Children’s publisher Imagnary House opened the doors to its first bookstore at Kenilworth Station on Sunday 4 October. The new store brings a storybook-inspired space to the former post office at 34B Kenilworth Road.

The bookstore opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a tour led by founders Brad Harris and his wife Alison.

The Cape Town publisher, which has been producing children’s books for a decade, dedicated about 70% of the shelves to local titles. International books make up the rest.

Alison said the idea was to create a physical space where children could experience stories beyond the pages of a book.

“We have been publishing children’s books for 10 years now and through the years we have felt strongly that the stories need a place as magical as they are,” she said.

“We want to create a space where kids fall in love with stories and are not simply told to ‘shhh’.”

The couple chose the former post office after searching for a suitable space for years.

“When we were told the former post office at the station was available, we both simply lit up with excitement,” said Harris.

A childhood dream realised

For Harris, the bookstore was the next stage of a dream that began with his own childhood imagination.

“Imagnary House began from that desire,” he said. “Book publishing was the first step in realising that dream as an adult, and now we’re trying to add a bit more theatre through a physical space and bring stories to life for children in ways that a page cannot always do.”

The founders hoped the store’s location would make it accessible to families from surrounding areas, not just Kenilworth.

The couple plans to host a book reading, storytelling activity or other children’s event every Saturday morning. Caregiver community sessions are also planned on Thursdays for grandparents, nannies and full-time parents.

Both the Saturday events and the caregiver sessions were free to attend.

The bookstore also planned to work with schools, libraries and community organisations. However, these partnerships were still being developed at the time of opening.

Local stories, local talent

The focus on local books was central to the venture.

Harris said Imagnary House wanted to raise awareness of South African children’s literature and give local creators more visibility.

“When you walk into most bookstores, the majority of the titles are international. Yet, we have so much local talent, and we want people to see that,” he said.

South African languages also formed part of the selection. Harris said the publisher hoped to stock books that “celebrate and engage everyone”.

Imagnary House won the Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publishers in Africa last year. The publisher produced books by over 50 local creators in more than 16 languages. Titles were distributed across more than 13 countries.

A bookstore and a story

The store featured a life-sized tree and reading nook. Fictional faeries, gnomes and mice formed part of the space’s story.

Children were able to write letters to characters who lived in the tree and receive letters back as they explored.

“It’s a bookstore, and a story,” said Harris.

The founders also hoped to work with organisations on book drives to distribute affordable or free books to communities with limited disposable income. They envisaged books travelling from Kenilworth Station to communities along the train route towards Fish Hoek.

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