BRIDGE BOOKS

8 Commissioner St, Marshalltown, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa

In 2016, journalist-turned-bookseller Griffin Shea opened Bridge Books, a store specializing in African literature, in the heart of Johannesburg. Customers can browse three floors of handpicked new and secondhand books, and in the children’s section younger readers can find stories in all of South Africa’s 11 languages. Be sure to make a reservation for the store’s guided walking tours of underground booksellers, which gives participants a look at the area’s literary legacy and impressive number of booksellers. Aspiring authors can check out the store’s writing and publishing workshops in the hope of one day seeing their work on Bridge Books’ shelves.

Stepping inside is like entering a cabinet of curiosities filled with treasures to discover.