Lit Wine & Books
Learn about Lit Wine & Books: Collingwood, ON
Lit Wine & Books is a Canadian bookstore based in Collingwood, ON. If you live in the area or are passing through, you can enjoy perusing books while enjoying a glass of wine. Learn more about Lit Wine & Books and what inspired them to open this unique book and wine store in Collingwood.
What inspired you to start your business?
Grief, Sarah J. Maas, a re-kindled love of reading, and a conversation between two sisters.
We grew up in a house full of books because our mom was a teacher-librarian. But in recent years, the chaotic reality of life pulled us away from reading.
When we lost our parents a few years ago, the thing that got us through it was books. Specifically, someone recommended A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the escapism of that world was exactly what we needed. After crushing the whole Maas-verse, we started talking about our lives and what we actually wanted from them. The idea of a bookshop came up. Then wine. Two things we’ve always loved, and love even more together. From there it was, “what if we built the place we wish existed?”
We looked at each other and didn’t need to say much. Lit was named before the business plan existed.
How do you describe your business?
Lit is a realm of wonder for words and wine. We’re a romantasy-obsessed bookshop and wine bar, created for readers who believe in magic and know that the right book and the right pour can change an evening entirely. Come to read. Come to linger. Come to laugh too loud with your favourite people. We made room for all of it.
You’ll find romantasy books at the heart of our shop, but we also stock fantasy, romance, thriller, mystery, fiction, and children’s books. We also have a carefully curated pre-loved section so great reads are accessible, and keep flowing through the community.
The space itself is warm wood and soft starlight, leather and candlelight, loosely inspired by Velaris. There are events, book clubs, wine tastings, bookish craft workshops, and more. Everything at Lit is meant to be a handful of joy – whether that’s a book, a glass of wine, or even our hand creams, book sleeves and candles.
What’s your bestselling product?
Hot romantasy reads and rosé.
Why do you think it’s so popular?
The books at Lit give people permission to feel everything at once… the stakes of an epic world, the pull of a love story, the thrill of magic. It’s escapism with emotional depth, and that combination is hard to find. People aren’t just reading for plot, they’re reading to feel seen, to feel something, to live somewhere else for a little while.
The genre meets people exactly where they are: exhausted, hungry for beauty, and in search of a world where love and magic are real and the good ones mostly win.
What’s your personal favourite product from your shop right now?
I love our smutty candles and MMC-inspired candles! We worked with another Ontario-based, woman-owned business to custom develop every single scent, and we went through round after round until they were exactly right. They’re a little cheeky, a little atmospheric, and very Lit.
What are some of your favourite local Collingwood, ON shops?
We love Currie’s Farm Market, Bishop Consignment, Side Launch Brewery, and of course our fellow bookstore owners!
