Honouring the Word

The Quebec Writers’ Federation tips its
hat to the owners of the cramped,
quirky McGill Ghetto bookstore

BOOK WORTHIES: (l to r) Adrian King-Edwards,
Lucille King-Edwards, Brendan King-Edwards and Scott Moodie

by MATT JONES

Stepping into the Word bookstore at 469 Milton is not like stepping into your average big chain bookstore. There’s no convenient Internet database, no oversized lattés, no mood music. And unlike chain stores, with their mass quantities of bestsellers, pop psychology and yoga accessories, the Word prides itself on its meticulous collection of high quality books. That careful screening process is the reason why owners Adrian and Luci King-Edwards have been selected to receive the Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF) Community Award this year.

Adrian and Luci’s adventures began in the summer of 1973, when the two McGill English students started selling books to finance a trip around the British Columbia interior.

“We set up in trailer camps, lumber camps and sort of obscure places,” says Adrian. “This was quite a novelty for anybody that reads. If you’re a reader and you’re in that situation, you’ve read all your books, so when someone turns up with a fresh book, you go for it.”

From the frontiers of backwoods bookselling, they drove their VW across the country, breaking down in Ontario before finally puttering into Montreal with no intention of putting their books away. They moved into a 4 ½ on Milton and transformed their living room into a makeshift (unlicensed) store.

“We put a picture of George Bernard Shaw in the window so our fellow students at McGill would know which door to walk through,” he says. “Because it wasn’t locked, people would just walk in and we had books right there in our living room.”

Underground poetry stores can’t help but attract two types of people: It wasn’t long before their living room was becoming a literary salon, hosting bi-weekly poetry readings, and the subject of occasional visits by cops wondering if they were dealing more than literature. “This is actually where the roots of the award we’re getting comes from, the association with the poetry community, the writing community,” Adrian says.

One day in 1975, after walking out of his house, Adrian noticed a for-rent sign next door. Originally a horse stable, the building had been home to a laundromat run by a Chinese family for 70 years. Though the wood is old and the second floor is made of planks placed crudely over the beams, they moved in and haven’t looked back: “It’s such a really lovely building; I’m in love with it.”

Adrian goes to great lengths to maintain his stock, travelling as far as Connecticut to get books from retiring or deceased professors. He keeps the store’s focus on poetry and philosophy. “Those are the two areas where the books have a huge amount of meaning to people. People are very reluctant to part with them and people are very pleased to get them,” he says.

The Word continues to host readings. Ilona Martonfi and Stephen Morrissey, a veteran from the living room days, will be launching new books of poems at the store on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The QWF Awards Gala takes place Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Lion d’Or (1676 Ontario E). Info at qwf.org. Those shortlisted include Jon Paul Fiorentino, Yves Engler and Monique Proulx.

Montreal writers are also well represented at this year’s Governor General’s Literary Awards, which will be announced at the Grande Bibiliothèque (475 de Maisonneuve E.) also on Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. Montrealers nominated include Carmine Starnino, Sina Queyras, Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott. See canadacouncil.ca for details.