The Bookshop Podcast
The Bookshop Podcast
Tim Jarvis, Fullers Bookshop
In this episode, I'm chatting with Dr. Tim Jarvis, director of Fullers Bookshop, about taking over the 103-year-old bookshop, local authors, what to see around Hobart, and books!
Fullers Bookshop was established in 1920, by W. E. (Bill) Fuller, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. In 1961 the shop was taken over by Cedric and Ian Pearce, famous not only as booksellers but also as jazz musicians. In 1980, when Cedric became ill, the shop was purchased by Ian Drinkwater. Ian moved Fullers to Murray St in 1981.
Clive Tilsley bought Fullers in 1982 and 1992 and moved the bookshop back to Collins Street. In 1996 the Afterword Café was established on the mezzanine level of the shop – this moved Fullers onto another level of business. In 2001, Fullers opened a second shop in Launceston in the north of the state, where Clive spent 13 years establishing the brand in a very competitive book-buying market.
In 2009 the Hobart shop moved again – up the road to a bright new space (with a fabulous view of the mountain). In 2014, Fullers sold its Launceston shop, and at the same time, Clive moved back to Hobart.
In the 30 years under Clive’s guidance, Fullers has confirmed its status as a leading bookseller in Tasmania and a fundamental component of the cultural landscape of the state. In 2021 Tim Jarvis took over ownership, steering the bookshop through the pandemic, and continuing the tradition of Fullers Bookshop being a hub of the community, offering a wide range of author events, readings, books clubs, and publishing.
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