Bookshops are open, inclusive, welcoming spaces for everyone. Amid growing polarisation and censorship, this campaign will give voice to booksellers from across the RISE network who go above and beyond to ensure that their bookshops remain welcoming and inclusive spaces for all.
Why bookshops matter
At a time of increased political and ideological polarisation, with rising censorship and the freedom of expression under threat, RISE Bookselling recognises the need to use our voice to defend the spaces we love the most: bookshops.
Bookshops have a unique role in fostering values of peace, democracy, and tolerance. In the lead-up to the European elections, now more than ever it is vital to remind policymakers and stakeholders how crucial support from democratic institutions and book friendly policies are not just for bookshops, but for the vitality and vibrancy of society.
Bookseller Raluca Selejan, from La Două Bufniţe in Romania, kicks off our new campaign highlighting ‘bookshops as welcoming and inclusive spaces’ with an important message. Take a look!
Each week, our campaign will spotlight different booksellers across the RISE network who will explain how:
Bookshops make people feel represented
Bookshops are safe havens where all are welcome
Bookshops are spaces for education, dialogue and literacy promotion
Bookshops foster a sense of community and belonging
Stay tuned across all RISE channels to hear from booksellers in the RISE network and the value their bookshops bring to today’s democratic societies, whether as places of representation, education, as safe havens, or community hubs.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Bookshops make people feel represented
BRID CONROY Tertulia Bookshop, Ireland
"We curate books across many genres, particularly in the areas of humanities and nature and the environment; books to inform and that allow us to think in different ways about society and ourselves in it. We look to represent publishers and authors from different backgrounds, authors of colour, with neuro diversity, from the LGBTQ+ community."
"We serve so many global citizens, cultural awareness and respect are everything. In an increasingly digital world, customer experience—how people feel when they interact with us as individuals and as a business—is paramount."
Our Testimonials
Bookshops make people feel represented
We opened “Tertulia, a bookshop like no other” in 2019 with a clear mission to make a positive contribution to the way the world thinks. Tertulia is a Spanish word for a gathering of people who meet to discuss life and literature. Choosing the mission and the name were very important to us in establishing what our bookshop represents and why bookshops are so important in our communities.
A recent reviewer called our shop “a literary living room” and I love this description. The bookshop is an extension of our home. It is an open invitation to come in, to engage in conversation, to meet other like-minded people, to see books that speak to you, that represent who you are.
Communities need spaces where people can gather, where they can pop into, ask for help at times, to smile at when they pass or wave hello. We see the importance of what we do often in the small things. We serve coffee and provide seating for engaging and participating in the comings and goings of the bookshop. Many conversations are struck up and experiences shared.
We curate books across many genres, particularly in the areas of humanities and nature and the environment; books to inform and that allow us to think in different ways about society and ourselves in it.
We look to represent publishers and authors from different backgrounds, authors of colour, with neuro diversity, from the LGBTQ+ community. Fiction is such a powerful way to live inside someone else’s world, not to judge and to understand how affecting these stories can be on how we ourselves interact in the world.
We host a number of bookclubs which are open to all and give a space and platform to engage and participate in a deeper way in literature; fiction, history, childrens and a bookclub for writers. We also have a “Philosophers Hat Club” which provides a forum for discussions and community philosophising. We get to think together on many important issues affecting our world.
We sponsor a Young Adult prize for Short Fiction annually and for the first time last year started a “Short Story Competition for Kids” which was a resounding success, encouraging children to write their own stories and grasp the power of words. We work with our local Arts Festival to ensure collaborations in a multi-disciplinary fashion across the Arts.
So the concept of “Tertulia” works across all that we do, in the way we curate books, the clubs we host, the events we hold, the space we offer to the community; a positive contribution to the way the world thinks.
BRID CONROY
Tertulia Bookshop, Ireland
Nooroongji Books opened in August 2022 with the mission to make multilingual mainstream. Surrounded by water and mountain views, Nooroongji Boks is open 7 days a week, 362 days a year in the heart of Granville Island, Vancouver's premier cultural and artistic hub, welcoming over 10 million visitors a year. Vancouver itself is also one of the most vibrantly diverse cities in North America.
Because we serve so many global citizens, cultural awareness and respect are everything. In an increasingly digital world, customer experience—how people feel when they interact with us as individuals and as a business—is paramount.
Some of the values that guide our operations are as follows:
1. Multilingualism: We believe multilingual access and diverse representation foster community, connection, and understanding across difference. We carry materials in over a dozen languages at any given time.
2. Curation: Each book is a monument, reflecting stories and experiences of others that we connect with. We strive to source editions of uncommon literary merit, cultural significance, relevance to our diverse clientele, and beauty.
3. Customer service: We understand that every customer is unique, with their own preferences, needs, and circumstances. Staff training is extensive to introduce language and gestures that translate respect and warmth across cultures.
4. Inclusivity: We believe everyone can and should experience representation through printed matter, regardless of background, language, or identity. Understanding that minority groups are not a monolith is crucial to avoid treating representation as a mere signal for virtue. For us representation was always a part of the design and origin of the shop. The way we display our collection reflects this: organized in sections without labels, our shelves invite visitors to immerse in the experience of browsing without our voice telling them how certain books ought to be categorized or thought about.
5. Community: We believe bookstores should be community hubs where people can come together to share and engage. It’s been a particular pleasure for me to observe friendships burgeoning amongst our customers through our book and social clubs, launches, and other events..
6. Sustainability: We strive to source books and materials in a thoughtful way that minimizes waste, and we are always looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, like operating on non-returnable terms with almost all suppliers, and reusing everything that can possibly be recycled.
JENNIFER KIM
Nooroongji Books, Canada
Keep your bookshop up to date
Sign up to our newsletter and we’ll keep you up to date with our latest industry insights and news. Find out how to take part in our bookselling community.
Hey there, this is the default text for a new paragraph. Feel free to edit this paragraph by clicking on the yellow edit icon. After you are done just click on the yellow checkmark button on the top right. Have Fun!
RISE Bookselling is a network programme organized by the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) and co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
©RISEBookselling 2024. Privacy Policy