me, I don’t see myself as here to sell books. I see myself here as as an advocate for people who come in, whether it’s straight people coming in to find out, to buy a book on how to support their teen who’s transitioning, grandmothers who are trying to get something to help their grandchild who has just come out as gay or whatever. I’ve had people break down on my shoulder and cry, you know, because they’re so distraught that they have no idea what to do with themselves.

“So those are, you know, examples of when I think being here is such a privilege, really. It is such an incredible place, because it isn’t just about the books or the DVDs. It’s really a safe space for many people. Many people come and tell us, this was the first place they ever came to where they could feel safe, where they could feel seen, because it’s not threatening in the way that a bar, or a sex on premise venue is.”

Safety and support the “most important thing”

Lee spoke about an email he’d received the other week, in which a customer from 15 years ago reached out to congratulate him on his nomination, and shared their first experience coming into the shop as a homeless youth.

“Apparently I had been concerned about him, how he was coping and stuff,” Lee said. “And then I made him aware of Twenty10 and what they could do to support him.  I also showed him a whole bunch of books about, you know, being queer and understanding and accepting yourself.

“This person said that this experience and the support that he got helped turn his life around such that he now is a queer anthropologist, historian, he’s about to finish his fifth degree.

“That’s the importance that a place like this can have. Providing a safe and supportive place- that’s really the most important thing.”

As the landscape of books and reading changes rapidly, having something tangible, a physical space to step into, can completely change your book-buying experience, but it’s the warmth and thoughtfulness of staff like Lee that make the biggest impact.

“We are very lucky to live here in Australia where a shop like this can exist,” Lee said. “While we can be grateful for that, we need to make sure people don’t get left behind. Whoever they are, because none of our rights can be taken for granted at all.”

The winner of the 2025 Bookseller of the Year Award will be announced on Sunday, 15 June.