Bookstore Guide

Independent Bookstores in Danger of Extinction – Who is to Blame?

2009-07-05T10:39:00.012+02:00

The question of independent bookselling and its current situation can be approached from several perspectives, possibly leading to a wide variety of conclusions. Before we start pointing the accusing finger in any specific direction, let’s agree on a common basic premise, which will enable us to focus on more specific aspects later on. This goes as follows – Independent bookstores currently find themselves in a very difficult situation, which in many cases threatens their very existence.

The emphasis in this statement is placed on the word independent, as this segment of the book market seems to be facing serious difficulties adapting to the dynamics of the market forces and the changes in business models and modes of customer behavior. Bookstore business, although many of us are reluctant to think of it as such, is just a business as any other. Which literally means that every single decision has to be viewed and understood through the prism of its financial profitability. The independent bookstore, as any other independent business in general, has had to deal with major changes and dramatic developments in the economy and society, which occurred during the last few decades of the 20th and intensified in the first decade of the 21st century.

In order to explore the reasons contributing to this situation, we decided to start from the simplest questions related to the book market as a whole and later on to deal with more specific aspects defining the circumstances of the indies’ existence. Using this approach, we hope to question the prevailing assumptions and opinions and also evaluate the effects of several of these changes from the perspective of people directly involved with the independent bookstores scene, but also from the point of view of ordinary book-buyers.

Many a voices are complaining about a general lack of interest in books, but this statement is very questionable. Although it is absolutely true that reading has to compete with all other sorts of entertainment, which seem to be a lot more popular especially with the younger generation, the final result isn’t as bad at all. In fact, the overall numbers of books sold yearly are showing a slightly growing tendency in most of the major markets. However, some interesting shifts in the composition of the vendors as well as the types of sold books remain hidden behind these seemingly optimistic numbers. Unfortunately, none of them favors the independent booksellers.

New players have entered the book market and perhaps a bit surprisingly, they present a threat both to the indies and the huge chains. A short look at the recent evolvement of the British book industry demonstrates these noteworthy trends very well. According to the Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom, 83 indies were closed in the UK in 2008, while there were 66 openings within the same year (Neill 2009). This is nothing to cheer about, but it doesn’t support the most catastrophic scenarios either. Another statistic from the UK market for the period between 2003 and 2007 reveals that the volume of indies' book sales has actually increased by 6% during this time, while chains’ sales went down by 3% (Neill 2009).

These numbers are not very likely to improve in 2009, with the additional burden of the consequences of the financial crisis, but it also seems quite safe to say that at least for now, independent bookstores are resisting the resulting pressure much better than many would anticipate. In no way does this mean that the problems independent bookselling is facing are to be underestimated. All we’re saying is that instead of demonizing the competition and discussing the funeral ceremony of independent bookshops as a done deal, these tough times require lots of daring and a constructive spirit.

The momentum appears to be slowly shifting from the chains, which seemed destined to become the dominant force on the book market in the first half of the 1990s, as they are currently facing unexpected problems and dealing with the question of reinventing their business strategy. The winners? Online retailers (read Amazon) and the supermarkets, which have enjoyed a steady rise in market share in the past few years and this trend is very likely to persist. This is also linked with the type of books which are bought at a higher rate, since the offer of books in supermarkets is almost exclusively focused on potential best-sellers (popular fiction, biographies, etc.).

Everything still seems more or less ok up to this point. According to the market theory, more competition means more options for the customer to choose from and thus better services at lower prices. The question is, whether this equation can be applied to the specific field of bookselling. From a strictly pragmatic and materialist approach, one can easily argue in favor and find the arguments to support this theory. All the forces present in bookselling – be it chain bookstores, supermarkets selling books next to stands with tomatoes (food for the soul, right… but we’re not sure if this metaphorical value can actually make the actual experience of bookshopping in such conditions any less depressing), or on-line bookstores offering the possibility to browse among .jpeg images of the books’ covers – have undoubtedly managed to push the prices down. But this also came at a price and according to many, one that was too high.

Please beware that this post doesn’t mean to suggest that independent bookstores are not in a difficult situation, or that the omnipresent chains don’t contribute to their decline. Our aim was simply to point out that the question posed in the title of this article – who is to blame? – is not answered as easily as it could seem. From our position, the needed daring approach consists in not being satisfied with the prevailing assumptions without questioning each and every one of them. That’s why we decided to explore each of the factors that represent a threat to the independent bookstore scene individually and in depth within the upcoming articles of this series. We hope that you will keep us company along the way.

References:
Neill, Graeme (2009): Hard year for indies as numbers dwindle, available online:(http://www.thebookseller.com/news/76068-hard-year-for-indies-as-numbers-dwindle.html)

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Images used:
1 & 2: Author's archive
3: http://www.insidebookpublishing.com/?page_id=48
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More articles from this series:
An Insight into the Current State of Independent Bookselling – An Introduction
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Back to the full list of Articles.

Barter Books, Alnwick

2009-06-30T21:38:00.010+02:00

Where? Alnwick, Northumberland, UK

Recommended by Angi Holden

Angi said: "On the way up to Scotland, we stopped in Alnwick, at Barter Books. It's a fascinating second hand bookstore accommodated in a Victorian railway station. The staff are knowledgeable, the books are well arranged in a spacious environment, and there's a small coffee area. Barter also has a searchable online catalogue. There's an impressive mural featuring famous writers. All told, well angworth a visit."

It struck us as a surprise to see that bookstore of such a capacity, superiority and reputation has not yet found its way to our Guide. Barter Books, located in the history rich county of Northumberland in the far north of England, has earned the honorable description of being called "the British Library of secondhand bookshops" by The New Statesman.

Barter Books can easily be somewhere at the top of our bookstores-located-in-odd-places category (together with, for example, Selexyz Dominicanen and Leakey's, both located in what used to be churches), as it occupies the space of an old Victorian railway station, spanning on some 10,000 square feet. The station itself was designed by William Bell and put in business in 1887. By 1968, the railway station was closed and in 1991 Barter Books took over the premises, making the number of visitors to this building far greater than it used to be once the train operated in this town. An interesting piece of information is that this bookstore receives over 200,000 visitors a year and is considered a local tourist attraction.

The name of the bookstore reflects its manner of dealing with payments, namely, the use of their barter system where customers can exchange their used books for store credit. Barter Books is also rather known for the poster located near the cash register. The poster, saying "Keep Calm and Carry On" is a rare relic from the Second World War, which was only intended to become public in the worst scenario - a Nazi invasion of the British territory. For more interesting facts about this poster, and the story of its discovery in Barter Books, try browsing through the info on the bookstore's website.

Needless to add, the stock of a bookstore of such size and reputation is far from a modest one. The books range from such categories as paperback and fiction, poetry and plays, history, philosophy or women studies to crime, biography, business and economics and even such topics as transport, maritime, gardening, needlework, etc. Barter Books also has several special features which make it stand out further among others: open fires in the winter, a station buffet with a menu made up of home-made and/or locally sourced food (both hot and cold) and speciality coffees and teas, a children's room filled with toys and even a model railway between the columns of books in the central room. The bookstore's staff, known for their friendliness, loyalty and knowledge, is always there at your disposal. It's like anything an independent bookstore should be. Barter Book's owners, Stuart and Mary Manley, have indeed created a role model among bookstores, as well as something extraordinary.

Barter Books
Address:
Alnwick Station
Northumberland
NE66 2NP England

Website: http://www.barterbooks.co.uk

Phone and Email:
(0)1665 604888
bb@barterbooks.co.uk

Working Hours:
October-March
Wed-Mon 9-19
TUe 9-17

April - September
Mon-Sun 9-19
Open every day but Christmas Day

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Fabula Urbis, Lisbon

2009-06-21T21:26:00.011+02:00

Where? Lisbon, Portugal

Recommended by: John Cade from Girona

John said: "Fabula Urbis lies on the Rua de Augusta Rosa which climbs along the well trodden tourist route from the Sé Cathedral to the Castelo de São Jorge. It is a flagship bearing the cultural offerings of the city of Lisbon past and present. The authors represented have either lived in Lisbon, passed through it or perhaps just simply heard of it! The subjects offered cover a huge area - poetry, essays, novels, painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, tile making, textiles, fabrics and fashion, theater, cinema, opera, music, astronomy, archaeology, gastronomy, history, politics, urbanismo (the streets and trams and gardens and cafes of the city), travelers impressions.

