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. Following 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 also for the vitality and vibrancy of society.
Hear Director of the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), Julie Belgrado, summarising the success of our RISE campaign highlighting ‘bookshops as welcoming and inclusive spaces’ and looking ahead at the years to come. Take a look at the video and find EIBF’s priorities in our manifesto for the 2024-2029 political term here below.
EIBF 2024 MANIFESTO
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
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!
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."
Bookshops are safe havens where all are welcome
"Being a haven for marginalised folk is an ever-changing thing - sometimes that means explicit actions, often it’s more subtle signaling, always it’s about being open to what our community needs and openly evolving."
"By working in a bookshop and recommending books, I can open new worlds and topics to someone. I can help other people to feel safe in a world where not everyone is respectful or understanding. [...] Books can play a big part in supporting someone, with information or sometimes just with distraction."
Bookshops are spaces for education,
dialogue and literacy promotion
"Bookshops are also places where we can host people who need a protected environment to start working, such as people who are released from prison [...] The experiences we’ve had with these people have always been very positive both for us and for the people who come to our bookshop."
"We founded a book scholarship for young people in 2019 [...] The main aim of the project is to support children to read, to make their own reader’s choices, to think about stories, plots, characters, situations, to share their opinion with the public, to write and talk about books."
Bookshops as third places and community hubs
"In a world saturated with digital noise, bookshops offer a refuge for the written word, a space for intellectual exploration, and a platform for community building. They are, quite literally, the cornerstones of a thriving democracy. Let's ensure their shelves remain full, their events vibrant, and their doors open to all."
"All of Snob's cultural programming is created with its readers. We try to organize events that allow the debate of ideas and the sharing of texts. [...] most events are suggested and organized by our clients, making Snob a place they can occupy to construct their projects, ask their questions and name the ideas they want to see discussed."
"Although our bookstore was closed for almost four years [...] many of our readers have remained loyal to us and our values, frequently asking when we will reopen. Some say that many of their childhood and young-adulthood memories are connected to our space, including their first friendships, loves, hugs, projects, deadlines and favorite books."
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
Bookshops are safe havens where all are welcome
When you navigate the west as a white, able-bodied, middle class, cis straight man, the world is so accessible and accommodating, literally built for you. Our bookshop offers a space where that effortless belonging will be felt by those who don’t yet navigate the world without friction, challenge or even rejection. A place to feel valued, celebrated, safe and empowered.
Being a haven for marginalised folk is an ever-changing thing - sometimes that means explicit actions, often it’s more subtle signaling, always it’s about being open to what our community needs and openly evolving. Our friends at the Glasgow Women’s Library have a saying, there are no hard-to-reach audiences, only those easy-to-ignore, so it’s on us to shout from the rooftops: YOU are welcome here. Before we even get to the books and the author events, we make sure people can access the bookshop.
Clear accessibility information and a safe space policy on our website make sure people know what to expect. That includes masks at indoor events so immune compromised authors and audiences can choose to attend. It includes a pay-it-forward system so people can take home books even if they are broke. We wear our values proudly before you even cross the threshold; We fly LGBTQ+ Pride and Trans flags and our front door is smattered with stickers that declare us anti-fascist, queer and disability inclusive. The shopfront has posters in support of migrants, unions, Gaza and reproductive justice, and the window displays are consciously diverse. A ramp in, a clear layout and cosy chairs accommodate wheelchair users and mobility impaired readers.
These values are reflected in the books we choose, the authors we invite to events, and the community organisations we work with. It’s all part of fostering progressive ideas and community bonds - people learn here, connect here, are galvanised here.
There’s a flipside to openness - we’ve been targets for harassment of various kinds. At RISE Lisbon fellow booksellers shared stories of confrontations, historic raids, blocking letterboxes to prevent postal attacks, removing hateful stickers and graffiti. But we never have to meet these challenges alone - therein lies the beauty and strength in community. It makes us resilient.
Indie bookshops are hubs for creativity, we are nimble in reacting to community needs, reading appetites and interests driven by wider concerns. Bookshops are so much more than a retail unit that happens to sell books. We (booksellers) all have stories of intensely personal interactions with customers that go beyond a transactional relationship. From hugs with grieving Palestinians, to keeping an eye on panic attacks in progress, being asked for recommendations on addiction or trauma, navigating neurodiversity through books, and coping with loss.
Hearing that sigh of relief upon entering the shop is a regular and gratifying occurrence here at Lighthouse. A sign that we are a place of refuge and relaxation. We’ll keep doing the work, so that as many people as possible get to experience that visceral comfort.
