“We’re bringing something new to the neighbourhood. Verdun already has a few bookstores, but none of them specialize in English books, so we saw there was a gap there that needed filling,” Alex Nierenhausen says over the phone.
“And who doesn’t love to sit with a coffee, enjoy their book, and talk with a bookseller?” adds Daphnée Anctil.
“I love a space that offers that. There aren’t many in Montreal. It’s just the best way to enjoy a book.”
Under construction since the summer and officially opening its doors on December 9 this year, Alex and Daphnée are behind Verdun’s Pulp Books.
It's a new bookstore flying in the face of tech like e-readers and audio books, as well as corporatocracies of online retailers and big box stores (that shall not be named) which have all but dominated literature retail spaces for so long.
BORN IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, MOLDED BY IT
“When we started talking about our initial stock for the store, I’ve learned that you have to let your neighbourhood and regulars dictate what goes on your shelves,” Alex explains, saying that they and Daphnée expect it could take as many two or three years before it’ll reach a zenith.
Not to say it’ll be sparse at Pulp Books. Alex and Daphnée say it’s small, but it’s far from nothing at 1,200 square feet and as many as 10,000 books to peruse.
They'll host events as well as readings and signings that’ll pull from across the country, curate featured titles, and have gone so far as to fit the shop out with a coffee bar for espresso drinks (and maybe a potential liquor license!), plus a terrasse out front in the summer.
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