address:73 Harbord Street
phone number: 416-922-8744 /Toll-free in Canada: 1-800-861-8233
hours of operation:Mon-Wed 10:30am-6pm Thurs-Fri 10:30am-8pm/Sat 10:30am-6pm/Sun 12pm-5pm
payment methods:Cash Interac Visa MasterCard AmericanExpress
Directions:Southwest corner of Harbord & Spadina. 2 blocks south of the Spadina subway station
Handicap accessible: Almost, bathroom is not accessible

This year the TWB celebrates their 35th year in Toronto. Given the rising position of independent bookstores on the endangered species list, let alone non-profit, feminist bookstores, I’m reminded of how lucky Torontonians are to have a community that refuses to allow them to disappear. TWB is no different, their survival has depended on an extremely loyal customer base and their academic affiliations with professors who order course material through the store (found upstairs). Several things make this space unique: books are sorted and shelved in ways that give prominence to authors from queer or marginalized communities and they have substantial sections dedicated to zines and chapbooks as well as to anti-racism and critical race theory, globalization and South Asian, First Nations and Aboriginal authors. Heavy theory stuff is balanced by all the amazing fiction.Stickers, calendars, independent music, patches, and t-shirts from local and/or radical artists fill the rest of their shelves (perfect source of gifts for that certain hot feminist/anarchist you’ve been checking out lately) and they carry the DVDs Blockbuster is busy trying to ignore (docs, trans stories, etc.). All the staff I spoke to—the majority of which are women or trans-people of colour due to their affirmative action hiring practices…yay again—knew the place and the literature inside and out. They also order lots of books for their customers. Staff backgrounds and interests remain true to the political views and arts and community-oriented mission of the store, so you can be sure they’ll offer good advice or at least fascinating things to talk about. Supporting revolutions (whether personal or political) is as easy as stepping through the front doors.

The bookstore is also a venue for alternative, radical and activist activities. They host an impressive number of book launches every month and teach 3-5 courses every season (anything from White Anti-Racism workshops to Burlesque lessons to learn-ins about Sex Work). Tap into community events happening in the city by checking out their bulletin boards. They also have partnership initiatives taking place on the last Friday of every month. On these days, 10% of sales go towards groups like No One is Illegal or Frontier College (literacy organization). These profiles aren’t supposed to be gushy, but I can’t help but want to encourage us all to go check this place out and to spend, spend, spend to Save the Indie Booksellers. Amazon ain’t got nothing on these guys.

profile by Amanda DeLong