Mr Nicholas Yeo, project manager at Pagesetters, which owns Singapore-based independent publisher Ethos Books, said: “If we expect books to be really cheap, it may not be sustainable in the long run, which is what is happening now.”

The vacuum left by Book Depository’s departure could bring new opportunities for smaller publishers and distributors by decentralising the ecosystem. But of course, I’ll continue to patronise local bookstores, especially for SingLit (Singapore literature).” “I hear Blackwell’s has comparable prices and also ships internationally, so I’ll try that out. The 32-year-old added: “I’ve probably bought hundreds and hundreds of books from Book Depository, over perhaps a decade. He said that, for instance, some poetry books are not easily found in Singapore bookshops.

Poet and translator Daryl Lim said he was devastated to hear about the online store’s impending closure because of the affordability and vast selection of books available. “I also have more disposable income now, so I just buy locally because Book Depository takes quite a long time to ship,” she added. Since she graduated, she reads mostly for leisure and prefers to borrow books from the library as she usually reads them only once.

Amazon reading books online