Former Gowrie Street Primary School principal Eron Chapman now owns her own bookshop.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
After seven years as Gowrie Street Primary School’s principal, Eron Chapman felt that she needed a change.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
She now spends her days between the colourful shelves of her own bookshop in the heart of Shepparton.
Ms Chapman said opening a bookshop was a dream of hers but that “it was always ‘imagine if’ or ‘how great would it be’, then it just sort of arrived”.
The shopfront at 218 Maude St had been sitting empty since Footy Korner and Games World closed in January 2025.
In the first week that the shop has been in business, Ms Chapman has already seen strong interest from the community.
“A bookshop has a halo effect, it brings people in,” Ms Chapman said.
“It brings people together and currently people are looking for community.
“People have said ‘I can get this online, but I can’t talk to anyone about it’.”
To keep the bookshop’s environmental footprint as low as possible, many of the shelves and fittings were sourced second-hand, only needing a lick of paint to take on Ms Chapman’s personal style.
Ms Chapman said that she loved colours and “I want it to be bright and inviting”.
“Maude Street Mall is such a great spot, really fantastic,” she said.
Ms Chapman said she loved many different genres, including non-fiction about history and the environment.
The bookshop contains everything from popular non-fiction to children’s fiction and works in translation.
Ms Chapman hopes to cater to the diverse communities living in Shepparton and has books for sale that cater to LGBTQIA+ and multicultural readers.
Plans include hosting writing workshops for high-school students, story time for younger kids and book clubs for kids and adults.
Ms Chapman is looking for a man to host a local chapter of Tough Guy Book Club, an international collective of men-only book clubs aimed at getting men to read more and connect with each other.
If you are interested, you can reach out to Eron Chapman on 0466 364 241.
Many Stories Bookshop owner Eron Chapman has made sure her collection of books caters to everyone in Shepparton.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Many Stories Bookshop has a colourful interior that uses second-hand furniture to keep its environmental footprint low.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
18°C