Situated above the bookshop is a room impeccably designed with a stage and piano. It is used for evening recitals and exhibitions of paintings or photography, the latter changing generally once a month. Customers can relax there with a coffee or tea. A practicing guitarist or pianist will welcome an audience! Fabula Urbis is not simply a bookshop, exquisite as it is. It is a meeting place of the Arts and a place where strangers meet. Fabula Urbis is quite simply in a class of its own - sui generis!"

Fabula Urbis was opened on the 21st of March 2007 with the ambition of becoming much more than an ordinary bookstore. A bit more than two years past this date, it can proudly declare that it has achieved its objective of becoming a new cultural landmark in the city of Lisbon. The founder of this bookstore decided to combine his passion for books and the city of Lisbon and turned the small premises at Rua de Augusto Rosa 27 (you can find out more about the history of this famous Lisbon street bearing the name of the actor, director and writer Augusto Rosa on the bookstore's website), which formerly served as a carpentry workshop, into a space dedicated to the city of Lisbon and all the related subjects. The Lisbon-focused stock holds around 3000 titles, more than 1/5 of them being in foreign languages (including English, French, Spanish, Italian or German).

One more interesting piece of information related to Fabula Urbis - the ravens in the logo of this bookstore also demonstrate its affiliation with Lisbon, as a raven is also the symbol of the city. The legend goes that when the corpse of St. Vincent, the patron of the city, was transported by ship to Lisbon back in 1171, two ravens were guarding his body during the whole journey all the way to Lisbon - they symbolize loyalty and are also seen as guards of the city.

Fabula Urbis
Address:
R. de Augusto Rosa, 27
1100-058 Lisbon

Website: http://www.fabula-urbis.pt

Phone and Email:
00351 21 888 50 32
fabula-urbis@fabula-urbis.pt

Working Hours:
Mon-Sun 10-14 and 15-20

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Back to the list of bookstores in Lisbon

An Insight into the Current State of Independent Bookselling – An Introduction

2009-06-14T12:52:00.010+02:00

Will your favorite independent bookstore still be there when you start searching for the right gifts for your family and friends before Christmas? And does anyone even care?
We tend to think so. In our point of view, independent bookstores, or simply indies, represent an important and often irreplaceable part of the identity of specific neighborhoods or, in some cases, even whole cities. It is undeniable, that within the past two decades, many of these unique bookstores have simply vanished, some in complete silence, some accompanied by loud expressions of discontent from their loyal customers.

Numerous voices have been predicting the extinction of indies for quite some time and there have also been many initiatives aimed at raising awareness about this situation and at supporting independent bookselling (we like to think that Bookstore Guide belongs to this category as well). Several groups or forces have been labeled as the nemesis of the independent bookstore – chain bookstores, Amazon.com and online bookselling in general, ignorant public, the global financial crisis, and this list could go on and on.

We have decided to explore this issue in depth in this series of articles entitled “An Insight into the Current State of Independent Bookselling”. And although we can’t and we don’t even want to pretend that our stance is neutral, we will do our best not to get too carried away and to provide you with the clearest possible image of the current situation, backed up by a factual account of how we got there and perhaps even offer a few hints regarding its possible future development. We have decided to divide this report into several parts since indies have to face challenges at several fronts at the same time, and mixing them all together could just cause more confusion. We also have an ambition to provide you with some opinions and first-hand experience from people who are directly involved in this issue in one way or another. We will thus do our best to present the most interesting insider perspectives on diverse aspects of this complex topic written exclusively for Bookstore Guide by selected most competent authors.

Needless to stress, that we’re also hoping for some feedback from your part, as we’re absolutely sure that you have your own opinion on this problem. So, before we move on to exploring the various and often conflicting aspects of our rather wide subject, lets state the introductory question clearly right away – is a brick-and-mortar independent bookstore just a relic of the past? Are we blinded by our own nostalgia to admit that there are easier, more comfortable and cheaper ways to get the books we desire? Follow our attempts at an honest answer in the upcoming series of articles…

Treasure Trove, Tervuren

2009-06-06T14:21:00.014+02:00

Where? Tervuren, Belgium

Recommended by: Joanneke Elliot

Joanneke said: "I would like to tell you about a children’s book store, Treasure Trove, located in Tervuren, Belgium. After serving a loyal clientele for thirty years in nearby Moorsel, new owners moved the store to this cosy town in December 2008. It is the only English-language bookshop in Brussels that specializes in children’s books. I was a happy patron of Treasure Trove in its previous incarnation, but was so excited by the newly outfitted store that I applied for a part-time position there as soon as it opened its doors.

The new site is on a busy high street in Tervuren, an affluent, family-friendly area popular with Brussels’ thousands of English-reading and speaking expatriates, as well as with English-fluent locals. It is also conveniently close to several English private international schools. The new location is delightfully cosy, with comfortable areas to sit and read or linger to discover new titles. Treasure Trove has designated areas for babies to early readers, and junior fiction and non-fiction up to young adult. The different sections also include books on parenting, dyslexia and English as a Second Language for children and teens.

The staff is dedicated and very knowledgeable. With published authors and international school librarians among their ranks, they have strong connections to the English-language community in Brussels. At the moment they are developing an extensive website to accompany the personal and enthusiastic newsletter that is sent out every month. They also host several children’s events such as author visits, story-time, summer reading parties, and story contests."

Treasure Trove, a specialized children's bookstore in Tervuren near Brussels, offers a very rare combination - enthusiasm, ambition and energy of the new along with the stability, experience and cherished tradition and reputation of the old. There's no doubt that it will be very interesting to follow the journey of Treasure Trove in its new locality and we are sure that it will soon find its clientele, both new and old. There is not much we can add to this informative and ample recommendation, just that it has definitely managed to convince us that discovering this bookstore may definitely be a true treasure to many parents and especially children.

Treasure Trove
Address:
Brusselsesteenweg 7
Tervuren

Website: http://www.treasuretrove.be/

Phone and Email:
+32 02 767 7476
books@treasuretrove.be

Working Hours:
Tue-Sat 10-18

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Paperback Exchange, Florence

2009-05-31T11:28:00.011+02:00

Where? Florence, Italy

Recommended by Giovanni Morozzo

Giovanni said: "I live in Florence and would definitely recommend the Paperback exchange. It deals with new and used English books. It’s been going on for at least thirty years and the staff are really helpful and friendly."

Paperback Exchange, a lovely and more importantly, independent Florentine bookstore, embarked on its long voyage in 1979, full three decades ago. First it was primarily a second-hand bookstore, which started building its stock thanks to people who brought in English titles from their homes. A small family business has blossomed into an internationally recognized bookstore selling both new and old, a place were solely books in English reside. The bookstore has changed its location in 2005 after the move to the centrally located Via delle Oche, very near the Duomo. This new address, backed by the long tradition of the bookstore, has quickly become a popular meeting point for the English speaking community of Florence. Paperback Exchange is still in possession of their original owners: Emily Rosner and Maurizio Panichi.

Paperback Exchange stocks thousands of both new and second-hand titles (and remains very active in exchanging second hand books), both paperback and hardback (despite the bookstore's name). The new and the second hand titles are mixed and the whole stock is divided into sections focused on specific subject areas. The stock is very extensive but it's still possible to point out some of its aspects which stand out - the Italian interest section, books on art, as well as original textbooks and academic titles published in the UK or the US. In fact, with their vast selection of academic titles, the bookstore is also a very important library and university supplier. Paperback Exchange also organizes various events such as poetry readings, discussions and even the children's story hour. They pride themselves in managing to persevere in this competitive market and personal attention, speed, efficiency and transparency, which are their defining values, have helped them along the way.

Paperback Exchange
Address:
Via delle Oche, 4Red
50122 Florence, Italy

Website: http://papex.it/

Phone and Email:
+39.055.293460
papex@papex.it

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 9-19:30
Sat 10:30-19:30

Extra Information:
Papex Card - for every 10 euros worth of purchase, you get 1 point - once 12 points are reached, they can be used in the next purchase

Back to the list of bookstores in Florence

Books et alia, Lille

2009-05-28T17:46:00.010+02:00

Where? Lille, France

Recommended by: Rebecca Grossberg from Lille

Rebecca said: "I’m writing to tell you about a bookstore in Lille which is not yet on your really impressive list of great places to buy books. If you have ever been to Lille you will know it as a charming Flemish style city, tucked into to uppermost corner of France. I’ve been living there for over ten years with my French husband and our young but increasingly bilingual daughter.

