I found it!
Well … not really. Although I drive past it everyday, I hardly noticed it until I was physically dragged there.
The Bookend is a quaint used book shed located in the compound of The Surgery on John Babiiha Avenue (former Acacia Avenue). Built like a tiny log cabin on stilts, The Bookend is an unassuming store filled with a great collection of books and the scent of used paper, words and love.
It reminds me of my high school teacher, Anne Culter, whose tiny house at the end of the Gayaza High School compound was my favorite place to be. It always smelled of fresh tomatoes, bread and warm dog and had shelve upon shelve books on travel, adventure, mystery and soul.
The Bookend has a small, but growing archive of used books that are available at only 6,000 shillings each. Since I ‘discovered’ it seven days ago, I have been to the book shed twice, picking up Salman Rushdie’s “Ground Beneath Her Feet”, Ian McEwan’s “Enduring Love”, “I, the Divine” by Rabih Alameddine and “Chang and Eng” by Darin Strauss.
The Bookend is not a book rental, but you can resell the books to it for 3,000 shillings. You will get the same amount of money for any other books you sell to Bookend. The owner of the book shed, who refers to herself as ‘a book lover and no one worth really knowing,’ says she’ll buy any books that are in fairly good condition, especially if they are novels or (auto)biographies.
I wasn’t put up to this. I swear on my pet donkey’s life. But in case you need a few more incentives, you can catch a cup of the frothiest cappuccino from the Tea Room while you are perusing through the books and check for your HIV status or do a pregnancy test at The Surgery while you are at it. It may be even be a good place for you to find books for the Africa Reading Challenge.
But don’t take my word for it, visit it yourself. Bookend is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm and on Saturday it is open from 10 am to 1 pm.
**********
Three More Things
One More: Liberation Lit is a blog of interesting writing and analysis by people you know. Doreen Baingana (who I soooooo want to be my friend) and Kalundi Serumaga are featured giving their take on Kenya’s post-election violence.
Another More: Libraries of Love, Books for Kids in Slums and Ekitabu Project are doing interesting things for literacy in Uganda. Visit them, will you?
And This Is Three: Thanks to Filoug for pointing me to World Mapper. The map below is of books borrowed from public libraries every year. It is a total indictment against literacy policies of African governments.
More rage and nnnggghhhhhh in J.R. Ikoja-Odongo’s paper on Public Library Politics available here and shock(!) horror(!) the National Library of Uganda has gone online.
Oh, and to answer your question Alphonse (please use the comments section next time) yes, I do have a job, I do spend too much time on other things apart from my job, I do have free internet access and I do consider myself an expert on everything under the sun. I am arrogant, I am a know-it-all and I am a Ugandan. 
that bookend looks so cute! i like that more book stores are popping up allover the town.
one of the hardest things to do is get me out of a booky kinda place once i enter. i rejoiced when Aristoc finally put some chairs in there.
If you weren’t my hero before, you definitely would be now. I so can’t wait to go there and I really hope you enjoy the Rushdie as much as I did.
interesting store.
@Darlkom: suck up :
@Tumwi: Do they have any Gary Larson Far Side thingies? or Garfield thingies? Yes, I like books with pretty pictures in them, what!
Thanks for being so reliable. I think I am going to become a cyberlesbian with you. You are too cool. The Uganda library web page is down. Oba why am I not surprised?
What! Was Alphonse dissing you?? Shhya! We can’t let that happen.
Ivan reminds me of my four year old daughter
And you Victoria remind me of this cyber fantasy i once had…
wow! this is very, very interesting indeed!
A better discovery than penicillin. I’m going there. And, Baz, I want that Salman. Now.
Tum, I am yet to start on the Kite Runner, because work has done what work does to people.
You realize she’s getting 100% profit! Better than 1/2 price book store that took all my text books and novels for $60! The total value of all books was over $1000 and they’ll probably get that and a little more.
me too. going there. it is 1000 shillings more expensive than that ka-place in the Ntinda Mall but i guess if i am going to find all you cool peoples there, then its worth it.
@Victoria, the Library page is back up. This is what they say their mission is:
“To collect, preserve and disseminate Uganda’s documented intellectual and cultural heritage, provide professional leadership in library and information delivery and promote a reading culture.”
Do I hear a collective gwaff?
@Ivan, I know a good therapist … Or I could be your therapist …
@27th, the Kite Runner never grows old. Don’t worry, when it happens, it will really happen. Big Sis just finished reading it and was so moved, she has had nightmares all week. So, um …
@imnxtac, munange when you have as few options as we have in Kampala, you celebrate any little blessing.
@The Phantom, someone just accused me of shop discrimination a few minutes ago. I guess I should go take pictures of Fareeds (that ka-place in the Ntinda Mall) or my current web crush will throw me out.
Happy reading, people.
This brought me to tears. There’s a used bookshop? In Kampala? And I lived down the street for a year and didn’t know about it?
P.S. How I wish I could have met you before I left Uganda.
@Rebecca: I think it is new.
I am from there. Right now. Just walked back. Rocketh. ‘Yond words.
that bookshop looks so good…. need to visit. do they have any bryce courtenay books?
I went, I saw I bought. i am not selling them back!!! And I will take you up on your offer. . .
If I wasn’t so broke right now, I would be there now, wasting office hours on ‘fieldwork’. First thing after pay day, ima be there.
@Rebekah, we actually met … well, sort of … at the first UBHH. I have one of those forgettable faces and personalities.
@Bookend, we didn’t speak about this, but perhaps I can collect my check for all the publicity?
I was looking for a link of an old post of yours to share with someone. What I discovered was I’d just saved your URL and not the URL of the particular post. So I’m here now. You really are one of the “indispesible ones.” Thank you.
i think the bookend is the coolest shop in the world!!!!!!!! the shop is so cute and definately worth a visit so go and have a look…….
Sybella,
Are you the wife of the poet? the friend of Alex and Francis from London?