Revival of the Readers: Books & Bubbles in our moveable feast

Revival of the Readers: Books & Bubbles in our moveable feast

Nov 30, 2012 |  by  |  Art, Spots
About the author
As a twenty-five year old writer, hummusaddict, night decorator, Master student, secret girlfriend of James Franco and lover of thick books, I totally agree with the saying that wolves don't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.

Have you ever heard of the epic bookshop Shakespeare&Co? The one where the literary magic happened in the 1920s in Paris? Where Ezra Pound high-fived with Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce’s controversial ‘Ulysses’ was published and drinking whiskey made the Anglo-American generation feel a little less lost? This legendary bookshop has intrigued me for quite some time now. You might remember the atmosphere of Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ where the main character travels in time to join this inspiring crowd. Last Tuesday Steffy Roos du Maine opened her Amsterdam version, where good stories will definitely be written and made: Books & Bubbles.

Books

Besides reliving jazzy times this brand new store will, of course, sell books. Small shops with leather couches and a young fan base seem to grow in popularity, as Johan Fretz (who gave a speech at the opening) stated. Instead of tapping on a high-tech iPad you can wander around romantic covers and flip some actual pages. The shelves are filled with second-hand editions of world literature (think Jean-Paul Sartre and F. Scott Fitzgerald) and new works of young Dutch writers like James Worthy and Renske Jonkman. You might’ve seen the latter at the Jonge Schrijversavond, where a sold-out Stadsschouwburg proved that literature escaped from its dusty image.

Bubbles

Just like its older Parisian sister, Books & Bubbles will also be a beating centrepiece of reviving culture. Oxford-inspired ‘Conversation Dinners’ will comfort you during the wintry evenings, where good food and conversation are the main ingredients. Instead of Jack Daniels you can sip on some champagne or prosecco in regularly held bubble tastings. Furthermore, I think my dreamy visions from back in the days might turn a little clearer. I imagine a place where you can bump into writers, their readers, publishers and buyers. Where you can borrow Hemingway’s nickname for the French capital and consider Amsterdam a moveable feast. Where you can talk or whisper while drinking bubbly wine and smoking cigarettes in the name of the art. At least it won’t be boring, because the writer is a wild child again.

Books & Bubbles

When: Tuesday till Saturday, 11:00-18:00, for events als during the evening
Where: Jan Pieter Heijestraat 168
Online: Website

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