Prior to opening W&T in mid-September 2010, founders Shivaun and Fran worked together on their non-profit company, Living Imprint, which is dedicated towards harnessing the transformational power of life stories to create awareness, promote understanding and engender empathy. Stories for the heart, if you will; especially stories which are seldom heard.
We wanted a home for Living Imprint, to showcase the kind of stories that celebrate the human experience and its resilience. And because it's always been a dream of Shivaun to have a bookshop, we thought, 'Why not twin the two in one space?' And so there you have it - Woolfson & Tay, Books, Cafe & Gallery. We aim to put on an array of thought-provoking events and interesting activities within the gallery space, stock the cafe with quality yummies, and pack our shelves with a hand-selected collection of titles that we hope will entertain, enlighten and educate.

Shivaun Woolfson is a writer and lecturer, with a special interest in life history writing, research and practice. In 2002, she published an autobiography, Home Fires. She has taught extensively in the US and the UK, most recently at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where she served as Senior Tutor in Community Studies and visiting lecturer in life writing. She has faciliated workshops, seminars, public readings, performances and writing residences in hospices, prisons and community centers. She has also developed numerous interdisciplinary arts projects based primarily on the life experiences of participants. Photo credit: Jayne Dunsmuir

Frances Tay is a business development consultant. She graduated in Economics from Australian National University and later completed her masters in Social Development at the University of Reading, where she received the Edoardo Virone Prize for her thesis on philanthropy and the changing nature of development aid. She has extensive experience in various industries; she was once general manager of a manufacturing company, senior manager of the education and training group at British Council and editor of a lifestyle and entertainment magazine. She is currently pursuing a PhD in History at the University of Manchester's Centre for Cultural History of War.
Photo credit: Jayne Dunsmuir