One would think that as the owner of a
bookstore, Mr Kenny Leck would have plenty of time to devour as
many books as he wants.
But don't be so quick to judge a book by its cover.
Like many of us, Mr Leck does not get to read as much as he would
like to.
"I don't get enough time to read at all," said the
founder of local bookstore BooksActually.
"Most of my reading is done in the hours before I
sleep, because when I am working here, I don't get much time to
read."
Mr Leck, 39, works nearly every day at the bookstore,
which is currently located in the quaint Yong Siak Street in Tiong
Bahru.
In its 12 years, BooksActually has moved three times.
It has been in its current premises for the past six years.
But the relocation has not taken
away the bookstore's character.
BooksActually has carved out a
distinct feel, with various knick-knacks and vintage items -
collected by Mr Leck - on display and for sale alongside paperbacks
and hardcovers.
"People tell me that the interior
is nice, but I don't actually put much effort into it," said Mr
Leck. "It's more like, I put the items wherever I see there is
space."
Mr Leck's passion has always been
books.
Before starting BooksActually, he
worked at Tower Books and Borders - experiences he said were
invaluable in helping him start his bookstore.
Mr Leck started out selling books
at various book fairs, but his vision was to open a bookstore of
his own.
He said: "It had to lead to having
my own space. It just makes sense to have a bookstore."
It took him just seven months to
accumulate enough money to rent his first space, the second storey
of a shophouse in Telok Ayer Street in Chinatown.
The best part of having a physical
store?
Laughing, Mr Leck said: "I get to
have all the books I want. Naturally, I can't read everything, but
still, nothing beats seeing so much stock and being able to run my
hands all over it."
Running a bookstore has its
challenges, obviously.
He constantly worries about rent -
it has motivated him to save for a property for BooksActually.
The day-to-day operations can also
wear him down, as the bookstore is open nearly every day.
Mr Leck cut a humble figure when
talking about his staff - he has three full-timers and six
part-timers - saying how important they are to him.
"I need to put in place a good team
to support me to ensure that, as we move ahead, the bookstore
achieves things that it wants to achieve," he said.
Mr Leck offered many reasons why he
founded BooksActually: He grew up with a love of reading, readers
here need a place to get less "commercialised" titles and -
practically - he wants to make money.
But what seems to be the strongest
reason is his desire to ensure the longevity of local
literature.
"There are not enough access points
for local books.
"We should try to carry as much
Singlit (Singapore Literature) as possible, because it is our
narrative at the end of the day," said Mr Leck.
"If we don't carry our stories, who
will?"
Other than ensuring that his
bookstore is well stocked, Mr Leck and his team manage publishing
company Math Paper Press, which regularly releases works by local
authors.
BooksActually was also part of the
committee for the recent #BuySingLit campaign - an industry-led
movement to celebrate local stories - which took place over the
last weekend of February.
With so much going on, it is no
surprise that Mr Leck hardly has time to read.
"The most I have ever read was when
I was bedridden for a week and a half with an injury," he said.
"I was in a lot of pain, but it was
also the best time of my life - I got to read a lot."