Major Christian publishers like IVP (both US and UK), Crossway and Tyndale are now being distributed by Booktopia, Australia’s largest locally-owned bookstore. This means Christian authors like A W Tozer and Don Carson are available on the Booktopia Publisher Services distribution system alongside books representing a very wide range of religions.
For the ordinary customer, Booktopia has a wide range of Bibles but – according to observers of the book scene – not the same range of Christian books as Koorong. Pricing is broadly similar. Booktopia appears to be picking up books Koorong is not featuring much. Some titles that are out of print or on backorder elsewhere are on their site.
In other book news, the Reformers Bookstore, which describes itself as a non-profit venture of Stanmore Baptist Church and the NSW Presbyterians, has closed a warehouse it had expanded into in Guildford in Western Sydney in 2022 and once again operates out of the Stanmore church.
One of the larger independent Christian bookstores, Cornerstone a family-owned store on the NSW Central Coast has closed after more than three decades. “God has given us an immense sense of peace that this is the right time and course of action to take,” the store announced. “Undeniably, there is much sadness in ending this ministry of almost 32 years that has been our life’s work for the kingdom.”