Escape Hatch Books

Escape Hatch Books An Independent bookshop in Kew East Melbourne specialising in Children's books

05/09/2026

A big thank you to Anna Walker and Jane Godwin to coming to visit us at Escape Hatch Books yesterday.

Their latest picture book - Eddie and Moo and the garden of presents is another winner. Congrats ladies xx

A huge thank you to Emma Babbington and Sarah Clutton for their conversation last night all about Emma’s latest book The...
27/08/2026

A huge thank you to Emma Babbington and Sarah Clutton for their conversation last night all about Emma’s latest book The Gardens. ⁠

I loved hearing about Emma’s personal connection to many of the settings in the book and how they were the starting point for this twisty thriller. It’s written back and forth over two time lines and I liked gradually piecing together the events surrounding a disappearance in the 90s alongside the present-day investigation into a body discovered in the gardens.⁠

It was great to hear how Sarah and Emma met through their debut crew ( ) and a bit about the friendships made and experiences shared. It’s always fascinating to hear of the different approaches to writing and how the ni**le of doubt can linger about whether the next book will ever get finished.⁠

Thanks to everyone who came out to support them and us. We had a full house. It was extra special to meet some of the and hear their excitement around writing and their plans for next year.⁠

We’ve got signed copies of both Emma’s books and Sarah’s books available in the shop - and all are highly recommended!⁠




📢Event Announcement !!⁠⁠We are thrilled to invite you to join Emma Babbington in conversation with ⁠Sarah Clutton at Esc...
23/07/2026

📢Event Announcement !!⁠

We are thrilled to invite you to join Emma Babbington in conversation with ⁠
Sarah Clutton at Escape Hatch Books. ⁠

Author and journalist, Emma's new novel The Gardens is part family mystery, part psychological thriller, about a woman's search for her long-missing sister and the dark secrets surrounding her vanishing. ⁠
Sarah's novel The Bookshop of Buried Pasts released earlier this year is a tender mystery about an antiquarian bookseller's enigmatic past. ⁠
The pair become friends last year when their debut novels were released - Emma's The Neighbours and Sarah's The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains.⁠
This in-conversation will be enjoyable whether you already know Emma and Sarah’s work, are curious about their genres, or simply love hearing about the stories behind a book. We can't wait to welcome everyone. ⁠

The event if free but numbers strictly limited so please register to attend - the link is in our bio.⁠

Author Bios: ⁠
Emma Babbington is a London-born, Sydney-based author and journalist. Her debut novel The Neighbours was released in 2025 by HQ, part of HarperCollins and her second, The Gardens, is out at the end of July. Both are part psychological thriller, part family mysteries – her favourite genres to read and write.⁠
Emma’s 25 year career in the UK and Australia, on newspapers and magazines, has seen her interview celebrities, everyday heroes and even the occasional criminal. This provides plenty of inspiration for her writing. She lives not far from the harbour with her family and cat.⁠

Sarah Clutton lives in Australia's first Book Town on Gundungurra and Tharawal country. She has tried her hand at various jobs: research assistant, judge's associate, insurance claims advisor, litigation lawyer, philanthropic foundation manager and ghost-writer. In between freelance writing gigs she is events manager for her local chapter of Rural Australians for Refugees. Her bestselling novel, The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains, was published in 2025. The Bookshop of Buried Pasts is her tribute to village-living in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, and to the booksellers and book people who are its beating heart.

Lucie Stevens popped into Escape Hatch Books to sign copies of The Midnight Plan, her sequel to R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins, ⁠⁠...
02/07/2026

Lucie Stevens popped into Escape Hatch Books to sign copies of The Midnight Plan, her sequel to R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins, ⁠

Blending high-stakes investigations and suspicious thefts with ghosts and graveyards, this book delivers a thrilling adventurous tale.⁠

It’s full of quirky characters, mystery, and magical funny chaos that’ll keep you hooked and turning the pages. ⁠

Lucie was telling us of how much fun she had writing this book and was a little sad to say goodbye to the characters.⁠

We are recommending it to readers age 9+ especially anyone who enjoyed the Nevermoor series.

11/06/2026

Lots of books in the window and store to help fuel the passion of the World Cup. It could be a great opportunity to encourage a love of reading alongside a love of soccer ⚽️ ❤️💛💚

June is pride month, and we loved this idea of Prideopoly that our Ash introduced us to via ⁠🏳️‍🌈📚️⁠We’ve set up a littl...
09/06/2026

June is pride month, and we loved this idea of Prideopoly that our Ash introduced us to via ⁠
🏳️‍🌈📚️⁠
We’ve set up a little area with some recommendations and we have a pdf of the board. If anyone wants to have a printout themselves send us a DM.⁠
🏳️‍🌈📚️⁠
The aim is to earn the most pink pounds before the month is up and broaden your horizons when it comes to q***r reads. There is also the option to make some friends along the way if you jump over to they have all sorts of fun stuff and an insta chat set up.⁠
🏳️‍🌈📚️⁠

Hooray! The Kids Reading Guide Winter Edition is in store now. ⁠⁠Every book in the guide has been hand-picked and review...
06/06/2026

Hooray! The Kids Reading Guide Winter Edition is in store now. ⁠

Every book in the guide has been hand-picked and reviewed by a team of dedicated booksellers (including us) so the hard work has been done for you.⁠
From babies to young adults, we have you covered with books that will spark imagination, courage and conversations. ⁠

Pick up your free copy next time you are here. And if you are as enamoured with the artwork on the guide’s cover as we are, take the time to have a look at the beautiful picture book “The Dream Keeper” by Anna Walker. Anna’s book is a visual sensation all about small but powerful acts of courage that can lead us to finding strength, hope and light. A beautiful companion for bedtime.⁠



Weekend reading goals! 💫⁠Our thanks go to Jill for shopping local 🛍️📚️⁠⁠⁠
06/06/2026

Weekend reading goals! 💫⁠
Our thanks go to Jill for shopping local 🛍️📚️⁠


Phew ! We have just finished stacking our shelves with all the new releases that have landed for June.   Sometimes there...
05/06/2026

Phew ! We have just finished stacking our shelves with all the new releases that have landed for June. Sometimes there are serious Tetris skills needed to squeeze everything in !!

The winter weather has arrived this week too. If you are looking forward to staying warm indoors and spending a few hours on the couch reading this long weekend, pop down to Escape Hatch Books and choose your next read. We’ve got you covered from babies to adults and whether you like fact or fiction.

24/05/2026

A huge thanks to .bowd.au for making our story time so special this morning. It is always a treat to hear a book read by its author. Emma is always so engaging with the kids, telling them where her ideas came from and today chatting with them about what their favourite activities are to do at the park. We started with a park song and dance before we jumped into the book and then Emma taught everyone how to make a butterfly. It was a fabulous way to spend a Sunday morning. Thanks to all the parents and kids who came down - this sort of shared reading is such a powerful way to help their literacy …..and lots of fun.

Address

643 High Street
Melbourne, VIC
3102

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+61370153318

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