Books & Mags
Pro qm, Berlin. Interdisciplinary debates in Berlin’s Mitte
A different sorting every month to keep up with current focus themes. In conversation with founder Katja Reichard
No Borders, Mumbai. A platform for cultural exchange without borders
The concept store shares stories, inspires, educates and connects through vintage and designer garments. In conversation with founder Kanika Karvinkop
Arcana: Out-of-Print Art and Design Books in California
Through the interior design, the bookstore holds the semblance of a library, with rows of wall-to-wall books. The architectural firm Johnston Marklee were hired to design the 4,500-square-foot space
Obataimu, Mumbai. Bringing sleepwear outside of the bedroom
An ideology of slow-production with the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi that encourages finding beauty to embrace the cycle of growth and decay
The Writer’s Block, Las Vegas. Are independent bookstores the future?
Any good bookseller knows their readers — and not by following algorithms or the latest trends. In the Amazon era, independent bookstores are still growing
Stockmann Centre: The Largest Department Store in Northern Europe, in the Heart of Helsinki
It was 1852 when Heinrich Georg Franz Stockmann of Lübeck arrived in Finland to work as a bookkeeper and cashier at Nuutajärvi Glassworks
How Type Books Champions Diversity and Local Culture in Toronto
Joanne Saul and Samara Walbohm began with an art gallery in the basement and a bookstore above it, preserving the timeless charm of classic bookstores in a changing world
Works that center on stories of minorities – by minorities. Dorbeetle Store, Hangzhou
«The edge that we have at Dorbeetle is that we insist on our need to be pioneers for the voices from the West to local readers»
Rosa Wolf, Berlin. Five-hundred titles with a soul and old-school customer service
«Why would someone buy a fashion magazine that looks like the others unless it has a defining factor»? Domenico Gutknecht of Rosa Wolf on his fixation with independent-print magazines
Par Store, Taiwan. Underground Concept Store Scene in Taiwan
Located in Chifeng Street of the Zhongshan District, alongside a variety of other creative outlets and collectives, Par Store is known for their laid-back sense of style and business etiquette.
Milano Fashion Library – from La Mode Illustrée to contemporary publishing
Born in 2021, from Mr. Valisi’s collection, Milano Fashion Library goes back to the nineteenth century to the first ever fashion magazine
UCCA Store, Beijing. An inside-out museum experience
Split into two floors, the ground floor is dedicated to the merchandising, but also to the limited-edition artworks, that let visitors bring a piece of art directly home
Yvon Lambert, Paris. On artistic recurrences
Yvon Lamberts returns to Marais, this time not as an art dealer but as a bookseller and modern publisher. «I want to do something more humanistic»
Libreria Antigone: literature as a bridge between feminist and LGBTQ+ movements
Present both in Milan and Rome, Libreria Antigone uses literature and education to fight against misogyny, homophobia, and every other kind of discrimination
A holistic cultural experience with Pietro Torrigiani at Todo Modo bookshops
«The name Todo Modo comes from Leonardo Sciascia’s 1974 book, which then inspired Elio Petri’s political movie but also the spiritual exercise of Saint Ignatius of Loyola»
A gallery of books – Rupture in Venice challenges the expectations of traditional bookstore
Alexandre Sap’s Rupture Arts & Books store in Venice is part of a network that encourages the exchange of culture, conversation and community in a creative international cultural space
0FR Paris, emerging publications under the aegis of Alexandre Thumerelle
0FR is set up with towering piles of books in a room forming a maze-like path through stacks of print publications: a conversation with Alexandre Thumerelle on independent emerging publications
Eisenherz: a bookstore in contrast to the gay underground bars of 1970s Berlin
A LGBTQ+ bookstore in the Berlin queer district of Schöneberg. Co-founder Roland Müller-Flashar on Eisenherz buchladen:«As long as discrimination persists, our bookstore must exist»
Dekker v.d. Vegt Boekverkopers. Despite hurdles of 167 years, the business keeps going
A collective effort from the city of Nijmegen generated €150,000 in just six days in 2014, bringing back to life Dekker, an independent bookseller with one hundred and sixty-seven years...
Village Books and Paper Dreams: a bookstore is a snapshot of the community it serves
«We try to source as much as we can locally»: Village Books and Paper Dreams co-founders talk about local fiscalism and community building in North America
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris: 788 design objects
The Pipistrello Lamp was designed by Gae Aulenti for the Olivetti showroom in Paris. Still produced by Martinelli Luce, it can be purchased at 107 Rivoli boutique
The Kosher News: the biggest newsstand in Los Angeles by Erez Da Costa
Community building at The Kosher News: «We believe in second chances. We have always given a chance to our employees, even if they were previous drug addicts or alcoholics» Erez...
