Gerakbudaya: Local Bookstore for Literary Enthusiasts
“Have you heard?” I asked when the car was approaching the island. “One of Penang’s bookstores is closing down soon.”
“You mean Gerakbudaya?” The mention of the bookstore has piqued Agnes’ interest. “I think I’ve heard about it.”
“Do you wanna check out the place before it closes down?”
“Why not?”
Gerakbudaya has been a reputable bookstore among the Malaysian literary circle since its opening in 2014. It was a reliable supplier for my literature course’s compulsory readings as they offered those literary titles, unlike mainstream bookstores.
I had always wanted to visit the modest literary cavern. As soon as I heard about the news of closure, I instantly recommended this to my fellow bibliophiles, Agnes and Esther. An after-tea walk in the evening would suffice for digestion before dinner.
Gerakbudaya@Hikayat
“Is this the one that will be closing down?” Esther asked as we arrived in front of a royal yellow building. A beautiful quote on a display stand attracted the like-minded people (which we had forgotten to snap a pic).
“No, that’s the other Gerakbudaya.”
In fact, Gerakbudaya has two stores. The original bookstore for fiction is in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, while the bookstore in Beach Street hosts non-fiction publications. Although the old store will close, the fiction section will replace the café area after Labour’s Day.
This was my second visit to this premise. My first visit was in 2020 when I was walking around Armenian Street with my uni friends. We were in a hurry for dinner. Then my final year and MCO happened; I had forgotten about the plan of returning to the bookstore.
The cold air blew away the evening heat and sweat, and the shelves of categorised books glimmered in sparkles. Most non-fiction titles ranged from Malaysian to international publications, all about Asian culture and history.
Esther ventured around, but felt a little agitated at the sight of architecture books. I spotted a book about the old Penang before the beginning of the island’s modernisation. Agnes picked a title about garden plants and herbs, and flipped through the pages of colourful illustrations.
“Ah plants, my adversaries,” Esther raised an eyebrow at the sight of the cover. “You really do like succulents.”
“I bet my grandma would say: ‘I can teach you how to plant. Why bother wasting your money on books’,” Agnes mimicked in Chinese. “But I wish for a balcony full of house plants and herbs.”
On the counter, there were bookmarks with the black and white smiling faces of Malaysian writers and some vibrant gift vouchers. Among the writers, I recognised one of my Creative Writing lecturers, who had a grim appearance unlike the others. Truth to be told, I did not enjoy any of her classes, but she recognised my ability in writing places. The bookmarks were freebies, so I took two along with my book payment.
“How to reach the other Gerakbudaya?” I asked an Indian woman at the counter.
“Hold on,” the woman searched a cabinet and took out a flyer with a simplified map. “This is where we are, Beach Street. You just need to head Northwest from the Black Kettle cafe.”
Gerakbudaya
Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (or Pitt Street) is a core zone during Francis Light’s settlement in Georgetown and a major part of the Georgetown World Heritage Site. With four different religious sites as its neighbours, Gerakbudaya’s strategic position in this harmonious street reinforces British-Turkish writer Elif Shafak’s words in connection: stories bring us together.
Passing by Lebuh Chulia street, we crossed the road towards Nasi Kandar Beratur. The bookstore is right opposite Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Georgetown’s oldest Hindu temple with detailed sculptures of Devas and Devis over the temple’s main entrance and façade.
“I don’t get the crossing,” Esther pointed at the diagonal yellow stripes when we hurried ourselves against the neon green countdown. “I’ve never seen a cross like this.”
“You won’t be waiting for the light twice,” I said, while leaping on the pavement before the crossing light turned red. “It reminds me of the Shibuya crossing.”
One of Kafka’s quotes was featured on the bookstore’s display stand. Just like its Beach Street counterpart, the royal yellow door popped out among the green spiky dracaena leaves. Two lovely Eurasian children sat on a picnic bench, enjoying their Saturday evening with no homework. A fat cat chilling in front of the entrance soon caught Agnes’ attention.
“He’s a little shy,” said a Eurasian boy at the corner. “Just be careful when you pet him.”
The cat escaped before Agnes could touch its ears.
“Told ya,” the other Eurasian child folded her arms. “You need to be careful with him.”
The bookstore’s interior resembled those European mini book stores where you could only walk along the two narrow lanes. Fictional anthologies, poetries, and novels in English and Malay dominate the bookstore, and I was surprised to find a few old publications and dated magazines among the newer titles.
Among a catalogue of internationally renowned writers, I found a few Malaysian names. The lack of alphabetical ordering could make the searching game more complex, but it broke down the international barrier of literature.
My friends had already been looking low and high for interesting book titles, but they resisted the urge for a massive haul. My little eyes soon caught Esther bringing an opened book closer to her nose, giving the aroma of printed paper fibres a generous sniff.
“Hey I saw that,” Agnes cried.
Esther gave her a smirk, her finger caressing the book spine. “It’s a guilty pleasure.”
“Understandable,” I said. “Sniffing pages is like smoking weeds for book lovers.”
As we headed back to the main street, people queued up in front of Nasi Kandar Beratur. Thus, we decided it was time for us to have dinner.
Date of Visitation: 26th March 2022
Location:
Gerakbudaya: 78 Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, George Town, 10200 Penang (will close after 1 May 2022)
Gerakbudaya@Hikayat: 226 Lebuh Pantai, George Town, 10300 Penang, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 11.00am-8.00pm (daily)
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