Bibliophiles in Malaysia can rejoice.
The newly opened Goldsboro Room at The Library by BookXcess in Sunway Square Mall has recently opened: a cosy, 140-square-foot treasure trove where books are not merely meant to be read, but admired, discovered and kept.
This arrival is particularly exciting: this is the first permanent international home for London’s Goldsboro Books, bringing its celebrated collection of signed, numbered and limited first editions to Southeast Asia.
“We were at the London Book Fair six months ago and a mutual friend introduced David. We had a meeting and realised that although we were from very different ends of the industry, we shared the same mission of wanting to get people to fall in love with books,” said BookXcess co-founder Andrew Yap.
“We had this immediate connection about how we get books into the hands of readers and how we make it accessible,” said David Headley, Goldsboro Books co-founder and managing director. “This is a beautiful bookstore and the Goldsboro store is just a little jewel within your beautiful crown.”
Every book is a hardcover, while many are produced in strictly limited quantities. In other words, these are books that invite you to run your fingers over their covers before you even think about turning the first page.
The selection is equally tempting, covering crime and thrillers, fantasy, historical and literary fiction, as well as highly anticipated debuts. BookTok favourites and award-winning authors sit alongside special editions of titles including “Broken Country”, “The Bewitching”, “Six Wild Crowns”, “Nesting” and “Death of the Author”.
And while many are rightfully wary of the price tags, Goldsboro has another surprise in store. Most titles in the room are priced between RM150 and RM200, with prices starting from RM100 – making a signed, limited first edition considerably more accessible than one might expect.
“We’ve been curating books that we believe are really great books to read, but also books that we think are worth investing in. And I have so many first editions in my library that I look at and I think I paid £25 for that book and it’s now worth £1,000,” said Headley.
For the launch, visitors got a glimpse into the rarer end of the collecting world, with a special showcase featuring books Goldsboro has handled over the years. Among them are a signed copy of JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, first editions of JRR Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”, signed Cormoran Strike novels, an Ian Fleming James Bond first edition and a first edition of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.
Better yet, the Goldsboro Room is open 24 hours a day, meaning a late-night literary adventure is very much on the cards.
“When you see that book, you remember where you were. That’s why I collect books: they’re physical memories,” Headley concluded.
This author has perused the bookstore, pleased to see what was there to offer, and she’s certain that many would enjoy this space too.
