S1 Ep. 12: Kenny Leck, Books Actually (Singapore)

An independent bookshop like Books Actually was easy to spot in Singapore's artsy neighbourhood Tiong Bahru. Away from the interconnecting malls, the entrance was marked with pots of wabi-sabi and painted with books growing on trees. Now operating exclusively online, Books Actually houses the largest collection of English literature in Singapore , with many local gems and rarities. The bookstore has its own printing press and its own line of handmade writing papers and utensils. The owner of the 16-year old bookshop and our guest today is Kenny Leck. Kenny dropped out of an accountancy and taxation diploma course in a local polytechnic just two semesters before graduation and soon after, he co-founded BooksActually. He is a businessman who took it upon himself to give all writers a “good debut”. He also sponsors books for community reading programmes for children from low-income families as well as a shelter for transgender people. We're very honoured to have Kenny with us today at Got Books? and be inspired.