Bookends, a preloved bookstore in Dubai, was founded back in 2020 and is the brainchild of Grace Karim and Somia Anwar.
Initially an online store and the largest marketplace for preloved books, its first physical location opened in July 2023.
Now, located at Dubai Digital Park, Building A3, Silicon Oasis, the bookstore has a zero-waste design.
“The zero waste design, in simple words, works on the principles of ‘nothing is a waste,” it was shared, and subsequently, the bookstore features discarded sheets of paper from tattered books on the walls and utilises pallets for shelves.
“On a few occasions, we came across books that weren’t in a condition to be sold or added to the shelves, and that’s where stemmed the idea of adorning the store with the bits and pieces of the ripped, in shreds books,” said Somia Anwar and Grace Karim, owners, Bookends.
Alongside distributing preloved books, the bookstore has also hosted various events, including author sessions, and book carnivals.
Local author Purva Grover, and Brand Ambassador for Bookends, said: “You don’t have to be an activist or environmentalist to save the planet, a storyteller would work just fine.”