1. Mondadori
2. Feltrinelli
3. The bookstalls on Via Po
4. Libreria Dora Grossa
5. Libreria Luxemburg
And as a bonus, here's a sixth book-related place I love in Torino: Biblioteca Civica Centrale
Last week I wrote about how I’ve been looking forward to reading In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri. This week, the task was to find a copy. The book has only just been released in the UK and US, so the whole process turned into a bit of an adventure, and along the way I got the chance to explore a few of Turin's bookshops. Here are five of them (and one library!). 1. Mondadori I started with the biggest bookshop! Chain bookstores here in Italy are different to those in the UK and USA, because they mostly belong to publishing groups rather than being independent companies. This one near where I live, Mondadori Megastore, is no exception: Mondadori is one of Italy’s biggest publishers (and the company who published my young adult books in Italian many years ago!). It’s a good place to visit if you are looking for Italian-language books, especially modern best-sellers, textbooks or language-learning books, or if you want to buy book-related items like notebooks, pens, greeting cards and e-readers (this particular shop also sells computers, phones, toys, gifts, and – in the basement – an unexpected collection of cooking equipment!). But no copy of In Other Words… 2. Feltrinelli This is another chain shop belonging to an Italian publisher, this one hidden away under the arches in the main square, Piazza Castello. They don’t have many English-language books, but they do have a big range of fiction and non-fiction books in Italian – when I came here looking for a local recipe book a few weeks ago, the assistant found four or five for me to choose from! 3. The bookstalls on Via Po Via Po is one of the most popular places to buy books in Turin; here, you can find all kinds of bookstalls, under the porticoes of one of the oldest streets in the city. This is a great place to find books of all kinds, and even though I knew they wouldn't have a copy of In Other Words (all the books here are second hand), I couldn't resist making a detour past the bookstalls anyway. 4. Libreria Dora Grossa I like this bookshop partly because it’s one of the first places I ever visited in Turin, on the first day I arrived, when I was looking for a city guidebook and map. It’s a very friendly, old-fashioned shop, specialising in local books and local history. But they don't sell English books, so for today I went on past. 5. Libreria Luxemburg I saved this bookshop until last because it's probably my favourite of all. Libreria Luxemburg is Turin’s oldest bookshop, established in 1872, famous for its collection of international books - and sure enough, they had a copy of In Other Words. The assistants here are always great to talk to. While I was paying for the book, they discussed Jhumpa Lahiri with me, gave me a few other recommendations, and – when they found out that I was a writer – preordered The House at the Edge of Night. Independent bookshops like these are real jewels for readers and writers, and Libreria Luxemburg is one of the best. And as a bonus, here's a sixth book-related place I love in Torino: Biblioteca Civica Centrale This is Turin's public library. As a writer, I borrow most of the books I read, and when I moved to Turin I wasn't sure how I would find the English-language books I was used to borrowing from my local library in the UK. But I couldn’t believe how many books, in all languages, the Turin public library system has in its stores. Writers rely on libraries even more than bookshops, and I'm lucky to have this one nearby. I visit it most weeks to check out several books. I’d already found a copy of In Other Words, but the staff here are happy to order books, so I expect they’ll have a copy here too before long. For now, I borrowed a few other books and set off for home to start reading In Other Words. Those are just a few of my favourite places to find books here in Torino. As a city, Turin is most famous for its factories and industrial past, but with so many bookshops, bookstalls and libraries everywhere (and one of Italy's most famous publishing houses, Einaudi), it's definitely also a city of readers...
19 Comments
Matthew Simmons
29/6/2016 10:18:30 am
This was awesome. Thanks. First time in Turin and in need of some second-hand books so Via Roma it is!
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29/6/2016 11:51:51 am
Thanks, Matthew - glad to hear you liked the article. I've found Turin to be a great place for book shopping, so I hope you discover some hidden treasures.
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Luis Venitucci
26/1/2017 02:41:11 am
It seems that there was a bookstore called The British Bookshop just off Piazza Castello. Is it still there? I went a few times in the 70s as a kid.
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1/2/2017 02:52:55 pm
Hi Luis! That bookstore is still there. It's been turned into Libreria Luxemburg but if you go upstairs you will find all the international books, including English, still there with the original sign. Hope you manage to visit again :).
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Luis
1/2/2017 11:52:28 pm
Thanks for the info. Looking at the map for the Luxembourg bookstore, it did seem that it was the same one, but I know how memory can be..:-) I will return- My Grandparents lived in Chieri for many years before moving to Torino and living near Regina Margherita.. I played baseball in Torino in 1979 and 1982 in the park on Paso Buole...
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Hadi
29/6/2018 07:09:11 pm
Hi, thanks for the tips.
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Luis Venitucci
29/6/2018 09:39:40 pm
Try the Libreria Luxemburg..they might know..
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Hadi
1/7/2018 01:42:12 pm
thanks for the response. 12/7/2018 11:16:21 am
Hi Hadi, I would agree with Luis's suggestion - a shop like Libreria Luxemburg will definitely be able to point you in the right direction. There are some shops near the university area which resell used textbooks, and also some stalls around the Via Po area, so otherwise I would try there. Good luck!
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Ansumana
23/7/2019 10:06:55 pm
Hi ,I am Ansumana. Thanks for your insights in regards to the available books stores in Turin.I found it very fascinating because i knew only one bookstore called libripoli which is located near palazzo nuovo where i do buy my economics text books.Today i went there to buy one English textbook similar to the one i bought last year when i was studying business communication,they said is not available.I would like to try libreria luxemburg,i hope they will have it.
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27/5/2022 03:46:10 pm
Hi Ansumana! Sorry for the very late response - I somehow missed your message - but I hope you managed to find the books you were looking for.
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Emre Kaan Esen
6/10/2021 08:33:00 pm
Today, I went for a walk in the city center hoping I could find a store with English books, it was a dissapointment until I come across Libreria Luxemburg! That place is so great! At the upstairs, they have a collection of English books. I will definitely visit Biblioteca Civica Centrale as soon as I can find some time! Thanks for the recommendations!
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Hossein Moghadami
24/6/2022 05:18:59 pm
Hello there!
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Andjelko Basic
11/7/2022 10:49:46 am
Hello,
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21/12/2023 09:56:13 am
Author information:
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Patricia White
27/1/2024 05:25:27 pm
I was very interested in your information on bookshops in Turin.
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8/2/2024 11:46:04 am
Dear Patricia,
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Patricia White
8/2/2024 01:09:45 pm
Thank you very much for your reply, Catherine. I look forward to finding "Favole al Telefono" and, while I am looking for that, having a good browse around some of the bookshops you have mentioned in your early piece. Leave a Reply. |
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