SAL’s Bookbar finds a permanent home, the icing on the cake
By: Amanda Nelson
Stratford Arts and Lectures (SAL), known for its unique events throughout Stratford, now has a permanent home for its micro-bookstore, SAL’s Bookbar, inside Matilda Gallery & Art Bar at 85 Downie St. in downtown Stratford.
The bookshop has been housed inside the art gallery for almost a year, and its popularity has steadily grown thanks to its unique selection of books, from Pulitzer Prize winners and theatre and art books to new and popular fiction and nonfiction. Owner Rina Barone said the collaboration is now permanent.
“Books and art just go together,” said Barone. “People love to pop in, and it’s getting more and more popular through word of mouth, which has been really exciting.”
Alongside its events for book lovers, SAL’s Bookbar offers unique sticky-note recommendations throughout the store. Prompts such as “My favourite book this year,” “Profoundly moving” and “Laugh and cry” help readers find exactly what they’re looking for.
“The sticky notes are actually really great conversation starters,” said Barone. “People will ask, ‘Is this really the best book you’ve read this year?’ and it starts a conversation about books and leads to all different things.”
The shop also carries a range of bookish merchandise, including the popular “Humans Not Algorithms” t-shirts, book totes and sweatshirts.
Alongside the art and books, Matilda Gallery & Art Bar, owned by Sarah Filion, offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as coffee and tea. Visitors can stop in for a drink or coffee, browse the books and artwork or settle in for a little reading in the gallery’s unique atmosphere.
Ironically, Barone and Filion both lived around Collingwood for years and owned businesses close to each other. They knew of each other but never crossed paths until they moved to Stratford.
Filion said SAL’s Bookbar was the “icing on the cake we didn’t know we were missing.”
“What began as an offer to host some of her events grew into one little bookshelf, and then a permanent part of the gallery,” she continued. “Along the way, Rina brought together my Collingwood and Stratford worlds, which had always felt surprisingly separate.”
Beyond its permanent location, where readers can drop in and shop, SAL’s Bookbar offers several book-themed events. These include the Spilling the Tea events, which have repeatedly sold out at the Bruce Hotel, as well as the Book Lovers Club, a membership option that lets readers return previously purchased books for a discount on their next read.
The shop also hosts pop-up events tied to highly anticipated book releases. One example is the upcoming sold-out Sarah J. Maas midnight release party for the sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series. Readers can get their hands on early copies and enjoy themed drinks, activities and crafts inspired by the “Massiverse.”
“Now Matilda is home to the literary arts as well as the visual, with delicious cocktails named after artists and literary figures to keep the conversation going,” said Filion. “I named the gallery after Roald Dahl’s Matilda, whose world opened up through books; I can’t help but think she’d approved.”
To learn more about the bookshop, book events or membership, visit stratfordartsandlectures.com.
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