Veena Book Centre

Veena Book Centre is located at 34 Avenue Road. If you know this part of town, you know it is always crowded. There are stacks of books everywhere here. It isn't the most organized place in the world, but we know where everything is. We spend most of our mornings unpacking boxes and trying to find space on the shelves. Avenue Road is a narrow street and the noise from the traffic never really stops. We get all kinds of people coming in looking for things. Some are students, some are just looking for something to read on the bus. We have been in this spot for a long time. The walls are lined with all sorts of titles and sometimes the piles get a bit high on the floor too. You have to watch your step when you walk through the aisles. It gets dusty, but that’s just part of being a book shop in this area. We don't have a big staff, just a few of us making sure people find what they need. We open early and stay until the street starts to quiet down a bit. It is a lot of lifting and moving heavy stacks around. Some days are busier than others, especially when the schools are starting back up. We just keep at it. There is no air conditioning, just a couple of fans that we keep running. It’s a simple shop.