laura brading – wellread

Sydney, NSW

As a former book publishing professional and bookseller, I held the romantic dream of opening up a bookshop. Alas, time, money and kids slowed me down, and after seeing some excellent models operating overseas, the dream pivoted to a subscription service. I joined forces with my friend and tech-wiz, Biz, and together we created WellRead to share our passion for books in a unique, modern and curated way. Biz has since returned to the tech world, but the business will always have some of her in it.

Our proposition is that we read mountains of books and cherry-pick the best new literary titles. We steer clear of obvious choices, both to avoid members already owning the books and to enrich the experience of discovery. Expect excellent reading experiences with nuanced characters, compelling themes, rich plots and lasting impressions that leave you enchanted or stirred or enlivened, and always a little bit changed.

We also have a kid's offering that showcases diverse new picture books. Think vibrant colours, meaningful themes, inspirational characters, and stories rich in imagination and heart.

Both offerings are available on a monthly or bi-monthly basis and can be purchased as gifts. Each delivery comes with reading notes to spark conversation and imagination, as well as a letter that details why we selected the title.

Since launching in 2019, we’ve expanded into events, with a particular focus on showcasing Australian debuts. We’ve also broadened our offering to feature curated packs. Our first packs included authors who were supposed to feature in this year's cancelled Sydney Writers' Festival. More recently, we curated packs around the theme of amplifying BIPOC voices, with 10% of sales going towards our local writers’ centre's Indigenous literacy project.

wellread.com.au