FEATURED INDIE: Mrs. Dalloway’s

Here at Atelier26, we love shining a light on America's best independent booksellers. Independents and their staff are in the business of knowing their neighborhoods, clientele, and clientele's particular tastes (a far cry from the M.O. of Amazon or the chains). Indies thereby do a profound service to their communities -- and, by ripple effect, to the larger culture in our country. It's no stretch to say that vitality of the indies means vitality for democratic culture itself, which begins in and consists of (what else?) neighborhoods! 

Our latest Featured Indie is Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley, California.

Lingering and literary consumption go hand in hand. The finest indie bookstores, whatever their size, are not for the rushed. They instill a stay-awhile disposition in the visitor the minute the store is entered, and they deepen and open out the longer one lingers inside. 

Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookstore draws the pedestrian past its elegant — and notably curated — window displays into a bright and expansive reader’s haven. The booklover’s eye travels over beautifully arranged tables and on beyond archways to the fully stocked shelves of successive rooms. The effect is like that of an English garden: a calming atmosphere, the promise of discoveries, and inducements to wander. 

Situated comfortably among organic eateries and upscale boutiques along College Avenue in Berkeley’s Elmwood District, Mrs. Dalloway’s has proudly served its community (and the larger Bay Area) since 2004. From its inception, the store’s distinctive, hand-chosen inventory has earned the admiration of devoted readers and brought surprised delight to many chance visitors. Mrs. Dalloway’s remarkably diverse fiction, non-fiction, poetry, garden books, and children’s literature sections are lovingly tended by knowledgeable staff for whom books are a passion and a joy meant for sharing abundantly.   

  

And for Mrs. Dalloway’s, this celebratory spirit concerning all things bookish extends beyond its inventory to a true involvement in the local community. Through school fundraisers, toddler storytimes, an annual pocket poem giveaway honoring National Poetry Month, and a dynamic lineup of author events — more than 150 per year — Mrs. Dalloway’s is a neighborhood and regional nexus. 

Wander in, recall what a neighborhood can be, and see what the best indie booksellers are all about.

Atelier26 is proud to report that Harriet Scott Chessman's The Beauty of Ordinary Things is now in stock at Mrs. Dalloway's.