Avid readers...what a great community bookstore!

During a day spent exploring West End recently ( having only lived here a year I am still getting to know what's around)  I happened on a book launch/readers event to be held the same evening for long time locals Peter Westoby and Gerard Dowling's new publication "Dialogical Community Development". Browsing the heavily laden shelves I got reading their rather interesting book, and after a great coffee and excellent lunch plate of salad (dont you love it when you find healthy food that tastes brilliant!) I decided to come back for the book launch.

It was a friendly affair, and very much a celebration of West End...dealing as the book does extensively with this community. What struck me though was what a soulful book these two men had written about the more subtle requirements for enriching and deep community engagement...a subheading "the alchemy of poetic participation" reminded me of reading I have done from very different sources than perhaps generally found in community development texts. My long-standing interest in engaged and genuine dialogue and the conversation project connected with some of what was being discussed here.

The launch was relaxed but informing. Chatting afterwards gave me a wonderful sense of this bookstore and the broader locality. When looking up their website I was amazed to see how many book clubs are running there, and some  clearly quite inclusively. Great books, great coffee and cafe, and a fabulous atmosphere!

www.avidreader.com.au