Mr Ulyett’s bookshop has been around since I have – it’s called Books et alia – and he’s always there smiling us in as we walk through the door. He will chat with you on any subject – especially his favourite topic (the English language) if he has the time. I’m a former teacher too and we share a keen eye for Frenchisms and bilingualisms. I’m not the only one to drop by for a chat – so I’ll often find him with teachers or students who want to practise their English or with another literature fanatic, discussing the merits of the original versions of Bronte or Poe... It’s right in the centre of town so I manage to swing by quite often. And Mr. Ulyett can order anything you want! He even got me some Shel Silverstein for my little girl... [H]e’ll go out of his way to find what I’m looking for – he once got me a book in from Germany which was out of print in the US!"

The recommendation we have received for this island of English reading material in the French city of Lille definitely ranks among the most passionate and persuasive ones we remember. It's really great to get this sort of proof that there are still people who have a very personal relationship with their local bookstore and also that there are still bookstore owners and staff who are able to and willing to create this sort of friendly, open and customer-oriented environment.

Books et alia has been active in Lille since 1998 as an independent supplier of imported books in English language from all over the world. Mr. Ulyett, the owner of this bookstore, has obviously succeeded in attracting a loyal and satisfied clientele, thanks to his personal approach and passion for both books and the English language. The stock of this bookstore is not specialized in a specific field, it covers different areas of interest such as children's literature, textbooks for students or teachers, modern fiction or non-fiction titles on various subjects. It is possible to order any titles that are currently not on stock and they also track down out-of-print titles. It is also important to mention that this bookstore has a second hand section as well.

Books et alia
Address:
18 place Pierre Mendès France
Le Nouveau Siècle, 59000 Lille

Website: http://www.booksetalia.fr

Phone and Email:
+33 3 20 74 32 67
info@booksetalia.fr

Working Hours:
Tue-Sat 10-13 and 14-19

Freytag & Berndt, Vienna

2009-05-18T19:51:00.007+02:00

Where? Vienna, Austria

Recommended by Peter from Hungary

Peter said:"I've seen that you don't list yet the best travel bookshop in Wien the Freytag und Berndt. It's like the Stanfords in miniature and in German (but there are many English titles too). Full of guidebooks, photo albums, maps, climbing literature, the only disadvantage is that it's quite small and crowded. The location is great: it's on Kohlmarkt, the middle of the historical centre and just a few steps from Stephansdom and the Hofburg."

Another travel-specialized bookstore added to our Guide in a very short time span. Freytag & Berndt, located in the centrally located first district, is Vienna's number one destination when it comes to maps, tavel guides, magazines, or other travel related multimedia. A large number of the books and guides is available in the English language, while the magazine section also holds titles in both German and English. Actually, the amount and variety of resources for travelers available at this bookstore have earned it a great reputation way beyond Vienna's city limits. Freytag & Berndt is a true specialist in its field of operation, which means that its stock is able to satisfy even the most demanding requests of the store's customers for information on the less usual destinations. The company has a long tradition in cartography and the number of maps available at this bookstore makes this more than evident. You can even use a special map reading desk to unfold the maps you're interested in and admire them in their full size.

About the bookstore
Because of its most favorable location in the city center the bookstore is often crowded, so don't expect to enjoy solitery browsing. However, in order to find your way around more comfortably, you can always use the services of the well-informed staff, which will deny you the thrill of independent browsing and discovering, so familiar to all bookstore addicts, but most probably save you an important amount of time.

You can find one more location of Freytag & Berndt in Austria, in the city of Graz, and three more in the neighbouring country of Germany (Nürnberg, München, Regensberg).

Freytag & Berndt
Address:
Kohlmarkt 9
1010 Vienna

Website: http://www.freytagberndt.at

Phone and Email:
+43-1-533 86 85
shop@freytagberndt.at

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 9-19
Sat 9-18

Back to the list of bookstores in Vienna

Stanford's, London

2009-05-14T22:50:00.010+02:00

Where? London, UK

Recommended by: Becks from the Thorntree forum

Becks said: "Stanford's is an absolute must. A bookshop totally dedicated to travel, right down to the decor - even the floors are covered with maps. It's a complete treasure trove of travel guides, travel literature, travel photography, maps, globes and useful odd and ends for travelers. A great place to feed wanderlust or get inspired for a trip. If you're looking to go further off the beaten path, or need a topographic map of an obscure mountain range or island, Stanford's is the place that will have it (if anyplace does). They have the widest range of guidebooks for everywhere, so it's a great place to check out some less well known and independent guides, rather than just reaching for the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide every time. They also have a great little cafe out the back on the ground floor that sells organic cake and fair trade tea."

Introducing the bookshop that doesn't need any introduction - London's gem for all the travel addicts and occasional explorers alike, Stanford's has been one of the best imaginable starting points for their journeys for over a century. The three floors of their flagship store in Covent Garden offer a truly complete experience for anyone even vaguely interested in discovering distant lands and destinations. This bookshop, opened in 1901, prides itself in offering the most exhausting stock of travel related titles and maps worldwide.

Edward Stanford founded Stanford's as a specialist travel bookstore way back in 1853 and this tradition of more than 150 years adds a special value this bookstore and underlines its leading position in this specific field. During its long existence, Stanford's has served the needs of many notable personalities from David Livingstone to Michael Palin. And we have to mention that Stanford's is by no means stuck in the past - just visit the bookstore's website and enjoy a remarkably complex offer of services and information.

The stock of the Covent Garden bookshop is difficult to describe in detail, since it covers pretty much every possible travel related issue. The ground floor is focused on France, Italy, Spain and Portugal but it also stocks travel books for children, books and maps for other destinations can be found on the first floor. In addition to books, you can find vast numbers of maps of all sizes and places, globes, but also all sorts of traveling accessories.

Stanford's
Address:
12-14 Long Acre
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9LP

Website: http://www.stanfords.co.uk/

Phone and Email:
020 7836 1321
sales@stanfords.co.uk

Working Hours:
Mon/Wed/Fri 9-19:30
Tue 9:30-19:30
Thu 9-20
Sat 10-20
Sun 12-18

Back to the list of bookstores in London

Scarthin Books, Cromford

2009-05-10T14:46:00.009+02:00

Where? Cromford, Derbyshire, UK

Recommended by Eleanor Potten

Eleanor said: "My favourite bookstore currently in Derbyshire is Scarthin Books, Cromford. It's a 3-storey house over the millpond, crammed to the rafters with everything from new fiction to second-hand rare gems, sheet music to archaeology books. There's a well-stocked children's room, and a cafe and loo."

Scarthin Books has, over the years, become somewhat a real tourist attraction. The cases where people visit the little village of Cromford just for the sake of Scarthin Books are certainly not rare since the bookstore itself is highly praised for its huge stock of over 80.000 (!!!) books, excellent, knowledgeable service and a famed café overlooking the grapevine. Many agree that this bookstore is very very hard to leave.

Scarthin Books was opened in 1974 by David Mitchell and since then it struggled to grow in this competitive book market, blossoming from a one room bookstore to a twelve room one with offices and a warehouse (in order to do this, David had to buy a house next to the original store). People in Scarthin Books pride themselves in stocking three times as many titles than your ordinary chain stores despite Scarthin Book's obvious space deficiency.

Scarthin Books boasts about 'specializing in not specializing' - meaning that they stock (of course, almost) anything you can imagine. Well, no wonder since the stock consists of some 40.000 new and 45.000 secondhand books. The bookstore also has a special children's room stocking a wide selection of books for the little ones.

Another thing for which the bookstore is praised is the café, serving organic and vegetarian food (David is an organic gardener). One is able to hire the café for lectures or meetings of various sort for low prices. Furthermore, Scarthin Books is also a publisher and a major supplier of schools, colleges and libraries.

Scarthin Books
Address:
The Promenade, Scarthin
Cromford, DE4 3QF

Webiste: http://www.scarthinbooks.com

Phone and Email:
+44 (0)1629 823272
clare@scarthinbooks.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 9:30-18
Sun 12-18
Closed on Christmas and Boxing Day

European Book Fairs

2009-04-19T00:10:00.040+02:00

How often do you visit book fairs? Almost every ardent reader in the world has visited one at least once in their lifetime. Book fairs, for those unfamiliar, who are, we hope, scarce to find these days, are annual bazaar-like events where publishers and booksellers gather in order to promote the sale of books. At a book fair, you find yourself in a grand hall surrounded by literally billions of books - the choice is so great, your eyes can't seem to get enough but the only thing that might hurt you is none other than your wallet (or pocket, if you are one of those people that don't carry wallets).

