Beijing families have been stunned by the news that beloved bookstore The Bookworm is to close.
In a statement issued today, the owners said they had “fallen prey to the ongoing cleanup of ‘illegal structures’,” and had not been able to negotiate an extension of their lease. They expect the store to close by Monday November 11. Anyone who wants to support them is encouraged to go and buy books before then, which they promise will be “heavily discounted”.
The closure is bad news for international parents, and not only because The Bookworm was a rare outlet for English-language reading material for kids. It was also a venue for community activities.
We spoke to Hannah Ryder, who runs the popular weekly Safari Time Songs there.
“Even before I arrived in Beijing five years ago,” she told us, “the Bookworm was on my radar. It is not just a bookshop or cafe, it’s an institution! It has diversity at its heart – attracting curious international and Chinese clientele in equal measure. That’s why when I was starting Safari Time it was a no-brainer to ask the Bookworm if they would host it, and to my delight they agreed. Over the three years we have hosted classes there, with their support, Safari Time has grown, babies have grown, families left and new families joined. It is therefore incredibly sad to hear this news, and I just hope a way can be found to maintain the Bookworm, even if in another venue in Sanlitun. If anything, it needs more investment, not less!”
The Bookworm first opened in 2002, as a small lending library offering a few drinks. It moved to its present location in 2005, and now has branches in Chengdu and Suzhou. It’s also home to an international literary festival which has featured celebrated children’s writers such as Ian Whybrow and Jane Godwin.
The owners say they hope to reopen soon at a new venue, but until then there will be a significant hole in Beijing’s cultural life.
Photo: courtesy of Safari Time
