This week only: Global Book Crawl has taken over some of Sydney’s best bookshops

• The Global Book Crawl is a worldwide celebration of independent bookshops and those who love them.
• Cities across the world take part, curating its own self-guided crawl through independent bookshops.
• 15 bookshops are taking in part in Sydney, from Dulwich Hill in the inner west to Bondi in the eastern suburbs.
• READ MORE: Our top picks from the Sydney Writers Festival 2025 program

If you’re on the BookTok side of the algorithm, the Global Book Crawl will be right up your street. It’s a worldwide celebration of independent bookshops—those little hidden gems that are filled with new and second-hand page-turners, which the passionate booksellers who are eager to recommend your next read. Writers, booksellers and the all-important readers come together for the week-long celebration which sees participating cities curate their own crawls for bookworms to work their way through, self-guided.

The Global Book Crawl is back in Sydney this week, until Sunday April 27. Read on to find out how to get your hands on a limited edition Sydney Book Crawl tote bag and how to be in with a chance of winning 50 books selected by the city’s booksellers.

Which bookstores in Sydney are taking part?

Across Sydney, there are 15 bookshops taking part from the inner west across to the eastern suburbs. Limited edition Sydney Book Crawl tote bags are available, while stocks last, ready to hold your precious new page-turners. To get in on the action, pick up a passport from any of the participating bookshops below, and begin exploring Sydney’s independent bookshops.

There’s a competition running too. To be in with a chance of winning 50 books selected by Sydney booksellers, get your passport stamped at a minimum of two participating shops, then hand it in.

1. Abbey’s Bookshop

Located opposite the beautiful Queen Victoria Building, just moments away from Town Hall station, this bookstore has been serving booklovers since 1968, shipping titles across the country and internationally.

Address: 131 York Street, Sydney 2000
Contact: (02) 9264 3111

abbeys.com.au

2. Ariel Booksellers

Established in 1985, Ariel is a reliable go-to for Darlinghurst. Stop here for the latest literary fiction, design mags and cookbooks, as well as a treasure trove of literary-themed ephemera, including stationery and handmade greeting cards.  

3. Better Read than Dead

This literary landmarks has thrived in Newtown for more than two decades, delivering floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stocked with titles ranging across literature to lifestyle. A smorgasbord of monthly book clubs tailored to different reading tastes is also served up—tomorrow night sees the return of the Inqueering Minds book club, which explores the beauty and complexity of LGBTQI+ literature through time (6:30pm; rsvp required).

Address: 265 King Street, Newtown 2130
Contact: (02) 9557 8700

betterread.com.au

4. Bookoccino

Owned by Pulitzer Prize-winning former foreign correspondent and author, Raymond Bonner, and local bibliophile Sally Tabner, this Northern Beaches store is a relaxed spot that stocks familiar, classics to unexpected literary gems.

Address: 66 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach 2107
Contact: (02) 9973 1244

bookoccino.com.au

5. Books Kinokuniya

The first Kinokuniya bookstore opened in Tokyo in 1927 and it has since become the largest bookstore chain in Japan. It expanded to Australia in 1996, opening in Sydney’s Neutral Bay, before moving to its current location on George Street. It stocks more than 300,000 titles in English, Japanese and Chinese, including Manga, graphic novels, art and design books, cookbooks, travel books and children’s literature.

Address: The Galeries, Level 2, 500 George St, Sydney 2000
Contact: (02) 9262 7996

kinokuniya.com.au

6. Constant Reader

A village-style bookshop on the Lower North Shore, Constant Reader opened in May 1979, making it one of the city’s oldest bookshops. The large shops is known for its wide range of curated titles suitable for readers from six months to 106 years old. There’s a dedicated children’s bookshop next door.

Address: 27 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest 2065
Contact: (02) 9438 1763

constantreader.com.au

7. Gertrude and Alice Cafe Bookstore

This Bondi institution is packed floor-to-ceiling with books. It’s an oasis for readers, writers and coffee-lovers alike. Find a seat inside or outside and enjoy an early morning coffee, their famous chai tea or a home-made pastry while you browse the seemingly endless collection of new and second-hand books.

Address: 46 Hall Street Bondi Beach 2026
Contact: (02) 9130 5155

gertrudeandalice.com.au

8. Gleebooks

You’ll find the hottest new releases next to beautiful hardcover editions of your favourite classics on these shelves. Their Glebe store—which has a cafe and bar inside—and the Dulwich Hill branch are both taking part in the Global Book Crawl.

Address: 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe 2037, or visit 536 Marrickville Road, Dulwich Hill NSW 2203
Contact: (02) 9660 2333 for Glebe or (02) 9560 0660 for Dulwich Hill.

gleebooks.com.au

9. Hill of Content Bookshop

The original Melbourne bookshop opened in 1922 and is the Victorian city’s oldest bookstore—you’re in good hands at its Sydney branch. Their offering is broad, ranging from locally published titles to international gems.

Address: 245 Darling Street, Balmain 2041
Contact: (02) 9555 6055

hillofcontentbalmain.com.au

10. Potts Point Bookshop

This award-winning bookshop stocks a carefully curated selection of contemporary and classic fiction and children’s books, as well as biographies and titles across history, art, photography, design, cookbooks. The team has more than 50 years’ of bookselling experience and will help you pick your next page-turner.

Address: 14 Macleay Street, Elizabeth Bay 2011
Contact: (02) 9331 6642

pottspointbookshop.com.au

11. Roaring Stories

Tucked away in Balmain, this neighbourhood favourite was previously named Brays Books. They opened in 1969 and have served multiple generations of booklovers over the years, with their largest sections being children’s books, fiction, current affairs, biography, food and wine, history and Australian non-fiction.

Address: 268 Darling Street, Balmain 2041
Contact: (02) 9810 5613

roaringstories.com.au

12. The Bookshop Darlinghurst

For more than four decades, The Bookshop Darlinghurst has provided Sydney (and Australia’s) readers with books and other materials for LGBTIQ+ communities. It’s a hub that’s cherished by local and international queer communities, providing a platform for queer writers and narratives.

Address: 207 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst 2010
Contact: (02) 9331 1103

thebookshop.com.au

13. Three Sparrows Books

A boutique bookstore nestled in the lower North Shore, Three Sparrows is a small but mighty store. Exploring the shelves, you’ll find everything from fiction, crime and thrillers to titles on house and garden, self-help and poetry.

Address: 1/836 Military Road, Mosman 2088
Contact: (02) 9969 9691

threesparrows.com.au

14. Umina Beach Book Nook

The Umina Beach Book Nook began as a store for magazine and newspaper readers, but two young mums took over in 2005 and transformed it into a fully stocked bookshop. Kate Toon, a published author herself, bought the shop last year and continues to build on the book-loving community they’ve built over the years. Visit to shop new releases, classics and discover their Top 100 list.

Address: 9/327 West Street, Umina 2257
Contact: (02) 3002 4768

uminabeachbooknook.com.au

Global Book Crawl

Dates: Monday, April 21 until Sunday, April 27.

Events are taking place across Sydney, with the bookshops listed above all participating. Find out more at globalbookcrawl.org.

Read more

• Sydney Film Festival: Would you watch a 14-hour documentary?
• I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art – is it worth the admission fee?
• TV talent show stars are among the cast announced for the CATS 40th anniversary performances