Munro's Books is a large independent bookstore in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. Munro's has a staff of 30 and a large children's book section. The store celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2013. Since 1984, the store has been located in

downtown Victoria Downtown Victoria is a neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada that serves as the city centre and the central business district for the City of Victoria, and the Greater Victoria regions. Characteristics The downtown area is an ex ...

in a neo-classical building ( Royal Bank Building) with a

coffer A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also ...

ed ceiling, designed in 1909 for the Royal Bank of Canada by architect Thomas Hooper. Munro's Books has been described by journalist

Allan Fotheringham Allan Fotheringham (August 31, 1932August 19, 2020) was a Canadian newspaper and magazine journalist. He styled himself Dr. Foth and "the Great Gatheringfroth". He was described as "never at a loss for words". Early life Fotheringham was born ...

as "the most magnificent bookstore in Canada, possibly in North America." The store was founded in 1963 by Jim Munro and his first wife

Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro (; ; born 10 July 1931) is a Canadian short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Munro's work has been described as revolutionizing the architecture of short stories, especially in its tendency to move f ...

, the 2013 Nobel Prize-winning short-story writer; at the start, its stock was mostly

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, ...

s. According to Jim Munro, Alice Munro began to write after reading some of the bookstore's stock and deciding angrily that "I can write better books than this." Although Alice Munro has not had any relation to the bookstore for decades, the store still receives fan and press calls asking for her. Textile artist

Carole Sabiston Carole Sabiston (born 1939) is a Canadian textile artist who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Born in London, England to George and Doris Slater, Carole, at the age of 8, moved to Canada with her parents in 1948. First married to Brian Sabist ...

, Jim Munro's second wife, created the tapestries that decorate the bookstore.

References

External links

Munro's Books official website
{{coord, 48.4252, -123.3683, type:landmark_region:CA-BC, display=title Independent bookstores of Canada Shops in Victoria, British Columbia Retail companies established in 1963 1963 establishments in British Columbia Canadian companies established in 1963

See also

References

External links