Bookstores across Western Australia are thriving with activity this week, as the Global Book Crawl makes its first appearance in the state.

The event makes its way to WA after launching just last year on Australia’s East-Coast, organised by Spainard Federico Lang.

The movement comes in the wake of the demise of independent bookstores, with close to 50 per cent closing between 2013-2023 in the past decade in the US, according to independent research by Wordsrated.

The demise was blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer habits and large online sellers that buy in bulk allowing books to be sold on cheaply.

WA’s inaugural book crawl has 16 stores taking part.

Beaufort Street Books in Mt Lawley has led the way for Western Australia, with owner Jane Seaton coordinating the WA crawl.

The bookstore has helped facilitate WA authors and readers since 2010, hosting book clubs, author meet and greets and reading challenges.

“It helps create community among WA bookstores,” Ms Seaton said.

 “Staff can see if another bookstore has what they are looking for in stock and refer them to the other store.”

The involvement of staff with the event has been critical, adding to the sense of community according to Ms Seaton.

Mr Lang said he wanted to revitalise independent bookstores globally and create an event that revitalised Australia’s independent bookstores – creating a sense of community.

Jaye Chin-Dusting, co-organiser of the event and owner of Mary Martin Bookshop in Melbourne, says the event has been hugely successful and has expanded further this year.

“Indie bookshops in particular are very vulnerable and there is strength in numbers,” Ms Chin-Dustings said.“In Melbourne we have increased from 12 to 36 bookshops participating this year in two zones, because so many shops wanted to join in.”

This year’s event will includes a bookshop passport where visitors can collect stamps to collect prizes as they move through stores.