Book lovers will soon be able to browse the shelves of award-winning British bookseller Goldsboro Books without travelling to England, with its first permanent international retail space opening this month at The Sunway Library by BookXcess in Bandar Sunway, Selangor.
Launching on Aug 27, The Goldsboro Room is a compact 13sq m purpose-built space designed exclusively for Goldsboro Books, echoing the look and feel of its flagship store in London’s historic Cecil Court.
The outpost set-up - the first phase of the collaboration - will offer readers access to Goldsboro Books’ collection of signed first edition hardbacks, exclusive editions and highly collectable books, bringing the specialist bookseller to South-East Asia for the first time.
Founded in 1999 by David Headley and Daniel Gedeon, Goldsboro Books is recognised for its exclusive collaborations with publishers and authors, as well as cultivating a strong community of book collectors.
The Sunway Library by BookXcess, the largest 24-hour bookstore in South-East Asia, opened at Sunway Square Mall in December last year.
BookXcess co-founder Andrew Yap says the company is proud to partner with Goldsboro Books to make previously hard-to-access editions available locally.
"When we founded BookXcess, our mission was simple: to make great books accessible to more people. Over the years, we've worked hard to remove barriers between readers and books, and this partnership with Goldsboro Books is another exciting step in that journey," says Yap.
“This collaboration means readers no longer need to search overseas or pay significant shipping costs to own beautifully produced signed first editions. Instead, they can browse these remarkable editions in person, discover new authors and become part of the same global collecting culture enjoyed by readers in London and beyond,” he adds.
With book collector culture on the rise in Malaysia, it is a timely addition to the local literary scene.
Goldsboro Books co-founder and managing director Headley, who is scheduled to attend the launch later this month, says the partnership goes beyond selling books in another country – “it is about sharing a philosophy of bookselling.”
“Independent bookshops have always been places where readers discover their next favourite author. By bringing Goldsboro Books to Kuala Lumpur, we're opening that experience to a whole new audience and – we hope – inspiring a new generation of readers and collectors,” says Headley.
