Moving to the Northern Beaches in 2003 from the Mid-North Coast, with her husband Ben and two young children, Sally was delighted to find a few days work at Bookoccino, an Avalon institution with Margaret Hutchings at the helm. An avid reader since childhood, with a particular interest in philosophy, poetry, art and the classics, Sally fell in love with the bookselling profession.

Well, did she get more than she bargained for!

Founded in 1992 in the sleepy surfing village of Avalon, Bookoccino had acquired an international following and survived several financial crises, but had fallen on hard times. When a potential buyer offered one dollar and Margaret appeared on the verge of taking it, Sally was distraught. “I remember locking the shop one evening in tears, thinking of the rich history and culture that Avalon was about to lose,” she says. Sally had started hatching plans to save it when a veteran, Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times correspondent appeared; he had a love of books and an excess of energy and ideas, but no idea how to run a bookstore. Sally brought that, and more.

When Sally suggested moving into a larger space across the street many thought they were crazy taking on more rent and financial obligations in the era of Amazon. But, in just a few years, under Sally’s guidance, hard work, and passion for books, Bookoccino has grown exponentially, and become a vibrant community gathering space.

Bookoccino’s curation elicits rave reviews from customers and publishers alike, including regular customer Brigitte Donnan: “Sally’s love of reading is evident in her careful and eclectic curating of the collection, the surprises one finds while browsing in this treasure trove at Bookoccino”.

On Tuesday mornings, she can be found sitting on the floor reading to toddlers during StoryTime. She knows most of Bookoccino customers and their children by name, and she takes immense pleasure in bringing the community together, encouraging reading (especially among children) and sharing her vision for a fairer, friendlier and better-read world.

“She is a bookseller’s bookseller,” as Ray puts it.

Come say hello to Sally and pick up her next recommendation today.