Located on Collins Street, between Russell and Swanston Streets, The Readers’ Walk offers book lovers a plethora of literary opportunities – old and rare books from an antiquarian bookseller, new books from a beautiful bookstore staffed by passionate booksellers, and borrowed books from a warm, inviting library celebrating its 175th birthday. Melbourne has a proud literary pedigree, with a strong
tradition in publishing, writing, bookselling and book borrowing. This was recognised internationally in 2008 when Melbourne became the second UNESCO City of Literature. Collins Street is the spine of Melbourne’s book industry, with a strong literary history and an exceptional concentration of book-related organisations. From mid-2015, The Readers’ Walk will be home to the Hands In Print initiative, a creative and physical interpretation of the wonder of the written word and the connection between authors and readers. The Readers’ Walk is also a notion, an idea, a feeling – it is a sense that the book is celebrated. Readers, be they local or international, reluctant or avid, can join the reader’s global community and feel connected. To traverse a city street, to be welcomed into a library or a bookstore, and to be surrounded by books is to be in a city that is warm, inviting, and culturally vibrant.
