65 Hanbury Street E1 5JP | Spitalfields, East London
Tuesday – Wednesday from 11am to 6pm
Thursday – Saturday from 11am to 9pm
Sunday from 12am to 6pm
Book lovers beware, once you step inside Libreria, it may take a while before you are able to leave, so come on a rainy day, when you can linger for as long as you want (but don’t expect wi-fi or an espresso counter, for this is not Waterstones). With winding bookshelves that resemble waves and the books arranged by unusual, more intuitive categories such as ‘renegades’ or the ‘sea and the sky’ instead of the standard biographies, politics and so on, Libreria wants readers to make new connections and discover titles they would normally not be aware of by browsing an online bookshop. I believe this is a place from book lovers to book lovers. What a perfect match. Be aware that mobile phones are not welcome. Surrender yourself to the books, disconnect for a while from your online life. You will find out how rewarding your real life can be! The place looks much larger than it actually is because of the mirrors on the back wall and on the ceiling.
Here is an interview with Rohan Silva, the man behind Libreria, by The Guardian.
Image by Iwan Baan for Selgas Cano architecture and Libreria
