A Crowdfunder has been launched to help a Fife woman open an independent bookstore in Perth city centre.
Monica Turoni, 49, opened Quokka Bookstore Ltd in January.
The online book retailer is now eyeing up premises on George Street that would become Perth’s only independent bookstore.
She has launched a fundraiser with a target of £10,000 to help cover opening costs and a deposit.
Monica aims to open her bookstore at the start of June.
Fife online retailer explains why Perth was chosen for book shop
Monica, who has lived in Kirkcaldy for the past 10 years, says her favourite book is Persuasion by Jane Austen.
She told The Courier why she has chosen Perth as the new home for Quokka Bookstore.
“I really like Perth,” she said.
“I researched different places to open the shop and decided on Perth because it’s not huge but it’s also not small.
“There’s so much history and culture with the museums and the concert hall.
“It will be the most interesting place for what I want to do.”
Monica says her book shop stocks novels for all ages, but primarily focuses on promoting reading among children and teenagers.
She wants to deliver events and book talks at her new shop.
“I want to do things a little bit differently.
“An online bookstore doesn’t allow you to do things like events or story times.
“I want to start a book club, something for teenagers who are often left behind.
“Even a silent reading book club, where they can gather together and share their interests but are not forced to read aloud.
Crowdfunder launched to open bookstore
Monica has kickstarted a Crowdfunder to help cover the opening costs of her George Street shop.
She has set a target to raise £10,000, but will apply for a loan if this figure is not met.
“There’s a lot of costs involved at the beginning of opening a store,” she added.
“Instead of applying for a loan, I would like to be self-sufficient.
“When people make donations to the Crowdfunder, it will be acknowledged within the bookstore with a list of names on the wall.
“There will be other rewards like access to limited edition books and special editions.
“Another example is free membership for a whole year, so the person would receive a new book every month.
“It would be great if people could support my business because it’s an independent bookstore.
“I want to do something a bit different and promote reading in children and young adults.”
Elsewhere in Perth, a café and fashion store thanked customers while announcing its closure.
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