Since 2017, Secret Book Stuff has been stealthily dropping pre-loved books into unsuspecting places, so its surprising arrival at The Station should actually be no surprise at all.
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Owned and operated by couple Amy Lovat and Laura Kebby, Secret Book Stuff is a local social enterprise, and its latest initiative is a lending library. For the next 12 months Secret Book Stuff has a storefront, made possible in part by The Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation. After Renew Newcastle's departure, the development corporation over the former Newcastle train station and took immediate action to activate the site.
Earlier this year Lovat and Kebby received a letter from the development corporation. Word had reached them about Secret Book Stuff after the women's light rail book giveaway gained attention; the two were leaving pre-loved books, (wrapped in recycled paper) for riders of the new light rail. The corporation asked the women to apply to occupy the space. Lovat and Kebby wrote a proposal explaining their activation plans, and their first step was the lending library.
On April 27 they officially launched the library alongside their next-door-shop-neighbour, Make Space Newcastle, a collaborative space of Newcastle artists. Wetsuit and surfboard makers Sharkview occupy a shop as well, and The Station recently welcomed Meditation Studio, Peaceful Minds Project. The corporation just painted a kids' scooter track in the open concreted area, complete with miniature stop signs. A café is said to be coming soon, too.
Secret Book Stuff pay a low rent, and they're able to lend out 700+ books to literature-hungry Novocastrians. The space comes with comfortable couches, and tote bags are on offer for the industrious readers.
The two couldn't be more stoked about securing a place for people to borrow books, drop off books or lounge around and read.
"[With] the lending library, we can't make money. It's free, but our priority is to give back to the community." Kebby says.
"Take a book with you! Bring a pile of books to donate and say hi," Lovat says. "When we launched we had over 200 books come through. We know a lot of charity shops don't take books anymore; we want to save them from landfill. We want to give them a loving home."
Together they personally own over 1000 books, and have to rent a storage place to house them all.
They want to keep books alive and they love telling the story of their story collection.
"I'm excited for people to find some gems. [We have] Harry Potter for someone who has never read it," Kebby says.
"We have the entire Outlander series. There are some really good memoirs. [Newcastle-based author] Bernadette O'Connor donated two of her books; Katie Dean donated a few of hers. On the weekend a woman who worked in publishing brought in a bag of new books," Lovat says.
My personal love with books is for classic and old vintage books, first and foremost. I love seeing how books can mark time.
- Laura Kebby
"My personal love with books is for classic and old vintage books, first and foremost." Kebby says. "I love seeing how books can mark time. I have a copy of Pilgrim's Progress at my house pre-1900. My favourite book would be In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. That was the first book that made me feel something."
The opportunity to have a space to share books was welcome, but Kebby and Lovat didn't pursue it for financial gain. Secret Book Stuff's ethos is based on spreading kindness and the love of reading.
People have donated stacks of books, and while Lovat and Kebby receive income from paying customers, the two mainly fund the project through their day jobs. Lovat is a lecturer, Kebby works at a booksellers and they're both freelance writers. Whatever money they make from Secret Book Stuff goes back into the business or to charities.
"We're turning it into a full bookshop, with new and pre-loved books. The lending library will move out onto the platform," Kebby says. "[This] is a way to activate this beautiful end of town."