There are hundreds of book fairs in the world worthy of your attention and Bookstore Guide has the pleasure to bring you Europe's most famous and interesting book fairs. Unfortunately, it is not possible to mention them all, therefore we hope no one is offended if we miss out your favorite book festival.

Frankfurt Book Fair (October), also known as Frankfurter Buchmesse, is the most famous, the grand one - world's largest fair for books, held each year in mid-October in the German city of Frankfurt. With over 7000 publishers from 100 countries and around 300.000 visitors annually, The Frankfurt Book Fair is something no book lovers should ever miss out on. In 2009, the fair takes place from the 14th to the 18th of October, with China as the guest of honor. What is astonishing about the Frankfurt Book Fair is its 500 year long tradition: the first book fair was held soon after Johannes Gutenberg had invented the printing press in the 15th century. From 17th century hereon, it acquired the status of the most important fair in Europe, and the whole world. The first post WW2 fair was held in 1949, thus establishing a 60 year long tradition of quality, education and culture.

It is rather easy to find the Fair - located near the main railway station, the Messegelände is the name for the huge fair complex where the exhibitions are held. Just one tip: make sure you plan your day carefully, or take the whole weekend in order to experience the fair in its full extent. With one day ticket ranging from 12 (for groups) to 14E (for individuals, while school children and students get a 50% discount) this fair falls into the category of excellent value-for-money ones. Also, weekend tickets for the price of 20 euros are available as the book fair is only open on the 17th and 18th for the general public, while the fist three days are reserved for trade visitors. If you miss out on this year's fair, the 2010 Frankfurter Buchmesse takes place from the 6th to 10th of October.

London Book Fair (April) is one of the biggest book fairs in the United Kingdom (with around 5,000 publishers). Held annually, it takes place every spring, usually in April (2009: 20-22 April). Just as many fairs have their theme and guests of honor, this year's fair is focusing on India and its publishers. London Book Fair is a global marketplace characterized by a lively atmosphere, excitement, a large variety of books in the native language of the country and various free seminars and discussions. The only downside seems to be the entrance fee of 40 pounds on site (although, registering online in advance and saving 15 pounds is highly advisable). Check out this amateur video of LBF.

If you miss out this year's fair, make your self available for the next ones - in 2010 held from 19th to 21st and April 11th to April 13th 2011. London Book Fair is located at Earls Court, Warwick Road.

29th Salon du Livre, Paris (March) is France's largest book fair. This year it took place from the 13th to the 18th of March. Hence, try not to miss the 2010 one (19th-24th of March). This year's guest of honor was Mexico: with a Mexican pavilion named Mosaic of Diversity, the focus were the promotions of young Mexican authors and Mexican literature. The 29th Salon was attended by approximately 200,000 people.

Salon du Livre takes place at Porte de Versaille in the 15th arondissement. The entrance fee to the fair ground is always at a bargain price: the 2009 admission was 7€ (when booking online) and it was free for those under 18, students under 26 and unemployed people.

Thessalonik i Book Fair (May) is Greece's biggest book fair and surprisingly, it is not in the country's capital but in the city of Thessaloniki, in the northern part of the country. It is an international event, taking place annually every spring since 2004. The 2009 exhibition lasts for four days (28th May - 31st May), with Germany as the guest of honor - the Frankfurt Fair is organizing this year's stand and History is this year's theme of the exhibition. It is interesting to add that this book fair has a special children's corner organized every year.

Thessaloniki Fair was born as a collaboration between the National Book Centre of Greece, Greek publishers, ministry of Greece and Helexpo, where the main exhibition areas are. What is amazing about this fair is the fact that the admission is - free!

Bologna Children's Book Fair (March) is the world's leading book festival which focuses solely on children's publishers. It has a 45 years long tradition and it usually takes place in March (2009: 23rd - 26th March, 2010: March 22nd - 25th). The Bologna Children's Book Fair is a grand event with over a thousand of exhibitors, various programs and events. The only peculiar thing about this fair is that it is strictly reserved for trade, meaning that there are no children running about at the expo since no one under the age of 18 is allowed on the fair's premises. Too bad.

Bookworld Prague (May) 15th annual book fair, from the 14th to the 17th of May 2009, held at the Palace of Industry (Prague Exhibition Ground) in the capital of the Czech Republic, with central theme being Literature in the European Union (hence the symbolic name of this year's theme: 27 from 27). Writers from the EU are invited to introduce their work, take part in various discussions (on life, identity, diversity in the Union, as well as literature and recent literary trends in Europe). Admission: 150 CZK.

23rd Salon international du livre et de la presse in Geneva (April) is yet another book fair in Europe, taking place in spring (22nd-26th April in 2009). Located at Geneva Palexpo, this Swiss book fair has an approximate number of visitors of around 100,000. One will not be left either disappointed or penniless as the entrance fee is solely 12CHF for adults, 5CHF for Students and free for those under the age of 16.

Moreover, there is the Book Festival Budapest, Hungary (16th annual, from the 23rd to the 26th of April 2009) taking place in the Millenaris (the fair's new venue since a year ago). Their south-eastern neighbor, Romania, is this year's guest of honor.

Goteborg Book Fair in Sweden takes place in the fall (24th - 27th September) and it has a 24 year long tradition (from 1985). The focus of this year's fair is Spain and it's publishers and authors. The entrance fees for 2009 are not yet settled. Further to the east, in the neighboring Norway, there's the Oslo Book Fair (or Oslo Bokmessa), with the 2009 dates yet unannounced.

There's an interesting switch of the location with the next festival in line: Liber - Spain's biggest annual festival alternates between Madrid and Barcelona each year. The 2009 Liber is the 26th in row, taking place from the 7th to the 9th of October in Madrid. If you pre-register, you are not expected to pay the fee which is otherwise 20 euros. Liber is strictly a fair organized for the people professional in the book publishing business.

The Russians also have a festival to offer: the 22nd Moscow International Book Fair from the 2nd to the 7th of September 2009, as well as do the Portuguese with their long tradition of 78 years and Feria do Livro Lisboa. This year's Feria takes place from the 24th of May to the 15th of June. Also, there is the Ars Polona - also known as the Warsaw Book Fair. The 54th Fair, located at the Foreign Trade Enterprise, takes place from the 21st to the 24th of May and the guest of honor is the Council of Europe.

Europe is indeed rich in literary festivals and it would be impossible for us to list them all here. But one thing is sure: book fairs are places where people in the book business join in annually to meet, present their books and discuss current trends in the literary business: from publishers, booksellers via domestic and foreign writers to literary agents, librarians, printing and other public organizations. Book fairs are indeed small pieces of heaven of book diversity, no matter where they are.

*If we have failed to mention a book fair you feel would be crucial for us to do, please do not hesitate to drop us a line and suggest a fair be added to this article. Furthermore, if you have visited any of these fairs, we would appreciate it if you left a comment and share your experience with our readers.

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Mundo Azul, Berlin

2009-04-09T22:27:00.011+02:00

Where? Berlin, Germany

Recommended by: Florian Baier

Florian said: "I would like to introduce "Mundo Azul", a new bookstore in Berlin, Germany which specializes in foreign children's literature. The shop is located in Prenzlauer Berg, which represents the multicultural and multilingual area of the new and former "East" Berlin district.

The store has been started by an Argentine teacher and mother of bilingually raised children. She originally started importing South American children's books for her own kids. Later, she combined her experience and passion for children's literature and so decided to open a bookshop for foreign families living in Berlin. Now, Mundo Azul supplies many bilingual families, kindergartens and schools in Berlin with books in English, Spanish, French and other languages."

Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin really seems like the right setting for this unique multilingual children's bookstore. Mariela Nagle, the Argentinian owner of this bookstore has decided use her own experience with raising a child in a bilingual family and help other families to make the best of this experience. And so, in the summer of 2008, Mundo Azul ("Blue World" in Spanish) - a bookstore with a very specific mission opened its door to the first customers. Since Mundo Azul aspires to play an even more important role in the life of bilingual families living in Berlin, it also organizes readings, workshops and other events in different languages for bilingual children of all age groups. The list of the upcoming events can be found on the bookstore's website.

The offer of this bookstore covers titles for kids and youth up to the age of 15. Besides the original imported titles from the UK, the bookstore also replenishes its stock with books from South America, Spain, Italy or France. It's also important to note that the stock of Mundo Azul is mainly made of titles from independent publishing houses. We can only emphasize that every major city deserves to have a bookstore of this kind, especially since it would be highly appreciated by the local expat community.

