>>FEATURE
Haymarket Books
1014 Macleod Trail S.E.
"We threw our money, about $200, on a blanket and said, ‘lets buy some books.’ Which was about eight," says Grant Horwood, describing the Haymarket group’s entry into the book business. The group (Mark Leigh, Lee Pilkington, Rachel Small, Grant Horwood, Lisa Macisaac, and Nick Wilson) all manage and run Haymarket Books (located in Hide and Seek Tattoo), which opened back in December, but it began with the group’s bookmobile, in July of 2003.
By taking a few books to all-ages shows, speaker tours and theatres like the Uptown, they were able to buy more and more books, until eventually it looked as if there were enough to open a store. "Since running the bookmobile, we’ve gotten a good taste of what people wanted, by hitting every event we could," says Nick Wilson.
The group also runs Books for Prisoners. "Since we get a lot of donations, we stuff a box, and a friend of ours drives it out to Spy Hill in Drumheller," says Lee Pilkington.
The store, worker-owned and government-recognized as a co-op, features stuff that you’re not going to find elsewhere, outside of ordering online – small-press books and zines, sex, feminist issues, environmentalism, queer studies, politics and cultural issues. There’s a lot more to check out than just Noam Chomsky’s books, although you’ll find him there, too. The group also has plans for a reading room, customer input into ordering and, eventually, a bigger space or café environment.
What are most people interested in? "Crime, basic readers, the landless movement in Brazil, graphic novels, Slingshot organizers," says Rachel Small. "Although you can add Roald Dahl and feminist porn to that, too."
The store is a great source for avid readers looking for books, authors and publishers you won’t find at Chapters, and also provides proof that such a store can be started, operate and find supporters in Calgary.
"We don’t need to have rigid authoritarian structures. If we went to the bank, they’d say no way, but we got together and did it. We put out the effort, where we can maintain without the credit system, in a boom-and-bust city," says Horwood. "There’s no ‘market research,’ but support from a variety of communities, other vendors."
"We’re stressed out, but it’s beautiful," says Small. "We’re proving that such a store is fiscally viable, proved through co-operation." She adds that "basically anybody can do this shit." |
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