Victoria Moreno - "They Are Our Future"

In 1973, the Toronto Women’s Bookstore first opened in the heart of downtown Toronto. The store began during a time when feminist movements were geared towards ending gender inequality and how women are depicted in the media. Since then the independent bookstore has been an information provider and community resource, and continues to offer a wide range of writings on feminist theory and anti-oppression politics.

Photo courtesy of the Toronto Women’s Bookstore, reprinted by the Torontoist    

The Toronto Women’s Bookstore sells books and magazines that are both written by women and directly to women. The store also offers local art, postcards, crafts and music, but it’s more than a place to buy unique books and magazines. It also captures the principle of the importance of literacy in teaching equality, making your own opinion and applying it to the world around you and ending ignorance of any kind.

One of the most striking aspects of the Toronto Women’s Bookstore is its individuality and importance to the community. There are multiple ways to get involved. The store offers volunteer opportunities, book launches and readings, and with much more to come. Authors frequently visit the store to do book readings and to speak about their works while interacting with anyone who wishes to participate. The store is also known for its welcoming atmosphere and is used as a meeting place for groups and clubs. The store thoroughly advocates for local events, music, businesses, arts and different pieces of writing.

The current store manager, Victoria Moreno, sat down with me for an interview about the store and the impact it has on the community.

Victoria began volunteering at the Bookstore, which eventually led to her becoming a part time employee. She went on to various other jobs before returning to the store as manager, a position she has held for about a year.

Throughout the interview, issues varying from the closure of libraries in Toronto to the impact literacy has on social change were brought up.

Ms. Moreno strongly believes that education is power and is extremely important to social change. While discussing the closure of public libraries in Toronto, Victoria said “If you’re not reading, you’re just following the clan.” This astute statement summarizes the  message the store sends to its customers.

When asked about the importance of getting young girls involved, Victoria said that the store is open and encouraging to girls who will be able to come in and learn about feminist politics. The store also sells publications such as Shameless, a great feminist magazine directed at girls. The bookstore also offers books for young adults which provide female role models.

“It’s really important to focus on the younger generation because they are our future,” she added.

The Toronto Women’s Bookstore has stayed steady for thirty eight years and continues to grow with new and improved plans in the works. When I asked what’s next for the store, I learned that there is a lot planned. One project is opening a multi-purpose room above the store, which will be used for family programs including storytelling, theatre, visual arts and music. The bookstore is also working on creating an online store to increase their online presence and allow for easy access to materials. 

On a closing note Victoria said, “We have a lot planned for the future of the store. We of course encourage people to keep coming in and hearing authors speak, coming to events the store offers and using the bookstore as a community resource.”

If you’re interested in finding out more, the website of the Toronto Women’s Bookstore is: www.womensbookstore.com

Written by Jaclyn Mlotek

Edited by Lucinda Atwood