There’s a new literary space for our guide to bookshops in Lisbon. It’s called Gondwana and it mainly presents literary works from the Southern Hemisphere, which, according to it, is the new center of world literature.
It opened its doors on November 5 (2025) and is not just a new bookshop; it presents itself as a geographical and cultural manifesto that promises to redefine the perspectives of Lisbon readers.
The new epicenter of global narratives
Inspired by the former super-continent Gondwanaland, which united Africa, South America, Australia and Antarctica, this bookstore intentionally positions the South as the center of its stories, voices and cultures which, although many believe to be very rich and essential, the truth is that they have been relegated to the “periphery” of Western literary habits.
For David Gough, co-responsible for this project,
We want to look at the world in a different way, to give a voice to authors and cultures that have historically been peripheral and that today have a lot to teach us about identity, belonging and the future.”
Alternative points of view, in a refuge for all
The literary curatorship you’ll find at Gondwana highlights authors who offer other points of view, thus promoting a more comprehensive and transcontinental literary dialogue, assuming a commitment to linguistic diversity, making their books available in their original languages, but also in the Portuguese version.
One of the highlights of this bookshop goes far beyond being just a point of sale: inside you’ll find a little “refuge”, a corner where you can “disconnect” from the world (in the true sense of the word).
In this more intimate and comfortable space, there is no access to Wi-Fi networks and the use of digital electronic equipment is discouraged. The idea is that you connect deeply and uninterruptedly with the books, in what was once a genuine human interaction.
To complete this more introspective experience, Livraria Gondwana also has a small café and wine bar, which can promote the conversation and reflection that this type of “new” reading can inspire.
Address: Avenida Óscar Monteiro Torres 40A (Campo Pequeno area)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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