Faber to open Sally Rooney pop-up in Shoreditch

Faber is opening a pop-up shop in Shoreditch to celebrate the publication of Sally Rooney’s latest novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, while Waterstones Piccadilly will host an event with the author the night before her book's release.

Located at 17 Great Eastern Street, a gallery space organised by the publisher's campaigns team in collaboration with Waterstones, the east London pop-up will sell copies of the novel as well as Rooney’s previous works, plus a selection of the author's recommended reads. 

The pop-up will run from 10th September to 12th September and is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to bookselling, the space will host workshops, book clubs and daily giveaways, including a calligraphy and candle-making class. 

Niriksha Bharadia, marketing manager at Faber, said: "There has been huge anticipation for Beautiful World, Where Are You so we're excited to bring fans a unique experience with this pop-up. We're delighted to be partnering with Waterstones, local independent businesses and creators to celebrate this incredible novel and we look forward to welcoming readers on the 10th."

As part of the campaign, Waterstones Piccadilly will be hosting an exclusive signing on the evening before publication, where ticket-holders will hear Rooney read an excerpt from the novel. Many branches of the chain will be resurrecting their in-person book groups, relaunching with Beautiful World, Where Are You.

Commenting on the Shoreditch pop-up, Sandra Taylor, head of communications at Waterstones, said: "Partnering with Faber to bring a Sally Rooney-inspired pop-up bookshop to life is a real treat. With her writing being so beloved by booksellers and customers alike, we’re excited to help create a fun and inspiring bookshop space to showcase Sally’s own books as well as her brilliant reading recommendations."

Pre-orders for the novel ensured it hit the top spot on Bookshop.org’s August Indie Champions List, the chart which displays the books that have generated the most money for independent bookshops on the platform each month. Faber previously announced 50 bookshops, including Waterstones branches and a host of indies, will open early on 7th September to mark publication day.