(Photos by Erin Balser)
You may not know it, but there’s a book-lovers’ mecca nestled on Bay Street, one encouraging you to “read the fine print.” The print inside the store is fine indeed, as are the light fixtures, dark wood bookshelves, archways, and the clerk’s sweater. Ben McNally Books is breath taking and it means business.
A life-long bookseller, owner Ben McNally was intrigued by the possibility of a “neighbourless” bookstore, that is, one that serviced people where they work, not where they live. He chose Bay Street for the industries it serviced — legal, political, financial — because he loves those kinds of books. “If I opened it in a place where the people who worked around me are affluent, intelligent, sophisticated, then I knew I’d be able to have a bookstore that cheered me every time I came through the door,” Ben explains. “Then I would be able to take on things that were intellectually demanding, that were expensive and that were unusual, like me!”
Ben takes pride in selling a different kind of book. The store is stocked with obscure hardcovers about colonialism, language, and military history. Five copies of The Crisis of the Twelfth Century were sold in Canada last year — four of them at Ben McNally Books. Staff are currently waiting for a customer to pick up the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, a $500 grammatical treasure.
“I’d rather have a book that sells one copy that no one else will sell than to stock several best sellers you can get anywhere,” McNally says. “That’s what makes this store. That’s why people come.”
Off-site and in-store events are a big part of the Ben McNally world. Being located in a business district means there’s no reason to be open after six or on Sundays, allowing Ben McNally Books to host launches regularly, run the Ben NcNally/Globe and Mail Brunch series, the Fine Print series, and take on such projects as serving as the official bookseller of the International Festival of Authors.
This investment in the literary community is important to Ben, both personally and professionally. “The brunch series is a great way to make sure that the people who work for you don’t lose track of what’s important in this business,” he explains. “There’s actually a connection between the creator of the product and the end user and you actually get a sense that you have a part to play in that when you do things like the brunches or IFOA. That’s pretty special.”
Ben McNally and Ben McNally Books are embedded in the Canadian literary community. It’s not unusual to see an author browsing or trying to stump a clerk with a bizarre request. Canadian authors are prominently on display and Ben speaks highly of Margaret Atwood, Wayson Choy, and Camilla Gibb. However, as much as he champions Canadian literature, his first loyalty is, and always will be, to the reader. “My first responsibility is my customer. When I think a book should be cut by a third or if there’s a subplot that goes nowhere, I have to tell you that,” Ben admits. “That’s why I really shy away from reading Canadian authors. It’s important for me to do my best for their book and for Canadian authors as I possibly can. I can best accomplish this by removing my personal opinion from the equation, as I’m often a very critical reader. When people come and ask me ‘Is this any good?’ I have to be honest.”
Ben McNally opened his doors in September 2007 and hasn’t looked back. As Ben’s long frame moves around the store with ease, he straightens a display or points out a book he’s excited about, a hardcover exploring legal history and a beautiful coffee table book highlighting the birds of Ontario. Ben McNally is Ben McNally Books. It’s home. “When you have a chance, when you’re the first one here in the morning and you unlock your door behind you – you’re the only person in the bookstore. All is quiet,” Ben says. “You’re surrounded by friends.”
Ben McNally Books is located at 366 Bay Street. Hours are Monday-Friday 10-6 and Saturday 11-5.
