McNally Robinson Booksellers is a family-operated chain of

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

independent bookstore An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned. Usually, independent stores consist of only a single actual store (although there are some multi-store independents). They may be structured as sole proprietorships, ...

s founded in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

in 1981. It is managed by new owners Chris Hall and Lori Baker, formerly managed by Holly and Paul McNally. As of 2019 it had three branches, two in Winnipeg and one in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, as well as a sister-store

McNally Jackson McNally Jackson Books is an independent bookstore in New York City owned and operated since 2004 by Sarah McNally. The company operates five stores across the city in Soho, Rockefeller Center, Seaport, Downtown Brooklyn, and Williamsburg, as ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Overview

''McNally Robinson'' was founded by Holly McNally in 1981 in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, with her partner Ron Robinson, who quit the book business a year later to pursue a career with

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

. Robinson's name has remained attached to the enterprise because at the time he left, McNally didn't have the money to replace the store's signage. Beginning with just one small corner bookstore, Holly and her husband Paul gradually built ''McNally Robinson Booksellers'' into one of the largest independent bookstores in Canada, spreading to

and (formerly)

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

. The stores host readings and book launches by authors from Winnipeg, Canada and beyond. McNally Robinson operates three stores: at Grant Park Mall in Winnipeg, at The Forks in Winnipeg and on ''8th Street'' in Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. A former Calgary location closed at the end of July, 2008. Two other locations, one at the Polo Park in Winnipeg and another at the

Shops at Don Mills The Shops at Don Mills (corporately known as CF Shops at Don Mills) is a lifestyle centre-type shopping centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located at Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue East in Toronto. There are 72 retail stores with a total flo ...

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, closed in December 2009. All current McNally Robinson stores are larger than 2000 square metres. Grant Park and Saskatoon locations are home to a full-service licensed restaurant, ''Prairie Ink''. On December 3, 2004, a store was opened in downtown Manhattan, New York City. The store operates under the name

and is owned and operated by Sarah McNally, daughter of the founders. It is one of the largest independent bookstores in Manhattan. On October 3, 2012, McNally Robinson was sold by its founders, Holly and Paul McNally, to business partners Chris Hall and Lori Baker.

Awards

McNally Robinson sponsors two literary awards: * McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award * McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award

References

External links

McNally Robinson BooksellersMcNally Robinson Book for Young People Award
Companies based in Winnipeg Independent bookstores of Canada {{canada-retail-company-stub