Former business journalist Ms May Lin Au Yong, 48, opened Eliko Picture Books & Collectibles in the ageing Chinatown Complex, a tiny 2.4 m × 2.4 m space that functions as both a bookshop and a pay-as-you-read library. The shop, which opened in April, carries over 600 books—including rare, vintage picture books collected from around the world—and encourages browsing even if books are later sold at steep discounts. Running the niche shop is financially challenging. Ms Au Yong pays around $1,000 in rent and has relied on her retirement savings and freelance work, including teaching part-time at Lasalle College of the Arts and introductory documentary courses at SP, to sustain the venture. She has paused TV work to focus on the shop, which she hopes will eventually turn profitable. Similar news reported in Lianhe Zaobao.
Singapore Polytechnic
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