Neighborhood bookstores broke protocol and opened at night in SP. I experienced this at Selecta and at Espaço Sophia, and I share the details here
Submitted at Apr 24, 2026, 4:00 PM
(Divulgação/CASACOR)
Yesterday, the world celebrated World Book Day, a date established by UNESCO to honor the transformative power of reading. For me, the celebration was worthy of coverage, and that is why I am here writing to you. For the first time, Brazil hosted Night of the Bookstores, a movement inspired by cities like Barcelona and Buenos Aires, where these temples of paper remain open under the moonlight, turning the act of reading into a collective and memorable event.
As a proud local and passionate about my East Side of São Paulo, I decided to experience this at two addresses that are also my favorite places in the capital: Livraria Selecta, in Mooca, and Espaço Sophia, in Jardim Anália Franco.
(Divulgação /CASACOR)
I write this account in the first person because it is impossible not to speak with emotion about this gathering. We are living a moment that fills readers like me with hope: seeing two neighborhood bookstores packed.
The publishing market has started to grow again. According to the Câmara Brasileira do Livro (CBL), the sector recorded more than 54,000 companies and establishments active at all stages of the chain this year, a 13% jump in 2025 compared to the previous year, which had already shown signs of picking up.
What a joy to see these spaces stealing the scene on São Paulo’s night, precisely on a Thursday, a traditional happy hours day, to share something much deeper: a passion for books.
Below, I detail a bit more about the experiences:
My first stop was at Selecta Livros. The facade, adorned with strings of yellow lights, already indicated that the night would be special. There, the sidewalk was occupied by tables, chairs, and a feeling of neighborliness that we rarely find in the frenetic metropolis.
(Divulgação /CASACOR)
The event was an ode to local commerce and talent. Selecta not only opened its doors, but brought to center stage authors from Mooca itself, such as Simone Genari, Paulo Gaion, Heloisa Karin, and Gerson Nascimento. Food was also provided by local merchants, reinforcing the neighborhood’s circular economy.
Deia Faria, proprietária da Livraria Selecta, localizada no bairro da Mooca, Zona Leste de São Paulo. (Divulgação/CASACOR)
"The idea is to reframe this relationship: people come in without rushing, sit to read, chat, participate; the bookstore becomes a destination to be in, not just a place to pass through," says Deia Farias, owner of Selecta.
Ellen Mendonça @ellzoca (voz) e Natalia Zanardo @natzanardo (violão) fizeram show ao vivo com músicas que vem dos livros. (Divulgação/CASACOR)
The lineup featured songs born from books, creative workshops, plenty of good conversation, and even a blind book purchase (I managed to get mine and fall in love with the story before seeing the cover).
Hora da Poesia e Biblioterapia com Paró Ferreira. (Divulgação/CASACOR)
"A physical bookstore today is one of the few places where people still meet in person over something in common: the love of books. That night, we saw readers talking to each other, exchanging recommendations, taking part in the activities together," Deia concludes.
Service – Livraria Selecta
Address: Rua do Oratório, 838 – Mooca, São Paulo - SP.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
I headed to Jardim Anália Franco, where Espaço Sophia was preparing a "nighttime adventure." The setting was playful: dimmed lights, cushions scattered across the floor, and the sound of children’s laughter. More than 100 people, between adults and children (many in pajamas!), filled the bookstore for a night of storytelling with storyteller Paula Dugaich.
Festa do Pijama com contação de histórias no Espaço Sophia. (Divulgação /CASACOR)
It was moving to see the little ones experience books in such a tactile and affectionate way. Thais Pimentel, the space’s owner, highlighted the importance of this break from the digital world:
"Visiting a bookstore at an unlikely hour, wearing an outfit you generally can’t wear outside the house (as a rule), is surely a lasting memory for life. All the children who passed through Espaço Sophia on the Night of the Bookstores will never forget this magical experience of living the unlikely".
Address: Rua Padre Landell de Moura, 159 – Jardim Anália Franco, São Paulo - SP.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The immersion of this night confirmed a belief we strongly defend here at CASACOR: space directly influences behavior. When a street bookstore opens its doors at night, it invites the city inside and spills culture onto the sidewalk.
These places have ceased to be just points of sale to become tourist itineraries of unique experiences. And as long as neighborhood bookstores are pulsing, the book will remain our greatest tool for human connection.
