Lily and Hugo’s children’s bookstore to open in Sunbury
Lily and Hugo’s bookstore for children will be opening soon in Sunbury, on the outskirts of Melbourne. Leigh Redman spoke with Books+Publishing about the new venture, which he and co-founder Mandy Redman hope to open on 14 September, “right before the school holidays”.
Who are the owners/managers?
The owners are Lily and Hugo of course. Lily is an incredibly sassy dragon who absolutely loves stories and babycinos, while Hugo is a jolly, easygoing young Fox who can’t stop following Lily around everywhere she goes. Unfortunately, they’re both always off on storytime adventures and will very likely be too unreliable to run the store day-to-day, so they’ve hired me, Leigh, a human man, to manage things. My wife, Mandy, has also been putting in serious work preparing fun elements for the store.
Why did you decide to open a bookshop in Sunbury?
We have two young kids (ages 4 and 1). Very early in our journey as parents, we recognised a gap in our community for a place like this. We’re filling the space between the library (an incredible resource for kids by the way) and a big box store that lacks personality and staff engagement.
Do you have previous experience in the book industry?
Truthfully, we have absolutely no experience in the book industry, other than our entire family’s love for reading. I’ve worked many roles within a family wholesale business for the past 18 years, so I have a reasonable understanding of day-to-day small business operations. I just now get to apply those skills to something we’re so passionate about.
How big is the store and how many people do you anticipate employing?
We’re starting small in a 35 square metre shop within one of Sunbury’s first “shopping arcades”. We hope to bring some amazing energy to the other businesses that also call the arcade home. In the early stages of the business it will be my wife and I running things until we get a gauge of staffing requirements.
What books do you specialise in and what differentiates your bookshop from others?
We specialise only in children’s books! Anything from ages 0 to 18, we’ll do our best to fit it on our shelves. Part of what will differentiate us from other locations is our priority and focus on weekday storytime and craft sessions. We understand that selling books and gifts is necessary to keep the lights on, but we also want kids to experience some of the stories without the obligation to buy them first. It might be a naive approach, but we’re going for it!
What authors or types of books do you think the locals are most interested in reading?
That’s the great unknown. We’re spreading our collection far and wide, including Australian classics like Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan and the “Rowan of Rin” series by Emily Rodda, which I remember reading as a child. We also want to champion books about topics parents often find difficult to talk about. Books about mental health struggles and body boundaries. Books about why someone’s brain might work a little differently than others. Books can be a wonderful, safe gateway for parents to introduce these topics at a pace they’re comfortable with.
What are some ways you plan to engage with the community?
Social media will obviously play a large role in keeping our community updated on store happenings. We have plenty of fun, unique things planned to keep kids engaged with the store long-term. Lily and Hugo have also informed me that they’re starting a club called The Story Guild, where kids can rise through the ranks by being involved in the store. You never know, one day your child might become a Story Guild Champion! Keep an eye on our social media as we get closer to opening day for more information about The Story Guild.
Do you run any events or plan to run any in the future?
The staple events will be the weekday storytime sessions in the morning and then self-guided afternoon craft sessions for the kids after school/kindy. We’ve also already received significant support from local authors and illustrators who have offered to host guest readings and book launches. It’s all so exciting!
What do you think customers will love most about your shop?
I just hope kids can find something they want to read in our shop. It can be hard to find the types of stories that resonate with you, even as an adult. I truly hope they love the shop in every way possible. We’re putting our hearts into this and we hope it shows.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about your store?
We appreciate that times are tough for many and books can technically be found cheaper elsewhere, but we hope our local community gives us a go. We hope everyone reading this gives their own local bookstore a go. Support local families and businesses if you have the means because we all care about our communities. It’s why we’ve all chosen to do this thing.
Category: Features