Love & Solidarity,
HANNAH ALLUM & MAIRI OLIVER
Lighthouse Bookshop, United Kingdom
Besides working in a bookshop, reading is my biggest hobby. I started reading for fun, but I got so much more out of it. Reading helped me to understand myself better, people around me and people I didn't know about beforehand. Reading opened my mind to so many new topics, I would have probably never gotten in touch with.
Exactly this exploring side of reading motivated me to become a bookseller, in the hope of inspiring others to read. By working in a bookshop and recommending books, I can open new worlds and topics to someone. I can help other people to feel safe in a world where not everyone is respectful or understanding. Not everyone has the privilege of having a supporting family or friends. It can be hard to be on your own with questions, issues or thoughts. Books can play a big part in supporting someone, with information or sometimes just with distraction.
When I founded the "taskforce diversity" as a part of young upcoming booksellers at Börsenverein, I wanted to raise some awareness about diversity as part of the bookish community. Some people asked, "if" or "why" we still need to talk about "stuff like that".
But I like to answer that the key lies behind the small word "how": How can we include everyone? How can we support a diverse community? How do we want to live together, besides our differences? Bookshops can take part in opinion-forming.
Not only by selling informative books, but also by showcasing topics. If we try to include everyone in this concept, our community can become more open-minded and welcoming. When everyone has access to more information about diverse topics, there would probably be less misunderstandings or false information about these. Bookshops can fulfill exactly that. In books someone can share ideas or thoughts and others can read them, maybe reflect on them. By visiting a bookshop someone can encounter so many different topics, people and ideas. In my opinion that’s one of the most important traits for coming together and becoming part of an open-minded community.
Literature is diverse and everyone deserves a safe space. For some people, a safe space is among some books or pages and that's why it's so important to be aware and supportive.
EMELIE PORSACK
Bookseller. Spokesperson for taskforce diversity at Börsenverein, Germany
Bookshops are spaces for education, dialogue and literacy promotion
Reading is not just a “nice” thing, reading is what allowed humans to hand down knowledge generation after generation. Novels also transmit knowledge about human souls and different cultures. In bookshops, as in libraries, knowledge pass from one person to another and it is therefore natural that training moments can be offered in bookshops.
Our bookshop was born as a place to disseminate culture with no distinction between humanistic culture and scientific culture and therefore we have always combined the presentations of novels or books of poetry with meetings on mathematics, physics, biology, neuroscience and psychology. Researchers are happy to talk about their work and the public is very interested in the research topics.
Bookshops are also places where we can host people who need a protected environment to start working, such as people who are released from prison or are followed in a mental health center or live in a halfway house. In fact, bookshops are frequented by humanly rich people who interact with each other and with the staff with kindness and attention, encouraging the creation of a relaxed environment where everyone can give their own contribution.
The experiences we had with these people have always been very positive both for us and for the people who come to our bookshop.
All bookshops actually can represent a very important cultural and social presence for the territory where they are.
ANNA PARISI
Tomo Libreria Caffè, Italy
For so many years bookshops are not just a place where you buy books, but also an important space for networking for the community and for individuals with a passion for stories. We are aware of our important role to educate the young, to bring wisdom and joy.
And we also feel our responsibility to make every single person included and be understood. Literature has the power to connect, to help with the personality growth and to heal. We want this magic to be shared in our little welcoming space.
To fulfil this cause, we founded a book scholarship for young people in 2019. We select 10 scholarship recipients (children from 7 to 15 years old) every school year (from September till June) and every single one can choose one book per month according to his or her preference and receive it for free. The only thing we request from the recipients is to write their own review which we publish on our website in the blog section (see here).
The main aim of the project is to support children to read, to make their own reader´s choices, to think about stories, plots, characters, situations, to share their opinion with the public, to write and talk about books. With the same goal, for the past two years, we have also organized workshops with lectors about writing, to help them improve their skills and writing abilities.
ALEXANDRA VARCHOLOVÁ
Kníhkupectvo Na korze, Slovakia
Bookshops as third places and community hubs
In an age of digital convenience, the humble bookstore might seem like a relic. But beneath the scent of old paper and fresh coffee lies a vital space: a "third place" as sociologist Ray Oldenburg termed it. These are the neutral grounds beyond home (first place) and work (second place) where communities gather, ideas spark, and democracy thrives. Bookshops, like Baldwin & Co., exemplify this perfectly.
Baldwin & Co. isn't just a place to buy books; it's a community hub. Our mission is to enrich lives through the power of stories that extends beyond the shelves. Author readings, book clubs, and story times foster connection and conversation. The Baldwin & Co. Foundation further amplifies this, promoting literacy and fostering a love of reading in children. Here, amidst towering shelves, a child can discover the magic of storytelling, a cornerstone of a curious and engaged citizenry.
