Retailer Spotlight: Librairie Phoenix (Montreal, QC)
- Holly Rhiannon
- Oct 3
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 4
At The Stygian Society, our roots are in Montreal, and it feels especially meaningful to shine a spotlight on a neighbourhood favourite close to home. Librairie Phoenix, tucked into the vibrant heart of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, has been an anchor for literary discovery and community connection since its doors first opened. Just down the street from our old HQ, this bookstore has always felt like both a neighbour and an inspiration.
NDG is a neighbourhood known for its eclectic character and community spirit, and Phoenix embodies those same qualities. Whether you’re stepping inside to browse a new release, discover a hidden gem, or join in on one of their beloved open mic nights, the shop radiates warmth, creativity, and belonging. Raven Taylor and the Phoenix team have created something truly special: a space where literature meets community, and where books continue to be the sparks that illuminate conversation and connection.
It’s a privilege to celebrate Librairie Phoenix and all they bring to Montreal’s literary landscape.
– Holly Rhiannon, CEO, The Stygian Society
About Librairie Phoenix
Raven Taylor describes Librairie Phoenix as more than a bookstore: it’s a hub for creativity, discussion, and community. A lifelong lover of books and a seasoned arts organizer, Raven has channelled decades of experience into cultivating a space that feels as warm and vibrant as NDG itself in her role as Phoenix’s newest owner.
With its motto Illuminer l'esprit ("Illuminate the spirit"), Phoenix is dedicated to curating books and experiences that inspire readers to think more deeply, laugh more freely, and discover new sparks of community. The store is also home to two dynamic literary events: Chimera, a fiction and poetry open mic hosted by Mel Zuckerman, and Euphonic, which brings together music and poetry in celebration of rhythm and rhyme.
Q&A with Raven Taylor
What inspired you to open (or join) an independent bookstore?
When I was 20 years old, while I was studying creative writing, sociology, poli-sci and publishing, my closest friends in university and I would talk about having a bookstore and all the ways in which we would make our bookstore a community hub for discussion, socializing, community organizing, the arts and music. At the time it felt like an impossible project, cause we were all deep in university debt and struggling with envisioning a way forward for ourselves.
Over the last two decades I have been blessed to have gained a lot more arts community event organizing experience, have grown in wisdom and literary knowledge, and with a few businesses planned and executed over the years, I had the confidence, experience and enthusiasm to take this on. I am quite happy to say Librairie Phoenix is a dream come true. The name Phoenix has also been deeply significant to me throughout my life, so when the opportunity arose, I was smiling internally at the synchronicity, spiritual and symbolic significance of it all.
How would you describe your shop’s personality or curatorial approach?
The personality being cultivated is that of warm, welcoming, calm, spiritually and socially open minded, vibrant, a space for finding connection and inspiration. With our motto being "Illuminer l'esprit" I am envisioning illuminating the intersections between intellectual exploration, creativity and storytelling. My curatorial approach is that of finding the art and words that inspire us all to dig deeper, to look further, find the beauty and research the perhaps overlooked ideas that could change all our lives.
What kind of books or publishers do you find yourself most excited to support right now?
Really innovative forward thinking analysis and unusual ways to tell stories. I recently discovered a clim-fic and eco-fic, some emerging dystopian and utopian speculative sci-fi that focuses on the human / earth relationship. I am intrigued by writing that is reimagining life on earth, as the earth changes. Also I am fascinated by humour as an enlightening way to gain perspective, so I am keeping my eyes peeled for books and ways to laugh our way to greater social awareness. Lots of art and multi-disciplinary approaches to literature. I recently witnessed the power of graphic novels in language learning and am excited to facilitate more multilingual books making it into young readers' hands.
What role do you think indie bookstores play in today’s literary and cultural landscape?
I think we (as indie bookstores) are becoming the home that people are searching for in an ever increasing disenfranchising and alienating online world. People are looking for the tangible, the real, the concrete experiences that viscerally reconnect them to others and feeling alive. Analog physical books can in some ways do that better than our phones, computers and digital selves. Books are a technology that we keep returning to, not because of nostalgia but because of practicality. If we lose power, run out of batteries, money, or are waiting to travel, we can still pick up a book and travel in our imagination.
I believe storytelling is an integral part of being human. When we read a book, we can get lost in the world that an author gives us, but our minds create that space, we choose how we envision the story, it is not created for us, the way it is imagined for us in movies and TV or AI. I am really leaning into and cultivating the things artificial intelligence can't do for us, such as cultivating creativity, empathy and connection. Most cultural creations start out as language and communication, much of what we know was written at some point in time, so I feel like it's important to continue to cultivate literary culture! Yes our attention spans are getting shorter, yes reading and having time for it can feel like a privilege but critical thinking and reading are vital to encourage.
Can you share a recent discovery or recommendation; a book that surprised or moved you?
I recently read "Born A Crime" by Trevor Noah and was really taken aback by how well his memoir, his sense of humour and the life stories of him and his family illuminated the conditions, complexity and struggles of apartheid South Africa. Sometimes what we really need to understand a complex issue is not analysis but to hear the impact on people's lives and how they've found meaning in it. It certainly helped that he's a gifted comedian and storyteller. Of everything I had read and known about apartheid, his story really brought it all home for me. Very much illustrated the power of narrative.
October at Phoenix
October is always a magical month at Librairie Phoenix, and this year is no exception.
Readers and visitors can look forward to:
Enchanted Halloween Pop-Up (Oct. 31 – Nov. 2): A three-day celebration featuring book highlights, educational activities on seasonal traditions, and psychic mediums exploring the thinning of the veil and communication with ancestors. Full details are available here.
Exhibit by François Vaillancourt: A haunting visual experience for October, showcasing the work of an extraordinary local artist. We’re especially delighted to note that François hosted our very first Stygian reading, so we can personally attest to the power and brilliance of his art.
Visit Librairie Phoenix
If you’re in Montreal, Librairie Phoenix is a must-visit stop in NDG. Come for the thoughtful selection of books, stay for the conversation, and return again and again for the events that bring the community together.
📍 5928 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC H4A 1X7
📞 (514) 482-7323
Ndg Lucy to have you as a book store your doing a great job wish l was still having my art in ndg but it ok good lucy