Nup, this post has got nothing to do with cricket ... *yawn*
More to do with the phoenix - the mythical bird that, at the end of its life, builds a fire for a nest, from which a new bird rises.
I mentioned in my last post about the demise of some chain-bookstores and my hope that this might enable small, independent High Street bookstores to start up again. Well, a good friend of mine pointed out that this is certainly the case in Portland, Victoria, where The Little Bookshop has recently started trading. I visited it a couple of times in January and bought a Haruki Murakami title on one visit and a Carson McCullers on the other - as well as some wonderful gift cards. The owners are planning on running workshops and literary activities in the shop too, so it's got a lot going for it. Even copies of my books!
Good luck to it and go visit it often if you happen to be near Portland, Victoria.
You can also visit its website and browse its gallery of photos - to see what a good bookshop looks like here. Maybe it'll inspire other bookshops to rise up out of the ashes.
