COBBLE HILL — BookCourt, the popular independent bookstore at 161-163 Court St., will close at the end of the month, but a novelist who used to work there announced she'll open a bookstore in the neighborhood to take its place.
Owners Henry Zook and Mary Gannett released a statement Tuesday saying they are retiring from bookselling after 35 years in the neighborhood and will close the store for good on Dec. 31.
"We want to thank our Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill neighbors for their loyal support," they wrote.
"We Realize that BookCourt's Closing leaves a void in the neighborhood and the industry."
The store was known for its events, from notable authors doing readings to opening at midnight for the debut of new Harry Potter books.
Residents were shocked to hear the news.
"I'm crushed. It's a real loss," said resident Jeni Aron, 41. When she first heard the news in a text message from a friend, she said, "That can't be!"
Shelia Mosby, 51, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, loves looking at their children's books because her niece just turned 4 and is about to start reading.
"It's a shame," she said. "They do a lot of stuff for kids."
Writers took to Twitter to lament the closure.
I'm a little emotional right now so sorry but I feel like losing BookCourt is the bookstore version of losing Prince or Bowie.
— Jason Diamond (@imjasondiamond) December 6, 2016
Thank you @BookCourt for being my son's first bookstore and the place where I launched the Blondes.
— Emily Schultz (@manualofstyle) December 6, 2016
But there was some good news for the Brooklyn book world Tuesday. Novelist Emma Straub, who once worked at BookCourt, announced that she would be opening a bookstore in the neighborhood.
Feeling sad about @bookcourt closing? I’ve got good news for you. https://t.co/8OpWMDfbFa
— Emma Straub (@emmastraub) December 6, 2016
"A neighborhood without an independent bookstore is a body without a heart," Straub wrote on her website. "And so we’re building a new heart."
It wasn't immediately clear when Straub's bookstore would open.
In the meantime, book lovers can still shop at Barnes & Noble further up Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Earlier this year, the independent Community Bookstore also closed its doors nearby on Court and Warren streets.
BookCourt first opened in 1981, according to its website. It has expanded over the years, most recently in 2008 as it opened a skylit event space in what was formerly a greenhouse.
Here is the statement released by the owners:
Book Court Press Release by DNAinfoNewYork on Scribd
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