Stamberga, Milan, a ‘concept gallery’ at the crossroads of Western and Asian cultures
From fine art prints of Buddhist monks to teas, honeys and stationaries: a journey through Asia presented by owner and photographer Marco Beretta
Periptero: embodying a sense of community in the Bologna city center
The name ‘Periptero’ emerged during one of Domenico Mazzocchetti's journeys to Greece, referring to the kiosks scattered throughout the city, serving as hubs for locals and tourists
Located on Stockholm’s Götgatan Street, Press Stop showcases niche publications
Looking to expand its collection of reads, Press Stop is continuing its efforts in remaining to be the last of its kind in serving recondite literary goods
The Waterval brothers – three brothers behind Traders Pop
Nestled in a Maastricht, Traders Pop offers a selection of clothing, art books, and magazines that are otherwise unobtainable in regular mainstream stores
Paradise, a Milanese concept store of Venetian brand Marsèll, reopens after renovation
Turned into a «white cube», Marsèll Paradise is preparing for an oneiric hearing experience and the launch of the brand’s Spring Summer 2023 collection
From Parco Studio to Parco Gallery: Loredana Bontempi and Emanuele Bonetti in Milan
Parco Gallery is an open space that is a stage for graphic designers of all nationalities and hosts exhibitions and meetings by Loredana Bontempi and Emanuele Bonetti from Parco Studio
International publications at street level: Revistas Internacionales Barcelona
The newsstand has not moved from Carrer de Muntaner 447 since the fifties and it has been passed between generations in the family: today it is run by Marta Montes...
Brick and mortar comes secondary, print comes first: Paper Pages, Sofia
Georgi Michokov explains Paper Pages as being an online entity born from the adoration for printed materials, providing niche publications to Bulgaria
World of Magazines, Tel Aviv: four locations catered to what is printed, not digital
«The disparity in education is a global issue. While some might say, ‘it’s just magazines’, I differ. Magazines are just one of many outlets to learn» – Joey Ezekiel on...
Bureau of Provisions & Periodicals, Melbourne: facing the press monopoly in Australia
«A single company runs most of the news. Although there are small independent companies providing news in the country, we can’t really talk about media variation» Jay Clough recounts
Brot Books Deli, Bratislava: a selfish step for a public library of co-founder and curator Martin Jenca
‘Brot’ means bread in German – Slovakia was part of the Austrian empire. A conversation about the publishing industry and today's Slovakia with Martin Jenca, co-founder and curator of Brot...
LUMPEN: A multi-medium platform born out of Stefano Mancin’s London flat
Reframing the narrative: «I am trying to bring more people into digital publishing – it is often overlooked or people think only of Kindle or eBooks»
Paper Café, Nairobi: a patron for arts through visuals between Africa and Europe
Michael Mugambi founded Paper Café in Nairobi in the summer of 2022 to promote the crossbreed of European independent magazines and the African cultural scene
Deep Coffee, Marseille: reviving the old newsstand kiosk
In 2022, the city of Marseille launched a contest to give kiosks a new lease on life in order to prevent them from falling through the cracks – the only...
East Market, Milan: to educate on circular economy through the vintage market
Linda Ovadia and Gianluca Iovine were collectors with nowhere to sell their pieces so they founded East Market: the first place where vintage stores and hobbyist can sell their antiquities
Rupture, Paris & Marseille: the silk road with Alexandre Sap and Anne-Marie Gaultier
Rupture started a renovation that uncovered the original structure of Le Corbusier’s idea – they decided to use only glass, cement, and ceramic materials for the store
Safelight Paper, Berlin: the new direction of Nicolas Blanchadell
Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director, Nicolas Blanchadell, explains his personal mood board and Slow Photography of Safelight Paper
Armani Libri, Milan: Walther König and Giorgio Armani – the publishing affair
The only bookstore in Italy managed by Walther and Franz König Bookshop: Armani Libri is a temple for fashion and visual culture, at the gateway of Via Monte Napoleone
Globalization through Journalism – the effort by Air Mail, NYC
Offering a weekly dose of modernization for the global citizen, Air Mail moves closer to its readers
Libreria delle Donne, Milan: a key role in gathering, disseminating feminist ideas
Libreria delle Donne, Milan: where theories of feminist philosophy were born: interview with Giorgia Baschirotto and Laura Giordano, of Libreria delle Donne
Boutique de la Prensa, Madrid: the selling model is making the difference for the Boutique
An old press store is becoming a centre for independent international magazines, owner Antonio Torán recounts the publishing selling system in Spain
Costello and Friends, London: Nicole Costello on overconsumption and capitalism
Citing capitalism as an inevitable force in this lifetime, the thesis of the store exists as a space to highlight creatives and their work while also compensating them for it
Henrik Vibskov, Copenhagen: from Japanese to underground European designers
Designs from Vibskov himself and other varying works like Lampoon, Fantastic Man and Purple Magazine co-exist alongside perfumes, clothes, and accessories
The Conran Shop, Paris: The Bon Marché warehouse by Sir Terence Orby Conran
Located in the Saint-Germain-Des-Pres district in Paris, The Conran Shop is where the design industry goes with its selection of vintage and historical design
