Meet Julia and Ioana, the founders behind The Story Society, a new English-language bookstore and community project in Prague.
Their idea combines a selection of books with a space for reading, book clubs, events and meeting other people.
The project is still in development, with the founders currently looking for a location and working towards opening the bookstore in early 2027.
Why a bookstore?
For Julia, the idea started from a personal need. “I wanted to create a place where introverted people like myself could spend time comfortably, discover books at their own pace and potentially meet others with similar interests,” she says.
But there was also a practical reason behind the idea. According to the founders, finding a wider selection of English-language books in Prague can be difficult, particularly when it comes to special editions. Ordering books from abroad can also mean higher shipping costs, taxes and waiting several weeks for delivery.
“I wanted to solve two problems. One is community, and the other one is buying books in English here,” Julia says.
The Story Society plans to source books from the UK and offer a selection that the founders feel is currently difficult to find locally.
What they hope The Story Society to be
The Story Society is intended to be more than a place to buy books, although the physical bookstore remains an important part of the idea. Julia and Ioana imagine a colorful, cozy space with areas for reading, book clubs and other events.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by The Story Society (@thestorysociety.prague)
They are also considering collaborations with authors and artists, pop-ups and other activities connected to books and the community around them. “We want to make a third place in Prague,” Ioana says.
The idea is that people could come not only to buy a book, but also to stay for a while, read, meet friends or take part in an event.
The expat/local divide
The Story Society was initially imagined largely with Prague’s expat community in mind. But “when the project took shape, we got a huge response from locals, and we learned that they are also interested in it,” Julia says. The attraction is the chance to have an English-language space where they can read books, meet people and be part of a bookish community.
That response has broadened the founders’ idea of who The Story Society is for. Rather than separating Prague’s expat and local communities, they hope the project can help mend the gap between them.
“If you like English, if you can speak English, and if you like books, we don’t care where you’re from,” Julia says. “Just be there and enjoy it with us.”
Where the project stands now
The Story Society doesn’t have a physical location yet. Julia and Ioana are currently exploring the market and looking for a suitable space in Prague’s city centre, while also working on the book supply and other practical foundations of the project.
In the meantime, they plan to take The Story Society to pop-ups and other events. These will give them an opportunity to introduce the project to more people, build a community around it and raise visibility for their crowdfunding campaign.
Everyone can help
For now, support can take different forms. Sharing the crowdfunding campaign, introducing the project to someone who might be interested or simply helping spread the word can help The Story Society reach more people as Julia and Ioana work towards opening their first space.
They also want people to feel that contributing does not necessarily mean making a financial donation. Ideas, feedback and suggestions can help shape the project as it develops. As the founders put it, “any thought counts.”
Promote your business to thousands of expats in Prague Find out how.
The post The Story Society Is Bringing an English-Language Book Community to Prague appeared first on Prague Morning.