Mundo Azul
Address:
Choriner Straße 49
10435 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Website: http://www.mundoazul.de/

Phone and Email:
(030) 49 85 38 34
info@mundoazul.de

Working hours:
Mon-Fri 10-19
Sat 11-18

Back to the list of bookstores in Berlin

The English Book, Novi Sad

2009-04-08T00:49:00.012+02:00

Where? Novi Sad, Serbia

Visited: April 2009

The English Book in Novi Sad is the only exclusively English bookstore in the city. And when it comes to the depth and quality of its stock, we think that it can compete with the bigger and much more popular IPS Mamut bookstore. Although The English Book is located just two streets away from its more successful competitor, we've always found it sadly empty during our visits. Still, we're sure that this bookstore has found its regular customers and we can only recommend it to all the locals and travelers to the city who haven't visited it yet.

The English Book has been selling books in Novi Sad since 2005 and it has moved twice until it found its present location at Njegoševa 14 in 2007. It seems like it has finally found the right place as the spacious and nicely designed interior contributes to the overall cozy atmosphere of the bookstore. The English Book also operates in four other Serbian cities (the addresses can be found HERE) and the bookstores in the capital city of Belgrade and also in Nis both offer a rather thorough range of books, similarly to the bookstore in Novi Sad.

The bookstore is divided into two rooms and the books are neatly organized into several sections. The stock is not impressive because of its size, but because of its variety. The English Book's fiction section is comprised of books by such publishers as Vintage, Oxford and, of course, the inevitable Penguin and Wordsworth classics, which are usually more financially available to the general readership. Several shelves are reserved for general fiction and new arrivals which manage to keep the bookstore's offer quite up-to-date. There is also a small chick lit section and two shelves dedicated to novels of thriller and crime genres.

An interesting travel section holds guide books and maps, while it shares a shelf with books on architecture, design and music. Also from the non-fiction category there are titles on history, philosophy, psychology and other social sciences. Needless to add, a bookstore bearing such a name is bound to have an English Language Teaching department (after all, this is what The English Book is primarily known for throughout the city): various coursebooks from elementary to proficiency levels, dictionaries, audio books and other teaching and learning aids can be found in the first part of the store.

The English Book
Address:
Njegoševa 14
Novi Sad

Website: http://www.englishbook.rs

Phone and Email:
021/528-777
bookshop.novisad@englishbook.rs

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 8-20
Sat 9-16

Back to the list of bookstores in Novi Sad

Books for Amnesty International, Cambridge

2009-03-28T10:56:00.011+01:00

Where? Cambridge, UK

Recommended by: Jean Sinclair from Cambridge

Jean said: "Cambridge is particularly good for bookshops - these are the 3 that I use most often: Galloway and Porter, Amnesty International Bookshop, Oxfam Bookshop.
Amnesty International - one of several largely second hand bookshops run by this human rights organisation, so, it is particularly strong on human rights, social justice etc. Mill Rd in Cambridge is a vibrant street, popular with students and international visitors, with lots of charity shops (Salvation Army sells clothing from British Antarctic Survey, furniture, cutlery & crockery, for example), international food shops, bike shops etc."

The next recommendation from the university town of Cambridge presents a spot which is quite different from ordinary second-hand bookshops. The famous logo depicting a candle in barbed wire is widely recognized as the symbol of one of the leading NGOs in the field of human rights - Amnesty International. What many people especially in continental Europe don't know is that this London based international NGO also runs a small chain of second-hand bookshops to raise awareness about its activities and projects but also to raise some additional funds.

We hope that you won't object to this addition to the Guide since although it's technically a chain, it only offers second-hand titles and the revenues are used for a good cause. All in all, there are six bookshops in the UK and their list can be found here. The Cambridge Books for Amnesty International bookshop was opened in 1998 and its entire stock is made of second-hand books donated by people who sympathize with their cause. This also means that the stock is very eclectic and you can find all sorts of titles both in the fiction and non-fiction sections. It's also interesting to point out that the entire staff of this friendly small bookshop is formed by volunteers.

Books for Amnesty Cambridge
Address:
46 Mill Road
Cambridge CB1 2 AS

Website: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/

Phone and Email:
01223 362 496
Email via website

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 9.30-18
Bank holidays 11-17

Back to the list of bookstores in Cambridge

Galloway and Porter, Cambridge

2009-03-22T14:53:00.020+01:00

Where? Cambridge, UK

Recommended by: Jean Sinclair from Cambridge

Jean said: "Cambridge is particularly good for bookshops - these are the 3 that I use most often: Galloway and Porter, Amnesty International Bookshop, Oxfam Bookshop.
Galloway and Porter, 30 Sidney Street, (near entrance to Sidney Sussex College and opposite Sainsbury's supermarket) - reduced and second hand books; particularly good selection of L1 new paperbacks (fiction & non fiction) in the entrance, plus travel guide books, art, academic, children's etc - virtually everything inside, including a surprisingly high percentage of books published in Australia, which isn't very usual in UK bookshops."

Galloway and Porter is mostly famous for its unusually low prices on a wide range of titles. The bookshop originally offered exclusively new books but it is currently specialized in second-hand books and reduced or remainder titles. It has gained a reputation of the best source for not only fiction titles at prices which can not be matched but also for academic books, which even attract university students from London. Once or twice a month, special Saturday sales are held at the Galloway and Porter warehouse, located at 347G Cherry Hinton Road in Cambridge, where most of the titles are sold for 1£.

This bookshop also belongs to the rare 100 and plus years club - it was established in 1902 and it still carries the name of its two founders Sidney Galloway and Charles Porter although Mr. Galloway left to start his own bookshop soon after and the original Galloway and Porter is actually run by the third generation of the Porter family. During its whole existence, the bookshop has remained in its original location at 30 Sidney Street in the center of Cambridge.

Galloway and Porter spreads on three floors - the basement is home to their collection of fiction, but it also houses books on travel and gardening, the ground floor is the place to search for books on art, cooking, or children’s books and the first floor focuses on non-fiction titles covering the humanity field but also medicine, technology and lots of other subjects. Low prices, a great stock which gets renewed very often and a staff service which gets praise from practically all the customers - add it all together and the final result comes pretty close to our idea of an ideal bookstore.

Galloway and Porter
Address:
30 Sidney Street
Cambridge CB2 3HS

Website: http://www.gallowayandporter.co.uk/

Phone and Email:
01223 367876
shop@gallowayandporter.co.uk

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:45-17
Sat 9-17:30
Sun 11-17

Back to the list of bookstores in Cambridge

Oxford Bookshop, Bratislava

2009-03-08T12:13:00.010+01:00

Where? Bratislava, Slovakia

Visited: March 2009

It took us almost a year to pay a visit to the newest addition to the anglophone bookstore scene in the capital of Slovakia. Besides the cozy second-hand bookstore/cafe Next Apache and the Eurobooks bookstore with its extensive offer of carefully selected fiction and non-fiction titles, the Oxford Bookshop rather successfully fills the existing gap on the market with its stock mostly focused on ELT materials, course books and dictionaries.

The thing we liked the most about this bookstore was that it carries a considerable selection of titles in other languages such as Russian, French, Spanish, Italian or German (taking into account that books in these languages are practically impossible to find in the vast majority of the city's bookstores). The English books represent the biggest part of the stock and, besides the mentioned ELT materials and the Oxford University Press publications including their edition of classics but also non-fiction titles from different fields (medicine, business, art, philosophy and others), there are also several shelves which hold a selection of contemporary fiction from different publishers. A small but very interesting children's section is also to be found within the bookstore.

Oxford Bookshop was opened in April of 2008 and it is located in the center of the city, behind the old Kyjev hotel, just some 50 meters from the big Tesco store. It is possible to order any books they don't have on stock. Oxford Bookshop is arguably the best place in the city if you wish to indulge yourself in learning a new language, be it English, Russian or other world tongues. The variety of language teaching materials at the Oxford Bookshop certainly makes it stand out in the city itself and even further.

Oxford Bookshop
Address:
Rajská 10
811 08 Bratislava 1

Website: http://www.megabooks.sk/bookshop.php

Phone and Email:
00421 2 526 22 029
bookshop@megabooks.sk

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 9-13 and 14-18
Sat 9-12

Extra Information: Oxford Bookshop gives 10% discount to ISIC, ITIC and IYTC card holders.

