Love Books
 | This article contains promotional content. (May 2025) |
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| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 8, 2009 in Melville, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Founders |
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| Products |
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| Website | lovebooks |
Love Books is an intimate, homely, comfortable and well stocked indie bookshop located in Melville, a suburb described by Wikipedia as "Bohemian".[1] Literary scholars and those within their academic circles tend to praise certain types of reading, prioritise individual writers and overanalyse their works.[2] Love Books (and its owner) counters this elitism with an egalitarian environment where anyone, across the city's multiple layers, can cross literary thresholds and enjoy interacting with the literati. Jo’burg’s local bibliophiles visit this literary salon regularly, preferring "socially prominent"[3] Kate Rogan's sponsored literary discussions and her thoughtfully curated collection of local authors to corporate chain stores.[4] Although Indie bookshops operate in challenging South African conditions, [5] all publishers are represented on the shelves and online.[6]
The physical shopfront was established by Jaci Jenkins and Kate Rogan and they opened its doors for the first time in June 2009. [7] Rogan has made book launch events a signature feature, by bringing her media background (publishing, editing and radio) to literature, and over the last 15 years and she has built a loyal customer base. [8] Like most other bookshops, the shelves are laden with literature written by local South African authors and their international peers. Love Books was recognized as the best independent book seller in 2019 [9] and it ongoing literary events and its salon culture, address the many challenges that independent bookshops experience.[10]
The store and the neigbouring coffee shops are a platform for launching new authors and their works.[11] Kate Rogan and staff are known for thinking globally and acting locally in the store's history there have been many evening book launches, when this neighborhood book shop is full of guests, with Rogan as the gracious host for a book launch. Love Books has not been not threatened by the digital turn, and Rogan has experimented online and taken to YouTube, intending to make book launch events virtually available.[8] So while known local authors can be found browsing the shelves,[7] those international authors and readers who missed the book events, [12] can follow on YouTube.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ 2Summers (2013-06-10). "Melville's Memory Lane". 2Summers. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Cummins, Megan (2025-04-15). "Scholars Have Lost the Plot!". Public Books. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Login - CAS – Central Authentication Service". ProQuest 287938708.
- ^ Bass, Holly (2015-11-19). "Where to Go in Melville, Johannesburg". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ https://publishsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Publishing-Industry-Survey-2022-2023-1.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Shop".
- ^ a b Sayegh, Mary (November 21, 2018). "The survival of a bookshop in an evolving and artsy Melville".
- ^ a b Hawarden, Verity; Moore, Amy Fisher (2021-01-01). "Love books: sustained success amidst uncertainties". Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies. 11 (4): 1–30. doi:10.1108/EEMCS-04-2021-0115. ISSN 2045-0621.
- ^ "SA Booksellers | 2019 Sefika and SA Book Award winners announced". www.sabooksellers.com. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
- ^ Kelso, Ronel (2019). A study of independent bookshops in South Africa. Publishing Studies (M.A. thesis). Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand. hdl:10539/29308.
- ^ "BACKSTORY: Love Books owner Kate Rogan". BusinessLIVE. Archived from the original on 2024-12-08. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ "Events Archive". Love Books. 2025-05-27. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ "Love Books". YouTube. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
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