Destination: Mervyn Sloman at the entrance of The Book Lounge. Photo:
Supplied
In-between Cape Town central midday bustle I tighten my shoelaces, check the street names on my phone, and set off. My destination is Roeland Street — and with a name that sounds a bit like my own, perhaps it’s the street and not the bookstore calling me.
As I enter and walk around the bookstore, I imagine all the hard work it took to transform an old empty office space into a thriving independent bookstore. With a lease starting on the 1st of October, Mervyn Sloman, owner and founder of The Book Lounge, had only two months to set up shop before the grand opening on the first of December 2007.
“There was a big hole in the floor and you could poke your head down and see that there was something downstairs,” Sloman says during our interview.
“The world was about to hit a massive financial crisis. So, the timing wasn’t great on that level. We had a mad rush. We had a hell of a lot of work to do. It was an absolutely crazy time because I wanted to open at the beginning of December.”
Seventeen years later, The Book Lounge remains entrenched as one of Cape Town’s cultural hubs for authors and book lovers from different backgrounds including tourists. The relaxed and easily accessible independent bookshop offers a wide variety of books in different genres such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, cooking and children’s literature.
After settling on Prentis Hemphill’s What It Takes to Heal and David Bristow’s Loony Birds, Lion Men and the Snake that was a Gerbil, affixed with the white bookmark and all, I head downstairs to see the big boss to confirm our virtual interview for the following week.
Sloman’s love for reading began in primary school due to access to a well-stocked library. He later lost interest in reading during high school because of how English and literature were taught, only to rediscover his passion in their early twenties while house-sitting in London. He also worked part-time in bookstores while at university, but initially did not see it as a career path.
“I grew up in a traditional privileged middle-class family where you were supposed to aspire to something else, like being an accountant or a lawyer. But I did various other things. At some point my wife said to me that the only thing I’ve ever enjoyed was actually working in a bookstore.”
Founding of The Book Lounge
Sloman then went to work at Exclusive Books for several years. During this time, he realised a desire to establish his own independent store that would foster community around books and offer diverse selections. Many would have been confused on why someone opens an independent bookstore at the back of a looming global financial crisis. Crazy about literature, Sloman was a man on a mission with a tight two-month deadline before the grand opening.
“I wanted a space for something different in the book trading sector in Cape Town. I wanted an independent store which stocked different kinds of books and built relationships between readers and writers, a sense of community around books.”
Many theories of entrepreneurship emphasise that the learning processes individuals go through during their careers play a vital role in helping them build sustainable businesses. Drawing on his past experiences and the professional relationships he had cultivated over time, Sloman was able to set up a thriving independent bookstore.
“Of course, it’s possible to do that without having worked in the book trade but it is a hell of an advantage if you have that experience. Part of it is about just understanding how the systems work, the logistics of it and the way publishers work.”
With a dedicated team who assisted with preparations, including processing orders from their homes, Sloman was on track. The start-up expenses included shop fittings, tiling, and shelving; however, the biggest cost was getting the initial book inventory to sell. Sloman’s ability to build relationships within the publishing industry came in handy to secure accounts and credit with publishers.
Sloman says “The starting point was that it takes a lot of money to set up a bookstore. But because of those relationships in the trade kind of backed me. Some were prepared to offer me accounts and credit limits right from the start, which I know a lot of other people who have opened independent stores or have tried to open one but that door has been completely closed.”
Relevance of Physical Bookstores in the Digital Age
Nearly two decades later in an ever-changing digital world, many wonder if bookstores still hold the same status and role. Sloman’s view is that the relevance of bookstores lies in the unique experiences they offer, such as engaging with authors at events and providing a space for people to read, even if they cannot afford to buy books.
Over the years, Sloman has shied away from doomsayers regarding the death of the physical book and bookstore indies. He cites varying views such as the economic recession, growth of the internet, introduction of Amazon and devices to read e-books. This gentle giant has heard and seen it all thus grew wary, because as an independent bookstore the doors are still open.
“I think at some point after maybe five or six years, I did become a little bit jaded around those narratives. Because each year there was a different reason and each year, we managed to kind of get over that.”
While acknowledging the rise of audiobooks and e-books, Sloman expressed confidence in the continued relevance of physical books and the ability of bookstores to adapt. The most important aspect Sloman emphasised is that people are reading, whether digitally or physically, and highlighted the crucial need for representative content, especially for young black readers in South Africa.
“Is everybody only buying e-books? No. So you know, it’s about adjusting your expectations. We can live with it. The different technologies play different roles to readers. I don’t have any answers, but my history of the last seventeen years does give me a little bit of confidence about the ability to continue doing what we’re doing and survive.”
In-store events and Open Book Festival
While some elements of the vision, such as creating a comfortable and friendly space, have remained constant, the role of in-store events evolved significantly. These book events have become an integral part of The Book Lounge’s identity and its mission to contribute to the book ecosystem by highlighting diverse stories and representation. The Book Lounge serves a diverse customer base, including tourists and locals of all ages, refuting the misconception that only older white people buy books in South Africa, adds Sloman.
When I asked Sloman about some highlights, he found it challenging to pick due to the large number of events held over the years, some which saw the shop overflowing with attendees.
In fact, during our virtual interview, Sloman and his staff were preparing for Kopano Matlwa’s book launch of her latest novel Bosadi.
After digging deep, Sloman fondly recalled the launch of debut novels by authors like Mohale Mashigo and Qarnita Loxton, who later achieved significant recognition, and expressed joy in witnessing their progression within the industry.
One highlight Sloman’s face lights up the screen is starting The Open Book Festival. Started in 2011, alongside Frankie Murrey, the festival, Sloman says emerged from the success of in-shop events and a perceived gap in the festival landscape in Cape Town.
“So, it was something that was happening a lot in other parts of the world but nothing much in Cape Town.”
The book owner and festival curator initially underestimated the challenges of securing funding and audience, but the festival has endured and evolved, particularly post-COVID.
Open Book Festival serves as a platform for local writers and aims to foster a love of literature. It provides a safe space for difficult and traumatic conversations on topics such as gender-based violence, patriarchy, Afrophobia, and LGBTQ+ issues, while celebrating writers and building trust within the community.
“The festival was always about trying to build a love of reading. From the beginning the notion of the festival happening in the city in people’s lives was also very important in terms of the kind of content that we wanted to create. We wanted to reflect people’s reality.”
Sloman couldn’t be prouder of what they have achieved over the years, and still conscious of the road ahead. “It’s a process and there are a lot of things that we’ve got wrong over the years. We have to keep learning, listening and talking to enable the festival to grow in different ways.”
Same as CDs evolving into digital music but most still love attending live performances. Like any creative genre, the world of books is also changing- socially and technologically. For The Book Lounge, creating communities through in-store events and festivals has added to the sustainability and competitive advantage.
Through adaptability, passion and a bit of stubbornness, Sloman and other independent bookstores around the country hold the literary fort against the naysayers. Reading is still very much an important social element, be it on screen or lounging on the couch at your local bookstore surrounded by the infectious smell of books.