Back to the list of bookstores in Bratislava

Bacchus Bar and Bookshop, Madrid

2009-03-01T12:52:00.010+01:00

Where? Madrid, Spain

Recommended by:

Pablo López Castilla

Pablo said: "Bacchus is more than a pub, more than a bookshop; Bacchus is a bookshop turned into a pub. And all this just in English! Because there’s the charm of Bacchus, a coffee-bookstore where people from all nationalities come to exchange their own language with English speakers.

You can read one of the books that are there -or buy it too-, surf on the Net with its free Wi-fi, play chess or backgammon, drink a beer or a cup of coffee or tea. But you must taste it’s special Bloody Mary cocktail. The best of Madrid without any doubt!"

Not so long ago we were recommended a literary bar in Paris (La Belle Hortense) and it seems like the capital of Spain doesn't want to lag behind. The amazing J&J Books and Coffee is already included in our Guide and it also left a very positive impression on us. But that's not it for Madrid. Bacchus Bar and Bookshop is yet another alcoholic friendly bookstore the city has to offer. We were planning to visit this bookstore on the last day of our stay in Madrid but practically everything was closed due to a national holiday, so it has to be filed under our least favorite category - "almost visited". So all we can say from our personal experience is that Bacchus looked like a really interesting spot from the outside.

Bacchus is divided into two parts: the books are located downstairs while the booze occupies the upper floor. The stock of the bookstore only contains books in English but we're quite sure they're not that selective about the drinks they offer upstairs. Their stock consists of around 2500 titles both new and second-hand, with the possibility of swapping or selling the used books.

Bacchus Bar and Bookshop is located in a part of Madrid known as Moncloa, which is home to many students. Indeed, students and expats belong to regular customers of this bookish bar. The best invitation to Bacchus is it's motto: “Come in for a book, stay for a beer.”

Bacchus Bar and Bookshop
Address:
Calle Melendez Valdés 52
28015 Madrid

Website: none

Phone and Email:
+34915447378

Working Hours:
Sun-Thu 17-01
Fri-Sat 17-02

Back to the list of bookstores in Madrid

A Report from Barcelona

2009-02-23T12:59:00.040+01:00

Barcelona, the capital of Catalunya, was the last city we visited during our summer road trip of 2009 which started in Brussels (it actually started in Vienna, but Brussels was our first true stop) and by the time we reached it, signs of exhaustion were beginning to show more insistently. Still, Barcelona, with the lazy mornings on La Rambla and breakfasts at the abundant food market known as La Boqueria, blazing heat in the afternoon and siestas in the park or at the crowded city beach, and the vibrant night-life, turned out to be a great final stop on our journey.

Once again, as for all the previous big cities we have visited, we tried to wrap up our impressions regarding the local English bookstore scene. You can notice that the number of bookstores visited is lower than usual, but trust us, it wasn't for the lack of trying, as we explain further in the text.

We were really looking forward to visiting the Altair bookstore in Barcelona. It’s the only specialized travel bookstore we have visited on our summer road trip and many people have praised it. And from the moment we entered the store, we were pretty much sure that we’ll join the numerous ranks of those who praise this bookstore, and we do so gladly, because Altair deserves all the recognition it gets.

If you’re planning a trip to a foreign country, this place is perfect to begin your quest and pre-departure research. It’s not only the amount of information that is available for any given region or country that makes this place so special, as many people could argue that you can simply find all that stuff on the web. It’s the absorbing atmosphere of this bookstore that makes every visit a memorable one. This bookstore will make you eager to pack your bag and visit other places even if you had no such thing on your mind upon entering. Two floors of the Altair bookstore are packed with information and perhaps even more importantly also with inspiration.
Bonus info: the picture that you can see at the top of each page of this blog has been taken in Altair.

The walk to one of the three locations of BCN Books in Barcelona has been quite a long one, but we were rewarded by some unique architectural sights of the city. The BCN bookstore we’ve visited was the one located at Roger de Llúria 118. This two-storey bookstore occupies a very nice building on the street corner and you can peak in through the huge shop windows. The bookstore itself seemed like a nice place to browse and we especially enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. While we were flipping through the pages of some books on the history of Barcelona, both of the staff members were reading their own books. This doesn't mean that they weren't doing their job. On the contrary, we had a nice informative chat with them once we got there.
As for the stock of the bookstore, we liked the section dedicated to Catalunya and Barcelona, the bookstore also has a very decent fiction section and an extensive selection of ELT materials, study books etc. The only section that could use some improvement in our point of view was the non-fiction section.

Another bookstore which we have visited in Barcelona was named Laie and although we didn't write a post about it in the Guide, it's definitely worth a mention in this report. This bookstore has several locations in Barcelona and even one in Madrid, but Laie bookstores definitely don't fall into the "usual chain bookstore" category, as all the branches we have seen had a very nice and distinct ambiance. The only reason why we decided against adding Laie to our database is its rather limited stock of English titles, but if you're looking for a good selection of titles in either Spanish or Catalan, then we can only recommend it.

The next two bookstores on our Barcelona list were supposed to be among the bookstore highlights of our whole road trip but, in the end, they rank among the biggest disappointments. Both of these bookstores represent the best spots when it comes to second-hand English titles in Barcelona and probably even in the whole of Spain. Unfortunately for us, we found both of their doors closed at the time of our visit and the circumstances made this fact even more bitter. Hibernian Books has closed for holidays only a day before we came to visit it and, as we found out later from the owners, it has been the first time ever the bookstore has been closed since its opening in May 2004. The impression that our bookstore luck is running out has only been confirmed after walking to the location of the Elephant bookstore, another place with a reputation of an English second-hand wonderland. We were greeted by closed door and a "for rent" sign in Spanish. As we found out on their website in a nearby internet cafe, Elephant was being moved to a different location and here comes the bad luck part - they closed the old location two days before our arrival...

After the previous experience we weren't the least surprised to find another bookstore we wanted to visit closed twice. The Watergate Bookshop wasn't originally on our bookstore list - we stumbled upon it accidentally while roaming around Plaça Catalunya and we were really intrigued by its name and very limited working hours. However, we did make it inside after all and we can say that this bookstore offers a very refreshing experience. Its owner has put together a rather eclectic collection of books and items which are quite far from the usual offer you may find at your local bookstore. The interior of the bookstore is also very visually compelling, so although its size is limited, you will surely enjoy browsing around for a while. The Watergate Bookshop is a place which in our point of view manages to keep interested even those who don't consider bookstores one of their favorite places to spend their free time, and that's definitely a good thing.

Barcelona is a great city and a very popular tourist destination and we can reassure you that if you find yourselves in need of English reading material, it won't disappoint you either. We were mostly impressed by Altair, a bookstore we recommend every traveler to add among the must sees of the city. Moreover, we regret not being able to visit the second-hand English bookstores which both look more than promising (Elephant and Hibernian) but then again, at least we have two more reasons to return to Barcelona...

Since this report is the last one from our summer road trip of 2008, we can't resist the temptation to summarize. We've covered our impressions from the anglophone bookstore scene in each of the major cities we visited in a series of reports (in chronological order: Report from Brussels, Report from Paris, Report from Madrid and finally the article you're reading at this very moment - Report from Barcelona). We've visited many bookstores, some of which were really exceptional, we've bought some good books on the way and most importantly, we've had a great time.

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Check out our Reports from other European cities.

Libreria Internazionale Marco Polo, Venice

2009-02-13T10:15:00.007+01:00

Where? Venice, Italy

Visited: January 2009

Libreria Internazionale Marco Polo is the sister bookstore of the Libreria Marco Polo in Venice and is located in the central part of the city in the Cannaregio district.

The International Bookstore Marco Polo is located in one of the narrow streets in Venice near the Teatro Malibran - it is also interesting to note that Marco Polo, the famous traveler himself, lived in the district (just behind the theater itself). Marco Polo is run by Claudio Moretti, a local and proud Venetian book enthusiast, also fluent in English and French and known for his warm hospitality.

This bookstore is an ideal place for independent bookstore admirers, mainly for the following (and obvious) reasons: its cozy and homely atmosphere, the smell of used books and the surrounding air of languages and knowledge. The orientation in this small store is made easier by arrows which point to the desired section.

The International Bookshop Marco Polo is a home to both new and secondhand books in four major European languages: Italian, English, French and German. Their English language section is quite an impressive one - ranging from fiction and even children's books to biographies and books on history. However, Marco Polo seemed to be lacking a section with books on economics and politics, though a few of these could be found here and there as well. The bookstore also offers creative-writing classes.

