The_King Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 SINGAPORE - Independent bookshop BooksActually will be closing its Yong Siak Street store and moving entirely online. The shop, which turns 15 this year, shut its brick-and-mortar store this year during the circuit breaker period and has not reopened its doors since. At midnight on Sunday (Sept 13), owner Kenny Leck announced that it would go fully online instead. Mr Leck, 41, wrote on Facebook: "It is a new beginning for all of us... As horrible as the pandemic has been, it has also given BooksActually its 'Online Store Sea Legs'. After nearly half a year of being solely an online store, we are now ready to make it a reality." He told The Straits Times that the Web store, which was expanded during the circuit breaker, is doing better than the physical store by about 10 to 20 per cent. "We have more work ahead," he added, citing his ongoing push to convert the titles of BooksActually's publishing imprint Math Paper Press into hardback editions by the end of the year. Mr Leck opened BooksActually in 2005 with then co-owner Karen Wai on the second floor of a Telok Ayer shophouse. In 2009, he sold a three-room HDB flat left to him by his late mother and used the proceeds to set up a second bookstore in Club Street, which did not pan out. The bookstore moved to its current location in Tiong Bahru in 2011, where it grew into the quaint literary haven that it is today, with its shelves of vintage knick-knacks, mystery book vending machine and three beloved cats, Cake, Pico and Lemon. Mr Leck often wrangled with rising rents and once dreamed that BooksActually would be the first bookshop in Singapore to own its own building, to which end he had started a fund-raising campaign to raise $2 million for a permanent space. Covid-19 has put paid to that dream for now, but he said that he plans to continue organising literary happenings when Singapore enters phase three of reopening, and that events it is known for hosting, such as the annual #BuySingLit street party, 24-Hour Bookstore and The World's Loneliest Bookstore pop-up, will return. "Regardless of the uncertainties or vulnerabilities this year of change has imposed on all of us, one thing we know for sure is that the bookstore will be here for a very long time," he wrote on Facebook. "Or at least where I am concerned, I am very certain that she, BooksActually, will continue to be your 'neighbourhood' bookstore long after I am gone." https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/indie-bookshop-booksactually-to-close-physical-store-move-entirely-online 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaur4man Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 Another one killed by rent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 That's why it will be always a dream to me on opening a bookshop. Really can't survive from the earnings made from bookshop. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homelander Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 38 minutes ago, chamfer said: That's why it will be always a dream to me on opening a bookshop. Really can't survive from the earnings made from bookshop. Maybe u can open audiobooks, i dun mind subscribing to hear your soothing voice read stories to me 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meng.huat Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 43 minutes ago, chamfer said: That's why it will be always a dream to me on opening a bookshop. Really can't survive from the earnings made from bookshop. will your dream bookshop have a cosy cafe corner for people to rent comics and relax?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 40 minutes ago, Homelander said: Maybe u can open audiobooks, i dun mind subscribing to hear your soothing voice read stories to me If you ever see before the bf one gaming videoswhich kira upload on twitch,you will know how i sound like..... i cringe when i hear my own voice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homelander Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 4 minutes ago, chamfer said: If you ever see before the bf one gaming videoswhich kira upload on twitch,you will know how i sound like..... i cringe when i hear my own voice 说什么？一点也听不懂。起啦是谁？bf是早点还是男朋友？ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 41 minutes ago, meng.huat said: will your dream bookshop have a cosy cafe corner for people to rent comics and relax?? I think i will create a private cozy area in which you can pcc while reading prawn books/magazines/av materials..... just joking.... My dream bookshop will have a place which people can adopt homeless cats or sell fishes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, Homelander said: 说什么？一点也听不懂。起啦是谁？bf是早点还是男朋友？ Aiyo..... bf one is battlefield. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_1 Some of guys here got played this game online with me before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homelander Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 4 minutes ago, chamfer said: Aiyo..... bf one is battlefield. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_1 Some of guys here got played this game online with me before. Ooo no idea...anyway use discord pa game and read books the tonality is different...no need worry bei 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 2 hours ago, chamfer said: That's why it will be always a dream to me on opening a bookshop. Really can't survive from the earnings made from bookshop. Sell ebooks and then chestnut will buy Shalala lala la la ~ 🌠 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 46 minutes ago, chamfer said: If you ever see before the bf one gaming videoswhich kira upload on twitch,you will know how i sound like..... i cringe when i hear my own voice Ur voice deep deep one uh? Mine sound likr deep deep aunty voice. People never see me will think they talking to an older person Shalala lala la la ~ 🌠 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 16 minutes ago, Chestnut said: Ur voice deep deep one uh? Mine sound likr deep deep aunty voice. People never see me will think they talking to an older person My one more sharper aunty voice like those aunties in wet market. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meng.huat Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 10 minutes ago, chamfer said: My one more sharper aunty voice like those aunties in wet market. When you talk to your other half in private, do you speak more gently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 22 minutes ago, chamfer said: My one more sharper aunty voice like those aunties in wet market. @Homelander market sharp aunty voice kym? Shalala lala la la ~ 🌠 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homelander Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, Chestnut said: @Homelander market sharp aunty voice kym? 那得听听阿姨声音才能了断 你呢，声音如何？ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 11 minutes ago, Homelander said: 那得听听阿姨声音才能了断 你呢，声音如何？ Mine sound likr deep deep aunty voice. People never see me will think they talking to an older person Shalala lala la la ~ 🌠 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homelander Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, Chestnut said: Mine sound likr deep deep aunty voice. People never see me will think they talking to an older person Your forearms hairy mah? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamfer Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 39 minutes ago, meng.huat said: When you talk to your other half in private, do you speak more gently? no..... i just speak like what i usually do whether at home or work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, Homelander said: Your forearms hairy mah? Not hairy. My legs n arms very lil hair Shalala lala la la ~ 🌠 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homelander Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 34 minutes ago, Chestnut said: Not hairy. My legs n arms very lil hair Ok 明白 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meng.huat Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 10 hours ago, chamfer said: no..... i just speak like what i usually do whether at home or work. dont u talk like doraemon with your other half in private? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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