Welcome to Malvern Books!

BlogMalvern Books is now closed. Malvern Books was a bookstore and community space in Austin, Texas. We specialized in visionary literature and poetry from independent publishers, with a focus on lesser-known and emerging voices.


An Update from the Manager of Malvern Books

Dear Friends,

We’ve had a wonderful time sharing our favorite books with you over the past nine years, and it’s been an honor to celebrate the work of so many brilliant writers through our readings and events.

Malvern Books is the realization of Joe Bratcher’s vision—Joe dreamt of a bookstore that would carry the books he loved, mostly poetry and fiction from small, independent presses. He wanted to promote writers and translators of books from other countries, while also championing the work of local writers.

When Joe first talked to me about opening Malvern Books, I must admit I was skeptical. I didn’t think we’d find an audience. It was 2012 and everyone was saying that bookstores were dead, Kindle and online shopping were the future. I anticipated many quiet sales days, with Joe and I just sitting there, looking at each other. He told me if that’s how it ended up, well, at least we’d have a chance to chat—and since we always seemed to laugh a lot when we talked, it sounded like a good way to spend some time. And so from then on, whenever we’d have a really slow sales day, with just a few people coming in, we’d look at each other and say, “We’re living the dream!” and we’d laugh.

But back to opening… in early 2013, with the help of our amazing architect, contractor, and interior designer, we created the space that Joe had in mind. We started posting on social media thanks to Tracey, our wonderful digital media manager and first Malvern hire. And we were so grateful to the many enthusiastic writers and readers who expressed their excitement at the imminent arrival of Malvern Books. From the very beginning it felt like we were building a community.

We opened our doors in October 2013, and we were shocked by how many people came by. You showed up and you loved what we had to offer! You constantly surprised and humbled us with your kind words and helpful suggestions. People from out of town would visit the store because a local friend had told them they had to come by, and we received much appreciated shout-outs from the Austin Chronicle and numerous other newspapers and journals.

And then 2020 hit—but even with the pandemic, we had loyal customers who came by for curbside pick ups, signed up for individual shopping appointments, and participated in our Zoom book clubs and events. If we didn’t say it enough, THANK YOU!

All along the way, we were lucky enough to have truly wonderful staff members who loved the books we carried and who helped us build the store we have now. Their work has been invaluable and we could not have done this without them.

On July 28th of this year, we lost Joe. I can’t tell you how hard it has been to try and carry on in this space without him. Our little Malvern world has not been the same since, and, as much as we love this store and our amazing customers, Malvern Books simply cannot continue without our Joe.

Malvern Books will be closing on December 31st, 2022. It has been a wonderful nine years and we thank each and every one of our cherished customers, friends, staff, and suppliers for helping us along the way.

As we move forward, we’ll be sharing our plans with you for sales and specials. For now, we just wanted to let you know this was coming. We hope you all continue to seek out works in translation and books published by small presses—there is so much great stuff out there—and that you continue to support our local independent bookstores, like our dear friends at BookWoman, among others. But, most importantly, we hope to see you in the store sometime soon, to say goodbye and to thank you, both for being the readers that you are and because you have come with us on this incredibly fulfilling journey in Joe’s world.

With heartfelt thanks and wishing you all the best,

Becky Garcia,
Manager, Malvern Books

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Malvern Books’ 3rd Anniversary Celebration 5:00 pm
Malvern Books’ 3rd Anniversary Celebration
Oct 8 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Malvern Books' 3rd Anniversary Celebration
Opening day seems like it was only yesterday, but in fact Malvern Books turns THREE this week. And we’re celebrating our third anniversary in fine style, with music, readings, and cake. Come on down and join the party!  * Also worth … Continue reading
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Short Stories by Texas Authors Vol. 2 Book Launch 1:00 pm
Short Stories by Texas Authors Vol. 2 Book Launch
Oct 15 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
<i>Short Stories by Texas Authors Vol. 2</i> Book Launch
Join us for a reading celebrating the launch of Short Stories by Texas Authors Vol. 2. Texas Authors have once again allowed their creative minds to open up and expand the Universe in which they live with short stories that … Continue reading
L.E. Kinzie Book Launch 7:00 pm
L.E. Kinzie Book Launch
Oct 15 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
L.E. Kinzie Book Launch
Join us in celebrating the launch of L.E. Kinzie’s first poetry collection, Ignite. With readings from L.E. and Robin Bradford. “Kinzie walks the fine line between modern American life and spirituality like a tightrope walker in heels. Her voice is funny, blunt, and … Continue reading
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The Poetry of Max Ritvo with Sarah Matthes 7:00 pm
The Poetry of Max Ritvo with Sarah Matthes
Oct 19 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Poetry of Max Ritvo with Sarah Matthes
Join us for a poetry reading from the late Max Ritvo’s first collection, Four Reincarnations (Milkweed Editions). Max’s poetry will be read by Sarah Matthes. When Max Ritvo was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age sixteen, he became the chief war correspondent for his … Continue reading
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Joe Doerr Book Launch 7:00 pm
Joe Doerr Book Launch
Oct 21 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Joe Doerr Book Launch
Join us in celebrating the launch of Joe Doerr’s third book, Tocayo: New & Selected Poems & Songs (Shearsman Books). With a reading from Joe, and a performance of the song lyrics from the book from Joe and his band Churchwood. … Continue reading
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E. Kristin Anderson Book Launch & Costume Party 7:00 pm
E. Kristin Anderson Book Launch & Costume Party
Oct 22 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
E. Kristin Anderson Book Launch & Costume Party
Join us in celebrating the launch of E. Kristin Anderson’s new chapbook, We’re Doing Witchcraft (Hermeneutic Chaos Press). With readings from E. Kristin, K.D. Lovgren, and Abe Louise Young. We’re Doing Witchcraft is a collection of feminist poetry about adolescence, the female … Continue reading
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The Lion & The Pirate Unplugged: Halloween Edition 4:00 pm
The Lion & The Pirate Unplugged: Halloween Edition
Oct 30 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
The Lion & The Pirate Unplugged: Halloween Edition
In association with VSA Texas (The State Organization on Arts and Disability) and the Pen2Paper Creative Writing Contest (a project of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities), we’re delighted to present an inclusive (mic-less) open mic for writers and musicians. Join us for this fun … Continue reading
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