Libreria Internazionale Marco Polo
Address:
Cannaregio 5886/a
(Calle del Teatro Malibran)
Venice

Website: http://www.booksmarcopolo.com/

Phone and Email:
+39 348 5691125
books@libreriamarcopolo.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 10-20
Sun 11-13 16-19

Extra Information: Marco Polo offers a 10% discount to the students of the Venice International University

Back to the list of bookstores in Venice

Libreria Marco Polo, Venice

2009-02-13T10:06:00.013+01:00

Where? Venice, Italy

Visited: January 2009

Libreria Marco Polo is the sister bookstore of the Libreria Internazionale Marco Polo in Venice and it is located near the famous Rialto bridge in Castello.

Named after the great explorer and traveler, Marco Polo, it comes as no surprise that this bookstore specializes in none other than travel literature. Thus, it's by no means an understatement to say that this place is indeed a travelers' paradise. With walls covered in maps of various parts of the world, shelves filled with globes and books which celebrate cultures and diversity, anyone can enjoy the relaxed and cool atmosphere of this little store.

Marco Polo's specialty are books on Venice, maps of the city, guides and books on its history. Furthermore, this place is great if you're looking for a book with typical Venetian recipes - yes, Marco Polo stocks a nice selection of cookbooks regarding the Venetian cuisine. There is even a small literature section near the entrance but for a reasonably better offer, head on to Libreria Internazionale. The staff in Marco Polo speak several languages and are always more than willing to give you a hand at finding the one travel book you need.

Libreria Marco Polo is the first and only bookshop in the lovely city of Venice which specializes solely in travel literature: from maps (of cities, countries) to various guidebooks and travel books in many languages (mostly of course, Italian and English). The offer, consisting of both new and second hand books at reasonable prices, is more than satisfactory for anyone who desires travel related literature.

Libreria Marco Polo
Address:
Castello 5469 (Salizada San Lio)
30122 Venezia

Website: http://www.libreriamarcopolo.com

Phone and Email:
041 5226343
info@libreriamarcopolo.com

Working Hours:
Mon-Sat 9:30-20
Sun 11-19

Extra Information: Marco Polo offers 20% discount to the members of the Touring Club, 10% off to students and holders of the Cinema Card, 10% off on guides to the holders of the Prove card and 10% off on books on trekking and hiking to the members of Trekking Italia.

Back to the list of bookstores in Venice

Sweden Bookshop, Stockholm

2009-02-11T13:23:00.009+01:00

Where? Stockholm, Sweden

Recommended by: Christopher Sorensen

Christopher said: "Sweden Bookshop is a part of the Svenska Institutet (Swedish Instiute), a government sponsored institute which promotes Swedish language learning and Swedish culture. The Sweden Bookshop has a large selection of Swedish literature that has been translated to over 47 languages. This includes children's books by Astrid Lindgren, author of Pippi Longstockings, Selma Lagerlöf and other Swedish-language authors. There are also lots of coffee-table picture books about Sweden, Swedish history and culture."

Stockholm is a city which is very proud of its rich history and specific culture and the same thing can be said about Sweden as a country. Concentrating all the titles dealing with Sweden under one roof and making them available in a wide variety of languages is thus a great idea. If you wish to increase your knowledge on pretty much any subject related to Sweden, its history, literature or culture, the Sweden Bookshop in Stockholm definitely seems like a great place to start. As the name indicates, this rather small bookstore located in Stockholm's Old Town (Gamla Stan) above the tourist center is specialized in titles dealing with Sweden. The simple and clear motto of this bookstore says it all: Sweden in 47 languages.

The bookstore holds around three thousand titles and although its stock is focused on a very specific topic, it offers a great variety at the same time. It contains guide books, maps, coffee-table books, non-fiction books on Swedish culture, way of life, history, or economy, course books to help you learn Swedish, books on the Swedish cuisine and lots of translated works of the great figures of Swedish literary scene. The Sweden Bookshop is closely associated with the Swedish Institute and it also sells all of its publications. In addition to books, the store also offers posters, cards, souvenirs and also CDs and DVDs with Swedish music and movies.

Sweden Bookshop
Address:
Slottsbacken 10
Stockholm

Website: http://www.swedenbookshop.com

Phone and Email:
+46 8 453 78 00
order@si.se

Working Hours:
Mon-Fri 10-18
Sat (July to Aug) 11-16

Back to the list of bookstores in Stockholm

A Report from Madrid

2009-02-07T10:29:00.025+01:00

Our five days in Spain's capital were indeed relaxing, thanks to our host and the unexpectedly slow pace of this big city (Madrid is by no means a slow-paced city but after arriving from Paris, any city in Europe can seem that way. Perhaps most of the Spaniards took their time off in August so we were quite comfortable to enjoy our everyday siestas alone at the pool). We've also realized that the habit of having a daily siesta is quite enjoyable and we surely wouldn't mind if something similar would catch on in our home cities. On the other hand, when it came to gathering material for our Guide and this report, the siesta proved to be a rather unwanted complication on several occasions, as we found ourselves standing in front of the closed door of a bookstore anytime between 1 and 4 PM. Madrid is a city rich in shops - from bookstores to other types of stores, abundant in both malls and in cool independent stores. Indeed we have seen some interesting shop windows in Madrid and all this has made us realize how diverse and liberal the capital of Spain is.

We started our Madrid bookstore quest in a bookstore with a very promising name - Bookworld and our initial expectations were only confirmed even before actually entering the bookstore. At the time of our visit, the featured book which the bookstore was promoting and which occupied one full shop window was Paul Auster's latest novel - Man in the Dark. Encouraged by this demonstration of interesting taste we entered and we have to say that the positive impact of this first impression carried on through the whole visit. Bookworld is not a one of a kind second-hand den full of surprises and unexpected finds, it's a well-organized bookstore which only sells new books. And we were really impressed by the fact that, to put it simply - they're really good at what they're doing. By then, we had seen many bookstores in the past days, and sometimes it could happen that some of them just ended up as a blurry memory, because nothing specific made them stand out. We remember Bookworld because of its added value - the friendly relaxed atmosphere, a great selection of nicely-displayed books, special offers for very friendly prices and all these features rank it among the bookstores that really pleased us.

The second bookstore we visited was of a completely different sort than the first one. Petra's International Bookshop is the right place for all those bookstore explorers who find pleasure in browsing through piles of books with the hope of finding some rare gem. Petra's is not a place where you can just drop in for five minutes find the book you were looking for and leave. It is one of those bookstores where the search becomes an equally important part of the whole experience. And the fact that Petra’s Bookshop has been around for quite some time becomes more than obvious even before you spot the old pictures and cut-out newspaper articles displayed on a special notice board, because it’s reflected in the bookstore’s stock. Older second-hand bookstores tend to have a stock consisting of several layers, which, to an experienced eye, can serve as an indication of the bookstore’s age. Of course, this gives the stock a specific character, and the browser an opportunity to find titles long out of stock at regular bookstores. Most of the titles are either English or Spanish but, if you're lucky, you might even be able to find some rarer languages such as Russian, Polish and even Serbian.

The next place we’re about to describe - J&J Books and Coffee, is definitely the most hip place with English books we found in Madrid. Suffice to say that our visit, which was a part of one of our long night strolls through the streets of Madrid, took place way past midnight. As the name suggests, J&J doesn’t only offer books – in fact, upon entering you’ll find yourself in a regular bar. However, there’s a small stall with several staff-picked titles near the entrance which you can’t miss, as well as an arrow directing you down to the underground bookstore. Due to the late hour, we found ourselves all alone in the spacious basement filled with English titles. The white shelves lining the walls are filled with all sorts of English books, and we have to add that, for Madrid standards, they come at very affordable prices. There’s even one separate smaller room where all the books are offered at significantly reduced prices. So by the time we climbed back up to the lively ground floor where the barman was still serving drinks, we had our hands full of books.

The next day, we actually managed to wake up early enough to visit the next bookstore on our list - Booksellers before the afternoon siesta. Maybe it was caused by the fact that the whole city still seemed to be mostly at sleep or that we ourselves were rather burned out, but this bookstore hasn’t left such a deep impression on us. The place was empty during our visit and for some reason it seemed a bit sterile, meaning that it seemed to lack the usual specific atmosphere of a bookstore where the books are worshiped both by the staff and the visitors. We tend to believe that this feeling was just a matter of the bad timing of our visit. When it comes to the stock at Booksellers, it’s definitely the best place to go for those trying to improve their English language skills, as the offer of ELT materials, dictionaries and all sorts of course books was definitely the best one we’ve seen in Madrid. There also is a considerable fiction section and a few shelves of non-fiction titles, but we found this selection rather narrow, although sufficient to provide the customer with all the latest bestsellers and interesting new releases.

