First Look: The Rose Read Bookshop Is Exactly What Summer Hill’s Been Waiting For

Inside The Rose Read Bookshop, you almost feel like you’re in a scene of a whimsical rom-com. There are light green shelves of books wrapping the space, flowers on the checkout counter, corners with cushy vintage armchairs and locals chatting everywhere – all on a Summer Hill corner.

It’s a dream realised by friends Stephanie Beck and Mischa Parkee, who started their bookselling careers as teens at Newtown’s Better Read Than Dead. They worked there full-time for years, before becoming teachers in 2018 – all the while keeping a few literary shifts on the side, and chatting about one day owning a bookshop of their own.

Last year, Beck’s mum Rosemary Samyia passed away, and she was left with an inheritance. A community-minded bookshop felt like a beautiful way to spend the money – so arrived The Rose Read.

The main room holds fiction, mostly, with employee picks on display. Manga, comics, poetry and plays are tucked into one corner. There are also book-related gifts – including bespoke Rose Read fidget toys, bookmarks and postcards.

Step through the doorway to the second room for non-fiction – cookbooks, history, psychology and more – plus young adult and kids books lining the walls. There’s a large tree sculpture, complete with bookshelves up its trunk and bench seating at the base, and a blanket Samyia knitted draped over an armchair.

The final room is an event space, hidden behind a murder-mystery-esque trick bookcase. Here there’s space for up to 60 people, with yoga classes and author visits already on the cards. Even before opening, there have already been four soldout book club meetings. The plan is to run multiple groups, each meeting once a month, utilising the outdoor courtyard lit with festoon lighting.

The events area is also where you’ll find second-hand books. You’re welcome to sell your preloved books to the new store, or you can exchange books bought at Rose Read for store credit. “We [also] already have some partnerships with local schools, so we can supply books to school libraries,” says Beck.

When Broadsheet visited on opening weekend, the store was packed – locals are excited. A week before launch, the team had received “around 100” job applications despite not having an opening available, and its Instagram was inundated with messages of support and anticipation.

At the launch, a queue stretched down the block. Inside, people were chatting and showing each other what they’d pulled from the shelves, and parents were snuggled in reading with their kids under the tree.

The crowd was supportive, with books flying off shelves – the bestsellers of the weekend were Taiwan Travelogue, John of John and the store’s debut book of the month, Medea Sang Me a Corrido.

It’s a promising start for any small business, especially in today’s unsteady economic climate. “I think bookshops are still really successful as long as they’re community oriented,” says Beck. As Broadsheet leaves, a woman sums up the energy: “It’s what Summer Hill has been wanting for so long.”

The Rose Read Bookshop
132–134 Smith Street, Summer Hill

Hours:
Mon to Wed 9am–6pm
Thu to Sat 10am–9pm
Sun 10am–6pm

@therosereadbookshop
roseread.com.au