Browse: Love Letters to Bookshops Around the World

A cabinet of curiosities, a time machine, a treasure trove – we love bookshops because they possess a unique kind of magic

In Browse Henry Hitchings asks fifteen writers from around the world to reveal their favourite bookshops, each conjuring a specific time and place.

Ali Smith chronicles the secrets and personal stories hidden within the pages of secondhand books; Alaa Al Aswany tells of the Cairo bookshop where revolutionaries gathered during the 2011 uprisings; Elif Shafak evokes the bookstores of Istanbul, their chaos and diversity, their aroma of tobacco and coffee. Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor recalls the quandary of choosing just one book at a favourite childhood store in Nairobi, while Iain Sinclair shares his grief on witnessing a beloved old haunt close down. Others explore bookshops they have stumbled upon, adored and become addicted to, from Delhi to Bogotá.

These inquisitive, enchanting pieces are a collective celebration of bookshops – for anyone who has ever fallen under their spell.

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Paperback

2018

ISBN: 9781782272960