It would be rather harsh to say that La Libreria de Lavapies turned out to be a disappointment, especially since we’re talking about a very nice independent bookstore located in the multicultural and extremely lively neighbourhood of Lavapies. It’s just that this bookstore is not among your top options if you’re looking for English books. We loved the atmosphere of this place and we’re pretty sure that when it comes to books in Spanish, Libreria de Lavapies is the place to head to in this part of the city. However, the English section doesn’t match the rest of the bookstore’s offer neither in quality nor in scope. It’s concentrated in a small room and it consists of a rather poor selection of a few shelves filled with second-hand titles. But let us stress once again, that if you’re looking for a quality selection of titles in Spanish, you will surely appreciate this pretty independent bookstore a lot. The small square with a nice fountain right next to the bookstore is a great place to flip through the pages of the newly acquired books.

As our stay in Madrid only lasted for five days and there are simply too many attractions that this city has to offer, we weren’t able to see all the bookstores we intended to visit. However, from what we did manage to see, we can conclude that Madrid offers several interesting options to those searching for books in English. Whether you’re looking for a specific recently released title or you just feel like trying your luck on a random browse through piles of second-hand titles, we hope that our report will help you get a better idea as where to turn.

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Check out our Reports from other European cities.

Libreria Mondadori, Venice

2009-02-02T17:20:00.008+01:00

Where? Venice, Italy

Visited: January 2009

While walking around in Venice, I accidentally stumbled upon Libreria Mondadori - a three floor building, the largest bookstore in the city and a home to thousands of books in various languages. Another interesting thing about this bookstore is that it's illuminated by natural light, which enters through huge windows and the glass ceiling i.e. a skylark on the top. so if the weather conditions are favorable you can enjoy your browsing in daylight.

The ground floor of the bookstore is primarily occupied by books on Venice (and Italy itself): guidebooks, calendars, books on the history of the city, the arts, people, etc. These can be found in Italian, English, German, French and many other languages. The second floor is home to fiction and non-fiction titles, with the Italian section occupying most of the space. In the far back, just past the internet spot (yes, there are computers you can use there), a small room holds mostly titles in English, German and French. Although small, the selection is well-worth checking out, as every passer-by in need of an English read should be able to find something for his or her liking.

This specific Mondadori bookstore can be found near the famous Piazza San Marco, in a building which formerly housed the San Marco cinema. The space has been turned into a huge bookstore which opened its door to visitors on the 13th of February 2004. Libreria Mondadori also plays an important role in the local cultural sphere as it organizes readings, discussions, conferences and other events usually related to litterature or the history of Venice, which are held at the SpazioEventi - a huge room of about 300 square meters above the bookstore. Besides the mentioned internet point there is also a reading room, so Libreria Mondadori really offers a complete service to all its visitors.

Libreria Mondadori
Address:
San Marco 1345
30124 Venezia

Website: http://www.libreriamondadorivenezia.it/

Phone and Email:
041 522 2193
info@libreriamondadorivenezia.it

Working Hours:
Low Season
Mon-Sat 10-19:30
Sun 11-19:30

High Season
Mon-Sat 10-20 (ground floor 10-23)
Sun 10-19:30

Greenhouse Kitap, Istanbul

2009-01-23T19:44:00.010+01:00

Where? Istanbul, Turkey

Recommended by: Lynne Humphreys

Lynne Said: "I wanted to tell you about a bookstore which has two floors of English language books with a wide range of adults and children's books. It is Greenhouse and is situated on the Asian side of the Bosphorous (unlike the other bookstores you have listed which are all on the European side) in Istanbul. It is warm and friendly, staff speak English and Turkish and there is also an excellent website. For ex-pats and travelers alike, it is a great place to find out what is happening on our side of the city, where anyone, anywhere, can order books that are stocked by the Greenhouse Book company - with door to door delivery. Departments include Turkish history, novels set in Turkey, Turkish authors translated into English, travel in Turkey, arts, Islam, politics and culture. Books for learning Turkish. There is also the latest novels and the LARGEST choice of children's books in English in the whole of Istanbul."

As Lynne has already pointed out in her wonderful recommendation, the next bookstore to be added to our Guide in 2009 is geographically located outside of Europe. To avoid any confusion, we haven't decided to expand our Guide yet. But as we already list several bookstores from Istanbul, and considering the specific location of the city and the fact, that we absolutely prefer accepting recommendations we receive from our readers to rejecting them, we agreed on including Greenhouse Kitap. So for now, this is the only bookstore in the Guide which can be found on non-European soil.

The Greenhouse bookshop has been providing English books to the Asian part of Istanbul since 1996, when it was founded by Charlotte McPherson, an American expat living in Turkey. The bookstore originally included a café, directly integrated into its premises. In December 2007, the bookstore moved to its present location at 17 Dumlupinar Sokak and it no longer includes a café. What it certainly does include is a great amount of carefully selected books. Two floors packed with English titles hold more than 70 thousand books. Two sections of the bookstore's stock stand out among the rest and are considered to be the best in the whole city - the section devoted to books on the city of Istanbul and on Turkey and the children's section. The offer is very up-to-date, as around 1500 new books arrive to the bookstore each month. And since Greenhouse Kitap imports directly from the UK, the prices are the same or below the original cover price.

A few years into its existence, Greenhouse also entered the domain of publishing, and it now manages to put out several titles a year, mostly focused on the history and culture of Turkey. Greenhouse Kitap also tries to serve as some sort of community place for the expat population in Istanbul - interesting seminars, discussions and even Turkish language courses for all levels take place in the seminar room of the bookstore.

Greenhouse Kitap
Address:
Dumlupinar Sok 17 (Kadiköy)
Istanbul

Website: http://greenhousekitap.info

Phone and Email:
0216 449 3034
info@greenhousekitap.info

Working Hours:
daily 10-18:30 except for Tuesday and Sunday

Back to the list of bookstores in Istanbul

A (Blitz) Report from Ljubljana

2009-01-14T11:08:00.006+01:00

As we travel, we often find ourselves in one city or another, waiting for our next train to depart. This happened to me in Ljubljana, while on my way to Venice. I had two hours to kill and, as any other bookophille and, even worse, bookstoreophille (a term we could easily coin and apply to ourselves), I headed out to the city center, searching for those several bookstores I knew existed (bearing in mind, just as any other meticulous traveler, that I should look out for a few sights as well).

So, with a map in my hands (you can get one for free at the tourist info point at the railway station) and a list of Ljubljana's bookstores, I got to Vale Novak in Wolfova (easy to find, in the very center). What I noticed immediately was its cozy interior, the warmth and the lovely tunes playing in the background. I picked up a random book just to check its price and wasn't surprised. Vale Novak stocks books at regular prices, sometimes just a tad higher than the publisher's but the selection of books in English was rather admirable, considering that the bookstore mainly focuses on titles in the Slovenian language. The only drawback perhaps, even though for some people this is a positive thing, English and Slovenian books seemed to be somewhat mixed in the arts, cooking, traveling and other non-fiction sections.

Not so far away, a bit further up (or was it down?) the river in one really narrow street, Behemot Bookshop finds its place. The colorful sign on the main pedestrian zone (next to the river) helps you find this bookstore. And what a pleasant bookstore it is to find yourself in (and in front of): the lovely bench outside, the oriental styled rug, old shelves, the carefully selected titles, and not to mention the polite staff. Both new and used (purely) English language books reside here and if you cannot find a title you are looking for (almost any title imaginable), they will find it and order it for you. Behemot is indeed quite impressive and a true gem in Ljubljana.

On my way back to the train station, I passed near Kongresni Trg, the location of Geonavtik, which, unfortunately I didn't visit (due to the lack of time, the empty stomach which was craving for pizza and the sympathy for my fellow traveler who, my guess is, was not as used to visiting bookstores as I am. Ivan was, as one could have predicted, greatly missed - not only in my bookstore searching adventures), but I figured, the only fair thing to do is to mention this bookstore in this (blitz) report as well.
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Check out our Reports from other European cities.

If you are interested in visiting Ljubljana or simply in ex-patriate stories, we highly recommend the witty and warm memoir, Forbidden Bread by Erica Johnson Debeljak. Erica, an American from New York who followed her love across the ocean to Central Europe, writes about her experiences adapting to life in post-communist post-Yugoslav Slovenia. Despite the innumerable differences and struggles, she finds herself enchanted by her new home.

Click on the image to find out more.