This is precisely why bookshops deserve the support of democratic institutions and book-friendly policies. In a healthy democracy, an informed citizenry is paramount. Bookshops provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, challenging us to think critically and fostering empathy. They curate collections that spark curiosity about history, science, and current events – the very tools needed to navigate the complexities of a democratic society.
Consider the curated events at Baldwin & Co. – discussions on political philosophy, book launches by local authors, even book clubs delving into social justice issues. These events don't just sell books, they nurture a culture of informed discourse. Politicians, take note: by supporting bookstores, you're nurturing the very ground from which engaged voters grow.
Stakeholders and the public have a role to play too. Shopping locally at independent bookstores, attending events, and advocating for book-friendly policies like tax breaks for small businesses and literacy programs are crucial. Every purchase, every conversation, strengthens the bookstore's role as a democratic cornerstone.
In a world saturated with digital noise, bookshops offer a refuge for the written word, a space for intellectual exploration, and a platform for community building. They are, quite literally, the cornerstones of a thriving democracy. Let's ensure their shelves remain full, their events vibrant, and their doors open to all.
DJ JOHNSON
Baldwin & Co, USA
Snob bookshop, since its beginnings in Guimarães and later in Lisbon, realized that bookstores could be more than a commercial space, allowing people to belong to a space where they simultaneously discover books as well as people and ideas. We believe that books form the cultural structure of each city and each person who lives there, and that a house of books must also be a house where the ideas that books bring us coexist and are shared between readers and booksellers, so that the book we thought we wanted when we walked into a bookstore turns into many other books we didn't know we wanted.
All of Snob's cultural programming is created with its readers. We try to organize events that allow the debate of ideas and the sharing of texts.
Snob has created a line of thought that is in line with our language, but in fact most events are suggested and organized by our clients, making Snob a place they can occupy to construct their projects, ask their questions and name the ideas they want to see discussed.
Snob also intends for this space to be an uncensored space, with open doors, to provide its readers with the certainty that everything can be debated and discussed here, with openness and sincerity, allowing a great dissemination of knowledge and well-being.
ROSA AZEVEDO
Livraria Snob, Portugal
Cărturești Mercy was the first Cărturești bookstore in Timișoara, opening its doors in 2005 in the Ferencz Emmer Palace, right in the Citadel. Despite its modest size, it stands out as a cultural hub and a visual culture bookstore, offering a carefully curated selection of books on art, architecture, photography, and graphic design. Additionally, it features a café/tearoom on the first floor where we regularly host literary events, book clubs and exhibits. These events are central to our mission of making reading cool again and connecting people with diverse interests.
Although our bookstore was closed for almost four years due to pandemic and renovation challenges, many of our readers have remained loyal to us and our values, frequently asking when we will reopen. Some say that many of their childhood and young-adulthood memories are connected to our space, including their first friendships, loves, hugs, projects, deadlines and favorite books. The reopening on the 16th of February 2024 was a huge success, mainly because hundreds of our community readers were extremely enthusiastic about this event and waited patiently until we finally opened the doors. Our reading community has also been greatly influenced by the fact that we hosted Street Delivery in front of the bookstore for many years, one of our most important manifesto events. This event highlights the importance of a city as an inclusive space for pedestrians, drivers, children, and animals, focusing on finding sustainable approaches to urban challenges.
Among the most recent events we have organized was a discussion led by two professors, based on the volume The Knife by Salman Rushdie, which was supported through a partnership with Penguin Random House and with the help of a colleague from another bookstore, who created a collage inspired by Rushdie's post-attack visions. We aimed to draw attention to current global issues and the importance of the written word in building an open-minded and inclusive society.
We are absolutely charmed by our 120 square meter space, which feels like home to us, allowing us to engage passionately with readers of all ages and interests. Our interactions are enriched by our ability to offer personalized book recommendations, no matter the requests. The presence of a café further enhances the bookstore, making it a safe space for inspiration and relaxation in the heart of the city, where books and good coffee go hand in hand.
Our small, dedicated team curates a diverse range of books, with a special focus on the arts, sciences, and environmental topics, and so we aim to provide recommendations that encourage new perspectives and empower societal change. Since our opening, we have formed numerous partnerships to promote music, arts, and cinematography, united by shared values. We believe that togetherness propels us forward, diversity is the key ingredient, and a bookstore has the power to transform an entire community; nonetheless, it is a great thing that many of our readers became friends and many of our friends became booksellers.
Cărturești Mercy, Romania
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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.
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