Tired of binge-watching Netflix shows during the lockdown? Whilst stay-at-home orders will remain in Sydney for at least another month, Bookoccino Avalon has offered a click-and-collect delivery service for those looking to catch up on their reading.
Online or phone orders at Bookoccino Avalon will be prepared by one or two workers, which could be picked up at their Barrenjoey site or delivered for free for residents from Narrabeen to Palm Beach. The bookstore will also ship across the country for free as well, for book orders above $50.
Thriving for three decades as one of the Northern Beaches’ cultural hubs, Bookoccino Avalon sustains trading in this pandemic by keeping patrons updated on their social media pages. The staff, who are also complying with the stay-at-home orders, have been sharing their own reading lists and book collections for booklovers who may be wondering what they should read next.
Among Bookoccino’s recent page-turners include Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson, and Double Blind by Edward St Aubyn. They also have some of the titles added in the 2021 Booker Longlist, such as Second Place by Rachel Cusk, The Promise by Damon Galgut, Circle by Maggie Shipstead, and Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford.
Check the shop’s latest inventory at their online store and follow the shop’s Instagram page for updates.
In Memoriam
Meanwhile, Bookoccino founder and longtime Avalon resident, Roger Hutchings, has passed away peacefully in late July following a lingering illness. He was 85 years old.
His daughter, Ellie, said that her father “breathed Bookoccino and the Avalon community” and invested his time tending to the independent bookshop he co-founded in 1992 until his retirement in 2017.
Mr Hutchings supported the work of many local authors and collaborated with publishers to develop the Northern Beaches’ creative industry. A pioneer of late-night shop hours and reusable bookstore bags, Mr Hutchings was also well-travelled. He yearned to constantly learn about the world and brought back ideas and concepts he discovered to his bookstore.