Readings is an independent retailer of books and music, with eight shops operating in Melbourne. Our flagship Readings Carlton shop was established in 1969 and has since been joined by stores in Doncaster, Hawthorn, Malvern, St Kilda and Emporium, as well as a boutique shop at the State Library of Victoria and a speciality children’s and young adult shop also in Carlton.

Each of our shops has their own individual character and strong ties to the local community. We carefully select our range to reflect the tastes of our local customers. We collectively employ over 120 staff and have approximately 150,000 books currently in stock across all eight of our shops.

Carlton

Woiwurrung Country, 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053
Ph: 03 9347 6633
Email: [email protected]

Our original shop in Lygon Street, Carlton was founded by Ross Reading, his partner Dot and Peter Reid, and has long been a gathering point for the Australian literary scene. It began life as a tiny stand-alone shop in 1969. The growing business moved to larger premises on 338 Lygon Street in 1982, making its final move to 309 Lygon Street, where it stands today, in 1998.

Hawthorn

Woiwurrung Country, 687 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122
Ph: 03 9819 1917
Email: [email protected]

Originally designed by Christopher Cowper in 1916, our Hawthorn shop is housed in the historic Edwardian ANZ bank building and has been interiorly designed by the exceptional Kerstin Thompson Architects. Blending original structural features with warm, modern fixtures our newly opened space provides a rich experience for the Hawthorn community.

Malvern

Woiwurrung Country, 185 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern 3144
Ph: 03 9509 1952
Email: [email protected]

Readings Malvern has been operating at its location on Glenferrie Road for more than ten years. Its loyal customer base is drawn from the local community, with many regular customers counted among its visitors.

St Kilda

Boonwurrung Country, 112 Acland St, St Kilda 3182
Ph: 03 9525 3852
Email: [email protected]

Our St Kilda shop on Acland Street has iconic origins – it was formerly the independent bookshop Cosmos.

State Library

Woiwurrung Country, State Library Victoria, 285-321 Russell St, Melbourne 3000, Victoria
Ph: 03 8664 7540
Email: [email protected]

Readings State Library is the first permanent commercial bookshop permitted to be established in the building in the Library’s 150 year history. It is a unique space that caters to students, travellers and library-regulars.

Doncaster

Woiwurrung Country, Westfield Doncaster, 619 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster 3108
Ph: 03 9810 0891
Email: [email protected]

Designed by the amazing team at Nest Architects, our shop in Westfield Doncaster is a beautiful open space, complete with archways and a sound-proofed reading nook. You’ll find the shop at Ground Level right next to David Jones.

Kids

Woiwurrung Country, 315 Lygon St, Carlton 3053
Ph: 03 9341 7730
Email: [email protected]

Readings Kids is a speciality children’s and young adult bookshop that is home to books, music, games and more for kids and teens, and welcomes families and people of all ages who enjoy children’s and young adult literature.

Emporium

Woiwurrung Country, Emporium Melbourne, Shop 1-016/287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 03 9810 0850
Email: [email protected]

Designed by the talented team at Kerstin Thompson Architects, our Emporium shop is a beautiful light-filled space over looking Little Bourke St, complete with beautiful heritage windows and plenty of seating to contemplate and read. You’ll find the shop on level one near the footbridge to Myer.