By Simone Girner
Books & Books founder, and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair, Mitchell Kaplan.
Founded in 1982, Books & Books is a success story of what happens when passion, vision and some good old-fashioned belief in the power of books (and readers) collide. The independent bookshops that debuted in a tiny storefront has grown into a collection of five boutiques in South Florida, including a beautiful space at Bal Harbour Shops.
Founder Mitchell Kaplan himself, meanwhile, has become one of the independent book scene’s most respected voices (he served as the president of American Booksellers Association for several years). He’s also the co-founder of the Miami Book Fair, the largest in the country, which returns to Downtown Miami from November 15-22.
What are the top things you personally look for when you walk into an indie bookshop?
Like a great book, a great bookstore has a distinctive voice. Its ambiance, selection and service convey something intangible. This can vary from store to store, but as you enter, you know these qualities are working in tandem to create a harmonious browsing experience. I love stores that are opulent and those that are humble, but the ones I love most are the ones I can get lost in for hours at a time.
What are some stores that rank among longtime personal favorites?
Central to so many of the literary movements I studied as an English major in college was an independent bookstore. Shakespeare & Company in Paris became the meeting place for writers of the Lost Generation in the 1920s. James Joyce’s Ulysses was published here. New York City is home to many iconic stores. The Gotham Book Mart, now gone, fought the good fight against censorship in the 1930s, bringing in avant-garde small magazines from around the world, and championing writers like D.H. Lawrence and Henry Miller. In the 1950s, the center of the Beat movement was City Lights in San Francisco. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, its founder, published Allen Ginsberg’s Howl. It thrives today with its vast collection of poetry, fiction, literary essays, and memoir.
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Alt Text: Interior of Books & Books at Bal Harbour Shops
Caption: Inside Books & Books Bal Harbour Shops
What do you hope a shopper feels when they enter Books & Books?
I want a book lover who visits one of our stores to feel a sense of discovery. I want them to be surprised and comfortable enough to interact with our booksellers and to find the perfect book.
How important is community?
It’s in the Books & Books DNA. For nearly 45 years, our mission has been to offer books and authors that reflect what makes Miami so special: its diversity. We want to bring everyone together under our literary tent. Our stores host over 500 events per year, and our newly formed Books & Books Literary Foundation brings our special sauce to those who find it difficult to access books. Last year, we donated over 35,000 books to kids throughout our community. And, of course, we’re proud of the role we play in the founding and ongoing support of the Miami Book Fair, which no book lover should miss.
What books are currently on your reading list/night table?
Books that will be published during the fall. I’m working my way through the galleys of Ayad Akhtar’s The Radiance, Hernan Diaz’s Ply, Edwidge Danticat’s Dey, Min Jin Lee’s American Hagwon, and Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark’s American Scoundrel. There are so many good books, and that’s fortunate, because, in the words of Borges, I cannot sleep unless I’m surrounded by books.
