Books, music, coffee and conversation. The local Bouquiniste cafe/bookstore has become synonymous with these elements since its inception in 2017. However, after seven successful years, owner Clay Comber has decided it is the right time to hang up the books.

Comber, an author who released his debut novel, 100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze, in 2021, plans to use his newfound free time to delve deeper into his literary pursuits.

“I think it’s just time for me not to have to be at the same place at the same time every day - the reason we went into this in the beginning was for the books and the writing. And that has to take the primary concern for me rather than being in store all the time,” says Comber.

Clay and then-partner Hannah Lynch opened Bouquiniste in 2017 with the dream to create a space that combined their three favourite things: books, music and coffee.

“We talked about it all the time because we loved books, music, coffee and she was studying publishing and I was studying writing. So, when the time came, we thought - why don’t we make the hypothetical store the real store,” says Comber.

Ironically, the location they chose—Shop 1 of Kiama Centrepoint—was the same spot where his parents previously ran their optometrist business before relocating just down the hall.

“This store was actually the workshop of my family’s optometrist practice a long time ago; my dad would have been one of the first ones in this arcade. I grew up literally on this floor,” he says.

The combination of books and coffee created a magical atmosphere, inspiring conversation and community engagement—something Comber aimed to cultivate from the start.

“You find a lot of people saying that they came here particularly for coffee just to be around the books. People who aren’t huge readers and might not be the kind of person that go into a regular bookstore; because they’re here for coffee in the morning, books are there and they can grab them. Then everyday when they come in we can talk about how it’s going and it’s always good hearing from those customers,” says Comber.

Whenever you walked into Bouquiniste, you’d often find Clay deep in conversation with a customer and that is something he will miss the most - the regulars that would come in and that he’d seen grow over the seven years of his business. 

“We never wanted people to feel alienated when you walked in. We wanted people to feel like they were part of a conversation, obviously people could come in and read a book or read on their own, but if you came in and we didn’t know you we loved if you just jumped in - we wanted it to feel that way more than your generic cafe,” says Comber.

Bouquiniste also hosted numerous book launches and events, including the launch of Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe, now a popular Netflix series. Comber intends to continue organising such events under the Bouquiniste brand, even after the store closes.

Comber also has two books slated for release in 2025 by HarperCollins and he is hoping to finish another novel by the end of the year. He also DJ’s and you may catch him at a couple of events around Kiama in the future.

Bouquiniste’s closure comes shortly after Comber’s family optometrist closed its doors on June 29 this year, ending a legacy that began in 1977. The store is still open for the next couple of weeks - so get in your final dose of coffee, books, music and conversation.

The Bugle extends its gratitude to Clay and the Comber family for their contributions to Kiama and wishes them all the best in their future endeavours!