Book lovers in Beijing have been left saddened by the impending closure of a cornerstone of the city’s expatriate community.The Bookworm, a bookshop in the shopping hub of Sanlitun that is beloved by expatriates and locals alike, announced on Tuesday that it would close on November 11.
Its general manager, David Cantalupo, said he was very sad that they had been unable to secure an extension on their lease.
“[The Bookworm forms] an important part of Beijing and my life. We hoped that we could get an extension [of the lease]. So we haven’t really looked that much yet at other places. We need started doing that now,” he said.
Founded in Sanlitun Beilu in 2002 as a small library where customers could buy books at discounted prices, The Bookworm moved to its current location at Courtyard 4 in Sanlitun in 2005. It later opened a branch in Chengdu, a city in southwest China, in 2006 and another in Suzhou, eastern China, in 2007. The Chengdu and Suzhou outlets closed in the past two years because of poor sales.
After 17 years in business, 14 of them at its current location, The Bookworm will close on Monday. Its investors will look for new premises
Customers browse books in The Bookworm in Sanlitun, Beijing, on Tuesday
The Bookworm grew into a hip hang-out for book lovers, who come for its cafe, film screenings and book talks by authors from around the world. Held annually since 2006, its Literary Festival attracted local and overseas writers.