Paulo Rui Anciaes explores Tirana, Albania’s best bookshops. If there’s a bookshop that you think other students and academics should visit when they’re undertaking research or visiting a city for a conference, find more information about contributing after this article

Anciaes, Paulo Rui

LSE Research Online

17/04/2015The best bookshops in Tirana, Albaniablogs.lse.ac.uk /lsereviewofbooks/2015/04/17/the-best-bookshops-in-tirana-albania/Paulo Rui Anciaes  explores Tirana, Albania’s best bookshops. If there’s a bookshop that you think otherstudents and academics should visit when they’re undertaking research or visiting a city for a conference, find moreinformation about contributing after this article.Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. Photo Credit: Lassi Kurkijärvi. CC-BY-NC.After forty-five years of isolation and a turbulent period of political and economic transition, Albania is finallyemerging onto the European stage. The capital Tirana has been revamped and is almost unrecognisable to thosewhose last visit was during Albania’s more troubled periods. New public spaces have popped up, streets have beenrepaved, and building facades have been renovated across the city. Tirana is at the foot of Dajti Mountain, which canbe accessed by a cable car from the western suburbs, and historical sites such as the old city of Krujë are just a fewkilometres away. But most of all, Tirana is a city conducive to relaxation. It is awash with cafés to while away yourtime and in the early evening and you can join locals on a xhiro (an untranslatable word pronounced “jeero” which isthe act of walking around town at the end of the day in the company of others).1/3Libraria Adrion in Tirana. Photo Credit: Paulo Rui Anciaes.Libraria Adrion is the main bookshop in Tirana for books in English. It is hard to miss as it is located in SkanderbegSquare, the heart of Tirana, next to the Opera. Even if you miss it, Adrion has another two branches at the airport,where you can spend your last lek. The branch in the city centre also stocks a large section of books ofAlbanian fiction and non-fiction, including the complete works of world-famous Ismael Kadare. Even moreinterestingly, Adrion stocks Albanian books in several languages other than English. If you’re staying a long period inTirana and you’re simply unable to live without obscurities like Japanese manga in Spanish translation, then Adrionis the place for you. But do not overindulge. Adrion is well-stocked but is not particularly cheap. English translationsof Ismael Kadare cost up to 50% more than they do in other countries.Another place to not to miss is Friend’s Book House. It is located in Rruga Sami Frashëri, not far from the Pyramid,a huge, ugly, soon-to-be-demolished building just south of the city centre. The selection of English books in theFriend’s Book House is modest but it is definitely worth a visit for the atmosphere. The basement of Friend’s BookHouse has a library-like atmosphere and is usually full of people enjoying a quiet read or finishing their exam paperson their laptop.2/3Friend’s Book House in Tirana. Photo Credit: Paulo Rui Anciaes.A number of other cafés doubling-up as bookshops have opened in Tirana during the last few years. It is easy tocombine a visit to several of them in an afternoon, including Libraria Tirana Times in Rruga Andon Zako Çajupi andE7E Tirana in Rruga Jul Variboba (on the opposite side of the Pyramid building). In all of them you will find goodbooks, good coffee, and opportunities to socialise at one of their many regular literary events.Paulo Rui Anciaes  is a researcher at the Centre for Transport Studies, University College London. He completedhis PhD. at the Department of Geography and Environment of the London School of Economics. Paulo blogs aboutCommunity severance and Alternative Environmentalism and contributes to the UCL Street Mobility project blog.Read reviews by Paulo here.Do you have a favourite bookshop? If there’s a bookshop that you think other students and academicsshould visit when they’re undertaking research or visiting a city for a conference, then now’s your chanceto tell us all about it.As part of a new feature on LSE Review of Books, we’re asking academics and students to recommend theirfavourite two or three bookshops in a particular city, with the aim of building an exciting online series for our book-loving community of readers the world over.Bookshops could be academic, alternative, foreign language, hobby-based, secret or underground institutions,second hand outlets, or connected to a university. We’d like to cover all world regions too.If something comes to mind, we’re looking for around 150 words per bookshop, detailing why this place is a must-see. Our editorial team can then find suitable photos and links to accompany the piece, though you’re welcome tosupply these too. We only ask that you focus on just one city or region, and two or three bookshops within it.Email us now if you’d like to contribute: lsereviewofbooks@lse.ac.ukCopyright 2013 LSE Review of Books3/3

The best bookshops in Tirana, Albania

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