If you’re walking the streets of West Philadelphia, you may notice Making Worlds Bookstore and Social Center, known for much more than just being a place to purchase books, writes Emily Kovach for Grid Magazine.
When its co-founder Malav Kanuga first identified the space, it was a storage facility for his independent publishing house, Common Notions.
“The original plan was to have storage in the back, and use the space in the front for public programming, film screenings and political education,” Kanuga reflected. “But it quickly got more ambitious — because we were already involved in social justice-oriented publishing, we decided to also use this space to feature other publishers we align with and respect.”
The fact that this area of West Philly didn’t have another bookstore nearby and the area has a long culture of activism made it an organic fit.
“We wanted to learn from these histories, amplify them and give space for communities to come together and do some deep thinking about the problems on the city, national and international levels,” Kanuga added.
Opening its doors just before the pandemic, it was forced to shut down.
Since opening, the shop has hosted a variety of writer’s groups, book launches, fundraisers, and documentary screenings.
Read more about Making Worlds Cooperative Bookstore and Social Center at Grid Magazine.
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