News
Amapolas en Octubre closes and Chueca loses another refuge for readers
Amapolas en Octubre will close its doors on 26 July after almost eight years at 60 Pelayo Street. The bookshop, closely tied to the cultural life of Chueca, says goodbye with a clearance sale of books and objects from the premises, leaving the neighbourhood without another of those spaces where people can read, talk and stay a little longer than planned.
The news was communicated by Laura Riñón through social media and came as a blow to many regulars. It was not merely a bookshop with an editorial catalogue: it also served as a meeting point for neighbours, readers and people looking for a quiet place in the heart of Madrid.
Until it closes, the premises will put a large part of its books on sale, as well as decorative elements, including pictures and objects that have formed part of the space's identity. Some personal mementos, such as the owner's typewriter, will be excluded from the clearance sale.
The ground floor will also host a special market during these final weeks. It will be a way of saying goodbye for those who want to take away a book, a piece of the premises or simply visit one last time a place that has accompanied the cultural routine of the neighbourhood for years.
The closure comes at a delicate time for Madrid's independent bookshops. In recent times, other highly recognisable places have also closed their doors, such as Cafebrería ad Hoc and Tipos Infames, names that formed part of the city's reading map.
With Amapolas en Octubre, Chueca loses something more than a business. In a neighbourhood increasingly pressured by the cost of premises, tourism and the transformation of the centre, this type of bookshop helps sustain a street life that is less hurried and more neighbourly.
The farewell leaves a bitter feeling: every cultural closure slightly reduces the opportunities to meet without rushing, shop locally and keep conversations that do not fit on a screen. Anyone wishing to say goodbye to Amapolas en Octubre still has until 26 July to visit Pelayo and take away a part of its history.