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Online seller BookFellas opens hole-in-the-wall retail store

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Johanna L. Añes- de la Cruz

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/09/07/book-1.jpg"/><figcaption>BookFellas is located in a former garage. Johanna L. Añes- de la Cruz</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Popular online bookstore BookFellas now has a physical store along Malingap Street, just a few minutes away from the hive of activity that is the Maginhawa strip.Literally a hole-in-the-wall, BookFellas was once a garage in the residence housing the popular hangout Tomato Kick, but has been transformed into what is now a bookworm’s mini-fantasy world. Books cram every nook and cranny, from floor to ceiling of this quaint bookstore. Speaking to ABS-CBN News, BookFellas owner Dan Gaffud recounted the nomadic beginnings of this beloved bookstore, which traces its roots to his love of reading and first foray into book selling in Ermita way back in 2007. “BookFellas started in Kamias in April 2015. From there, ilang buwan lang kami kasi hindi okay iyong location so lumipat kami sa Cubao Expo,” he recounted. But after only a few months, they decided to close shop and change location again because of differences with the owner of the space. “Lumipat kami sa Project 4 at doon tumagal iyong shop, although hindi pa din masyadong okay kasi hindi mataas ang traffic ng tao. Hanggang sa naging online na lang muna siya,” he said. <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/09/07/book2-(2).jpg"/><figcaption>BookFellas owner Dan Gaffud poses for a photo. Johanna L. Añes- de la Cruz</figcaption></figure></div>BookFellas remained a purely online business for two years and had a loyal following. But a fortuitous turn of events led Gaffud to the garage that BookFellas now calls home. “Mga two or three months ago, naghahanap ako ng space para sa isa pang gusto kong business na i-venture -- woodworks. My friends suggested this place,” he said. The owner did not warm up to the idea of having a woodworks shop beside a restobar. He suggested that Gaffud put up his bookshop there instead, an idea to which Gaffud immediately relented. The garage needed some sprucing up and after a few fixing here and there, last July 27, BookFellas finally has a new home. It is now a favorite among young professionals and students from nearby academic institutions who are on the prowl for cheap reads from a wide spectrum of genres. “Sa Bookay-Ukay (another bookstore along Maginhawa) kasi mas pili, mas nagca-cater siya sa mga into literature, academic stuff. BookFellas offers a broader range of books like Booksale, but cheaper,” Gaffud said, adding that some of his books are priced as low as P10, with the most expensive at about P800. BookFellas also buys and trades books. <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/09/07/3.jpeg"/><figcaption>Some of the titles you can find at BookFellas. Johanna L. Añes- de la Cruz</figcaption></figure></div>So what is on a bookseller’s must-read list? Gaffud enumerated these eight classics:Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) The Godfather (Mario Puzo) Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky) The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) Sophie’s World (Jostein Gaarder) Someone Like You (Roald Dahl) Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag (Edgardo M. Reyes)During our visit, we stumbled upon these great and cheap finds:Memories of my Melancholy Whores (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) - P120 The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) - P100 The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli) - P80 Sweet Valley High (Francine Pascal) - P40 The Giants of the Silver Tower (R.L. Stine) - P50BookFellas is located on 19 Malingap Street, Diliman, Quezon City. It is open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Mondays to Saturdays, and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays.

Popular online bookstore BookFellas now has a physical store along Malingap Street, just a few minutes away from the hive of activity that is the Maginhawa strip.

Popular online bookstore BookFellas now has a physical store along Malingap Street, just a few minutes away from the hive of activity that is the Maginhawa strip.