By Talita Facchini | @talitafacchinii
The project aims to boost local foot traffic and showcase the city’s thriving independent bookstore movement
A new initiative in São Paulo is capturing the attention of readers — and evennon-readers — across the city: the Map of São Paulo’s Independent Street Bookshops, created collectively by 37 independent bookstores.
To understand the significance of the project, it helps to go back a few years. The recent history of Brazil’s publishing market is marked by the downfall of its two largest bookstore chains — Saraiva and Cultura — which filed for judicial recovery in 2018 with debts of R$674.6 million and R$285 million, respectively.
Then came the pandemic in 2020, forcing physical bookstores to close, and by 2023 both Saraiva and Cultura had their bankruptcies officially declared, shutting down more than 100 stores across the country.
In the aftermath, the market sought ways to stay alive, and independent bookstores began to gain ground — especially in São Paulo. With smaller spaces, carefully curated selections, distinctive themes, cozy cafés, and a strong connection to the neighborhoods they serve, these bookstores have flourished in recent years despite fierce competition from major marketplaces and publisher-owned e-commerce platforms — and without any law to regulate book prices. (Publishing Perspectives readers may recall that Brazil’s book industry has long been advocating for the approval of the so-called Lei Cortez, or Fixed Book Price Law.)
Now, in a collective effort, 37 of São Paulo’s street bookstores have come together to create a map that encourages readers to visit these local spaces and rediscover the pleasure of browsing in person. The Map of Independent Bookstores features the addresses, descriptions, and illustrated storefronts of each participating store. A print run of 40,000 copies will be distributed for free starting November 24. You can find the digital version here.
According to Beto Ribeiro, owner of Livraria Simples, the idea emerged as a creative way to face the challenges of November — a particularly tough month for independent bookstores in Brazil, marked by major online marketplace promotions and São Paulo’s Festa do Livro da USP, a fair famous for its 50-percent discounts that small stores simply can’t match. What began two years ago as a simple bookmark has now evolved into the Map of São Paulo’s Bookstores.
“The main goal is to show how important it is to have this final link in the book ecosystem — bookstores — strong and well-structured. When bookstores thrive, we all benefit,” says João Varella, publisher at Lote42 and co-owner of Livraria Banca Tatuí.
Varella credits the idea’s inspiration to his wife and business partner, Cecilia Arbolave, who came across a similar publishing map in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. São Paulo’s bookstores embraced the concept quickly and brought it to life in record time.
To make the project possible, the 37 stores joined forces to hire illustrator Isadora Ferraz and visual artist MZK for the map’s artwork and design. Several publishers, market players, and a printing company also joined as partners to help fund production.
“I see a lot of potential for bookstores to collaborate more with one another,” says Varella. “Together, for example, we’ve managed to supply a school fair — there are many ways we can work collectively. So many opportunities open up when we’re organized and connected.”
The response has been enthusiastic — even before the maps reached the bookstores. “What we’re seeing is a genuine wave of energy and renewal,” Varella adds. “Many of these bookstores are only a few months old, and several others opened after the pandemic. The map shows a strong concentration of bookstores in the city center, which might inspire others to open shops in different areas. Maybe one day we’ll even have a national edition. Ultimately, I hope this helps strengthen Brazilian culture as a whole.”
For more Publishing Perspectives stories on the Brazilian book market, click here.