Paris’ newest brick and mortar bookstore, Riverside Bookshelf, officially opened its doors on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.
Riverside Bookshelf boasts a large selection of genres; from mystery to thrillers, romance, fantasy, health and wellness, poetry and essays, reproductive health, drama, history, social sciences and children’s books there are plenty of options that have been specifically curated to intrigue all kinds of literary fans.
“We even have some holiday gift-type stuff, we have special editions and a few signed books, as well as some puzzles and mugs too, fun things like that,” said Alison Fishburn, owner of Riverside Bookshelf.
Fishburn, a Paris based writer, playwright, performer and non-profit executive director, said it was Paris’ craving for literature and an obvious gap in the market that inspired her to take the leap into becoming a small business owner.
“There’s such a literary craving here in Paris, but also with my background I already had the acumen to do this,” she said. “I have an MFA in creative nonfiction, I’m a published Pushcart nominated writer myself, and I also run the Riverside Reading Series, which is a non profit organization that does monthly and annual literary events; I already kind of knew the ins and outs of publishing, I know local authors and I already had connections to more local publishers, so it was just kind of a natural progression and it was a bit of no brainer for me to do something I love and care about.”
During the grand opening, visitors popped in throughout the day to browse, buy and chat with Fishburn. Many walked away with simple puzzle books, stacks of fiction and handfuls of gifts items like mugs and notepads.
David Bailey, Mayor for the County of Brant, as well as Councillors Lukas Oakley and Steve Howes, were all present to celebrate the opening.
Fishburn said that she hopes her new bookstore will not only serve as a repository of knowledge for the residents of Paris, but a place to celebrate independent artists and their book launches.
“I really wanted to create a space where people could come just because, a place that existed for my fellow book lovers and writers,” she continued. “I like the idea of affecting lives, affecting young people who are growing up in the area, I like having access to knowledge and literature and having a range of it too. Storytelling is how we understand ourselves, it’s how we connect, its placemaking and its culture, you know? I wanted Riverside Bookshelf to be a repository of knowledge, conversations and just feeling seen.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
