People that work here:

Some infomation on the people who run Smiths Alternative Bookshop.

Peter Strong Bio: I first visited the shop in 1978 and have been a regular customer since 1991. I purchased the shop in 2005 and have been learning ever since. The books that I will always remember include Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck, Musashi and Taiko by Yoshikawa, The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan, all the Hornblower novels by C S Forrester and, and, and - Ok that'll do for the time being. I do other things besides the bookshop (go to www.strongs.biz to find out) and I often leave the day to day running of the shop to James, Jess and Francis. I support small independent businesses, dialogue, gardening, reading, small business, ethical large business, hard working and ethical politicians, the Brumbies (Super 12 Champions many times), the Sydney Swans (AFL Premiers in 2005!) and the Cronulla Sharks (and I am truly sorry for their behaviour - it wouldn't have happened in my day!) I am on or used to be on a couple of advisory panels for small business - to the Taxation Commissioner and to the ACCC, among several others. All I can say is down with big business and red tape and up with small business and community! I also intensely dislike malls where any sense of local community disappears (mainly)in a world of big business and franchises. Anyway enough about me............ Interests: Reading (surprised?), running a bookshop, growing vegetables, supporting the Brumbies, all things maritime Job Desc: Marketing, Events Management, Financial Management, Long Term Strategic Planning, Supporting anti war activities, bill payment, paying wages, counselling of recalcitrant staff and customers, undermining the government peter@smithsbooks.com.au
Emily Bio: Emily brings such knowledge and emergence to the shop. She is a publisher and editor for the ANU Writer's Block as well as being a published poet. Interests: Reading, working really hard in the shop, changing the world - Job Desc: To open and close the shop regularly, ring people with news about their books, organise highly successful events and other stuff related to book shops
Jessie Surplice Bio: Jessie (NOT JESSICA!) now works a lot in the shop. Hooray!! She (Jessie) is a Visual Art student at ANU. She promosed to one day make some moulds for our chocolates. She will soon update her bio (she is a bit shy .....) - Jessie recently won a proze for her art (glass) and she sold one of her works for over $1,000,000!!!! (Not really, but the price did have several 0's in it) Interests: Reading, Art, Visualising stuff, chocolate moulds, hating the government (sorry that should be intensely disliking the government as we at Smiths hate anybody that embraces HATE - that worse of all emotions) Job Desc: Book management, chocolate mould making, doll dressing
Amy Bio: Amy makes coffee and comes up with wonderful ideas which find their form in the store, scatted about in strange places. She possibly has the loudest laugh at Smiths. She likes when DJ's "wicky wicky" while her favourite song is playing. Job Desc: Barista, selling, talking, thinking about life, receiving books, claening up
Francis Elliott Bio: Reads like crazy. Reads so many different genres of books that he would have to be called eclectic. He can probably also be accused of being a left wing rabble rousing trouble maker, which is one of the reasons we employ him. Interests: Reading, wandering around, meeting people, drinking coffee, denigrating this government and the Bush administration. Job Desc: Francis used to be our emergency and relief worker. When we had someone off sick, we called Francis. When someone went on leave we call Francis. When we had a problem we called Francis. But now he works four or five days a week and he does a bit of ev
Emma Bio: When Emma isn't working, she fills in her time painting and drawing in her studio, at the school of art. She makes zines where she combines her intricate drawings of nature with Haiku-esq descriptions. Job Desc: 0
Conor Hutchison Bio: Conor is our Barista and also sells books and does stuff - he also goes to uni at UC where he does Creative Writing and he will one day be a hugely famous author - so we knew him first! he is also in a band so is also a rock star and the girls reckon he is a bit of a heart throb and they throw their undies at him at gigs. Interests: Bands, reading, girls, coffee, Cleo magazine etc Job Desc: Barista, receiving books, working on Saturdays, selling, singing
Andrew Bio: Andrew is a scientist, musician, general layabout and ne'er-do-well. Passers-by are on occasion amused to see him riding his giraffe to work or yelling about world avocado prices hitting $US90/barrel. Job Desc: Do returns, talk to people, organise the shelves, wear a tie when badly hung over, sing and whistle
Pumpkins Bio: Yep - these are pumpkins grown in the owners own garden using books from the shop to help do it! Job Desc: 0
The Garden Bio: This is the community garden that we get some of our vegies from. It doesn't serve in the shop but it is always with us in spirit. Interests: Growing things organically Job Desc: Extracting of nutrients from the soil and sunlight from the firmament to enhance growth of selected vegetables. Nurturing of worms and good bacteria. DESTRUCTION of weeds (currently The Garden is not culling weeds as much as we would like - thus failing
Chris Bio: Reads books and then reviews them. Interests: Reading and reviewing books Job Desc: Book reader and reviewer chab@smithsbooks.com.au
Michael Preiss Bio: Michael has left Smiths. But he will not be forgotten and we have decided to rename our music section the "Michael Preiss Section'! Anyway here is some information about Michael. Great books I have read include Moby Dick, Wind In The Willows, Blood Meridian, The Grapes Of Wrath and The Radetzky March. Truth be known I'm a bit of a Luddite. Family and friends, books and the bookshop, dabbling in a rock n' roll band - these are the things that keep me off the streets... Interests: Playing in a rock n' roll band, life on the home front, planting trees, cycling. Job Desc: Decides what books we're gonna' stock. michael@smithsbooks.com.au
Fiona Gazzard Bio: Oh No, Fiona has left and gone back to Sydney but we shall leave her details here anyway!!! This is what she wrote about herself- I guess a bio is meant to be about who you are, right? Me, who am I? Damn fine question. When I figure out the answer to that question I'll let you know. So sad - Fiona left to return to Sydney and pursue another life there - we miss her A LOT!!! Interests: Interesting things Job Desc: It used to be: Actually doing the tasks we always talk about doing. Customer reporting, instigating law suits on behalf of Smiths, defending Smiths against litigious weirdos, counselling other staff on behavioural norms fiona@smithsbooks.com.au
Michael's band Bio: Here is the band Job Desc: make noise that is pleasurable


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