It was only Julius Knight’s second time at justBook-ish, but he looked right at home. He sat at the bar with coffee and a book, chatting with the staff while they prepared drinks and food.
“What brings me back is the family vibe, the people who work here and the frequent visitors. I think I found my village and I’m definitely happy that we have a place like this in our neighborhood,” said Knight, a Dorchester native.
justBook-ish is a literary gathering space and book store that opened in November in Fields Corner, Dorchester. It serves as a haven for a community that has lacked access to book collections and spaces where they can be enjoyed.
Franchie Viaud, manager of the shop and curator of the book selection, said this area of Boston is in many ways a “literary desert.” Knight shared the sentiment, noting the gap that this bookstore fills.
“I’m glad that this space is available to us and to the kids. I think it’s really great to bring books back into the neighborhood,” said Knight.
Founded by Porsha Olayiwola, the poet laureate for the City of Boston and Bing Broderick, former executive director of Haley House, much of the shop’s book selection is activism-oriented, written by and for marginalized communities.
“[Books] that are written by all kinds of people who traditionally aren’t given power or who haven’t had power traditionally,” said Viaud about her curation.
The store frequently holds events such as author readings, open mics, book discussions and film viewings. On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts’s 7th congressional district hosted a children’s book reading.
She read three books to a room full of parents, kids and justBook-ish regulars who were excited to share a conversation with her. The titles were “Ambitious Girl,” “The Story of Coretta Scott King” and “Mixed Me,” all on the theme of Black empowerment.
After the reading, Pressley stayed at the store for a while and spoke to customers, browsed books and sipped some coffee.
The shop has a marble counter serving warm beverages and pastries, inviting customers to grab a book, stick around and read.
“We try to prioritize that you don’t necessarily have to buy something when you come in here. A lot of students come in just to study … Maybe they just grab a cup of coffee and they read a book for hours here. I like that, I like that it’s a third space, a community centric kind of environment,” said Viaud.
