Austin indie bookstore Malvern Books to shut finish of yr

AUSTIN (KXAN) — For Becky Garcia, supervisor of Malvern Books, the store was the imaginative and prescient of its proprietor, Joe Bratcher, delivered to life. It was an area that labored to champion the work of impartial publishers and convey recognition to lesser-known titles, notably these in fiction and poetry.

It was a distinct segment Malvern Books has stuffed since first opening in October 2013. Now, greater than 9 years later, Garcia mentioned she hopes that’s the legacy it maintains when the bookstore closes on Dec. 31.

Bratcher handed away from COVID-19-related issues in late July. After, Garcia mentioned there have been troublesome conversations employees and Bratcher’s household had earlier than coming to the conclusion it was time to shut store.

“Joe was the spirit of this retailer. He was actually — he was the motion behind this,” she mentioned. “He was his imaginative and prescient. And we used to chortle, and I’d say, I’d inform the employees, ‘Hey, that is Joe’s world. We stay in it.’”

Bratcher’s journey into impartial bookstore possession got here amid years of expertise in impartial publishing. He wished to create a neighborhood area the place folks may collect and uncover new works; Garcia mentioned it was all the time the very best praise to have somebody stroll into the shop and excitedly announce they didn’t acknowledge any of the titles.

“I favored that a lot, I put it on the again of our bookmark,” she mentioned, smiling.

Garcia added Bratcher would typically use his enterprise to assist promote causes and points he cared deeply for, rolling out Donation Days the place all of the proceeds earned on a given day would go to varied charities and organizations.