THE PAINS AND How a small Vancouver independent bookstore weathered the storm of a global pandemic
GAINS
WEN ZHAI Contributor
A lot of corporations, big and small, shuttered in 2020 due to Apart from being Indigenous-owned, Oke believes several things COVID-19. However, Massy Books, an Indigenous-owned set Massy Books apart from other bookstores. “We actually have a independent bookstore situated in Vancouver’s Chinatown, didn’t full aisle to Indigenous literature which includes fiction, non-fiction, just survive 2020, it thrived. Their sales even enabled the bookshop poetry, but also nation-specific poetry. It’s a really robust section that to give back to the community and hire five new staff members, we pride ourselves in and find really important to be doing.” Massy including Emily Dundas Oke, curator and media manager of Massy Books also organizes books outside what may be considered classic Books and the associated Massy Art Society. genres in bookstores. “Instead of always fiction and non-fiction, we have sections that are dedicated to anarchy, for example, or to gender Massy Books started as a humble initiative with founder Patricia studies,” Oke explained. Massy selling books online from her home as a college student, but it always had the community in mind. Massy Books sees its role in When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, the store was closed for two the community beyond buying and selling books but including months for safety purposes, which only left phone and online other ways to support creative practices and the community at large. purchasing available to customers. They installed plexiglass and The bookshop is active both as a venue and a catalyst for creativity limited the number of people in the store in mid-May, and Massy through art exhibits and various events, including book launches and Books reopened. “We only [allow] about six customers in store, as collaborative events. well as pretty strict social distancing measures, and we required masks way before the provincial health authorities to require them,” “Our location is really important to [...] guiding how we navigate in Oke added. a community. […] We’d like to think of ourselves as a bookstore but also a community hub that brings the community together for a Early to mid-March and April was an uncertain time. In June, because number of reasons,” said Oke of Massy Books, which has been in its of the conversations and protests concerning George Floyd’s death, Chinatown location since March 2018. Massy Books saw their sales for books concerning antiracism work, Black history, and Black voices surge. Massy Books sold more 2 2
