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Old Nov 4, 09, 2:35 pm   #1
 
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First Editions/Used Book Store in Singapore?

My son is taking a class on the English novel 1870 to WWII and has really enjoyed reading the works of some of the English writers who visited Singapore, such as Maugham, Kipling, Conrad, etc.

I'll be in Singapore later this week and was wondering if anyone could point me to a book store that might have used books by English authors. I would think with a large English expat community, there might be such a place? TIA.
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Old Nov 4, 09, 10:29 pm   #2
 
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Not too sure about used book stores here, not quite like what is available in the States. However, as an outside chance you could try a shopping center called Bras Basah Complex. This shopping center (open air, say four or five floors) is where a lot of the used book dealers are located; Singapore school kids come here to buy their exercise books. Note though that the stores tend to be small and cramped. Anyway, if parsing through old books (but first editions? doubt it) is your thing then you can spend many happy hours there.

It's on North Bridge Road next to the National Library and across the road from the Raffles Hotel. The cabbies will all know about it.
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Old Nov 5, 09, 5:13 pm   #3
 
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Sunny bookstore in Far East Plaza (2nd floor) has a wide range of used books - the classics used to be in the back of the shop. The staff are usually helpful if you are looking for specific titles/subjects and will point you to a general area.

If memory serves, they also have another branch in Millenia Walk/Suntec.
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Old Nov 8, 09, 3:50 pm   #4
 
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Thanks for the tips.

Sunny didn't really have anything, but Bras Basah had a couple of stores where I found some books of interest.
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Old Nov 9, 09, 4:57 am   #5
 
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Glad to hear it was some help. Unfortunately SIN is not the sort of place where you can get really, really good books (although with due respect to NZED I got a nice condition Tom Clancy - I know not everyone's taste - for S$3.00 at Sunny once. Anyway I suspect you'd be better off trying Hong Kong for used books...
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Old Nov 9, 09, 10:04 am   #6
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In English? I think not. Hong Kong's English-language second hand bookstores are really very limited indeed. Many English speakers in HK do their book shopping in Singapore which has far, far better English language bookstores.
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Old Nov 16, 09, 9:07 pm   #7
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by christep View Post
In English? I think not. Hong Kong's English-language second hand bookstores are really very limited indeed. Many English speakers in HK do their book shopping in Singapore which has far, far better English language bookstores.
Agreed. I was in HKG last month and was looking for both regular and used bookstores. Was surprised at how limited the number of stores carrying English language books was. For that matter, bookstores in general aren't plentiful in HKG. Even Bangkok is better than HKG for books.
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Old Nov 17, 09, 10:23 am   #8
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by christep View Post
In English? I think not. Hong Kong's English-language second hand bookstores are really very limited indeed. Many English speakers in HK do their book shopping in Singapore which has far, far better English language bookstores.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jiejie View Post
Agreed. I was in HKG last month and was looking for both regular and used bookstores. Was surprised at how limited the number of stores carrying English language books was. For that matter, bookstores in general aren't plentiful in HKG. Even Bangkok is better than HKG for books.
Apologies to the mods for going off track but just wanted to say that I found one used bookstore in HK on Hollywood Road and Shelley Street that one could sort of look inside from the escalator. I found books there that I hadn't seen elsewhere. Don't remember the name of the shop or if it's still there.
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Old Nov 18, 09, 1:05 am   #9
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It is still there and it's called Flow (1st floor, 40 Lyndhurst Terrace).
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