Step back in time to visit the grandest bookshop in the world! This Love Your Bookshop Day, Dymocks Melbourne will transform into Cole’s Book Arcade, right on part of the original site.
I’ll be your guide to the Palace of Intellect on this all-ages tour that explores Melbourne history through photos, colourful displays, and the very stones beneath your feet. And don’t forget to bring me your books to sign afterwards!
Update: this pop-up historical tour event is now finished. However, you can book me to take your class on a tour of the Book Arcade in photographs and artefacts — it’s my most popular school talk!
The main Arcade closed in 1929 and was knocked down in 1931. What’s left of it on Howey Place is a bit underwhelming, but it’s worth a look if you’re checking out multiple locations from my books. See the Further Reading page for the complete list of locations I recommend as a self-guided tour.