An author of international acclaim has decided to make the transition from writing books to selling them too after buying her regional community's last bookshop.
Collins Booksellers in Orange in NSW Central West was founded 22 years ago by residents Margaret and Phil Schwebel.
New owner and New York Times bestselling author Kelly Rimmer didn't want to see the city's last bookshop close down or ownership move out of the region.
"It really matters to me and my family that the Orange bookstore is owned by people who live in Orange or close to Orange," she said.
"It's always been a family store. And so there's something really, really unique and special about continuing that tradition too."
Ms Rimmer, whose books include The Things We Cannot Say and The Warsaw Orphan, plans to get her whole family, including her children, involved in running the shop.
"I think there's something powerful for kids about being surrounded by books in a bookstore or in their home," she said.
Ms Rimmer said books were an important part of her own childhood, which led to her decision to buy the shop.
"I was a kid who felt very disconnected and quite isolated at times, and it was reading and storytelling that connected me to the broader community but also helped me to understand myself," she said.
Bookshops not going anywhere
Ms Rimmer was not concerned about her business prospects despite the introduction of online bookselling.
"I obviously wouldn't be purchasing a physical bookstore if I didn't believe 100 per cent in the future of that technology," she said.
She said independent bookstore culture was thriving.
"It never has suffered in the same way that some other countries' have," she said.
Australian Booksellers Association chief executive Robbie Egan shared the sentiment.
"Bookshops are embedded in communities, and local people really supported their bookshops right across the country," he said.
"If you like to read, a conversation with another human that is a big reader is simply the best way to learn what's new, what's out there and to bounce around ideas.
Mr Egan said bookshops were "vital" to their local communities.
"Regional areas are full of people who are interested in reading as much as anywhere else," he said.
"It's not work, and it's not home. It's a place where you can gather, talk and exchange information."
Owners excited about shop's future
The bookshop's previous owner Margaret Schwebel said community was a big part of the store's identity.
Ms Schwebel said she was pleased Ms Rimmer planned to continue that connection.
"It needs to be suited just to that community. And that's what we've been aiming for," she said.
Ms Rimmer said she was looking forward to continuing the Schwebels' legacy in Orange.
"There's a thriving, independent bookstore culture in Australia, and it's pretty exciting to get to be a part of it."
