Inside the new Pittsburgh store selling over 8,000 titles; a "global bookstore" goes online in the Middle East; Bucharest's only English-language bookstore to close; and more.
Pittsburgh's City of Asylum Books Serves Up 8,000 Titles: City of Asylum Books at Alphabet City, which opened in January and is an extension of the eponymous City of Asylum publishing house — which is focused on works from writers in exile — offers 8,000 titles for sale and is housed in a renovated Masonic temple.
Dubai's Souq.com to Launch "Global Bookstore": The Middle Eastern online marketplace has announced plans to offer six million books for sale. “We are aligned with the UAE’s National Reading initiative and this category expansion comes at an interesting time when we are witnessing new momentum in the culture of reading across the region,” said Ronaldo Mouchawar, CEO of Souq.com.
Bucharest's Only English-language Bookstore Closing: After nine years in business, Anthony Frost, the only English-language bookstore in Bucharest and one of the few independent ones in the city, is closing down starting March 1st
Waterstones Opens Three Unbranded Bookstores: The UK chain has opened a trio of bookstores that appear to be independent bookstores, rather than part of the UK's dominant bookstore chain — sparking the ire of competitors. The stores are located in Suffolk, East Sussex, and Hertfordshire. Waterstones MD James Daunt has defended the decision, saying that he wanted the stores to have their own identities and it was not a form of "subterfuge."
India's Venerable Higginbothams Bookstore Gets a Makeover: The Branch of Higginbothams bookshop located on the Mahatma Gandhi road in Bangalore dates to 1905 and is known for its dramatic colonial architecture. It has just been renovated, mixing tradition with sleek new modern design touches.
Toronto Bookstore Location Deemed a Heritage Site: In an effort to slow the expansion of the University of Toronto and the development of a new residence tower, a building that houses Ten Editions bookstore has been declared a heritage site. Susan Duff, the owner of the bookstore, did not offer comment.
CORRECTION: This post initially misspelled the name of Souq.com. We regret the error.
