As a former student of English Literature, my appetite for books verges on voracious. From the confusing absurdism of Samuel Beckett to the meandering imagery of Gabriel Garcia Marquez to the gritty realism of Raymond Carver, I often like to enjoy a good wander through the corners of some of our great writer’s minds. Unfortunately one casualty of moving to a different country is your monstrous collection of books you can accumulate back home. So what do you do when the bulk of bookshops in Latin America are, somewhat understandably, full of Spanish-language books?
Well, in Bogotá you have a great option: Authors. Authors is a bookshop specialising in English-language titles. Carrying all the bestsellers, there’s also a great selection of classic literature, Business and Finance, Architecture, Colombia and much more. For locals, the children’s book selection is an unrivalled source of educational resources for the little niños.
Author’s has a warm, welcoming fireplace for you to sit at and enjoy your book as well as a cafe on the premises serving a wealth of delicious coffees and snacks. Staff speak English and are able to order in any books that are unavailable in the store itself.
For second hand reading, a great option is to head down to Cll 45 from Kra. 15 to Kra. 25, but if it’s pristine books from a bookshop with a classic atmosphere you’re after, then there’s no beating Author’s. You’ll find Author’s at this address: Calle 70 # 5-23 and you can peruse their book collection online here: http://authors.com.co/.
Paul
