The zero-waste design bookstore in Dubai. A bookstore for pre-loved books is inspiring sustainable creativity and reading together

Dubai: If you are a book lover, who also cares about the environment, and is looking to spend time with a cozy bookstore that speaks the story of sustainability, then a visit to Bookends, a pre-loved bookstore in Dubai, should be on your list. The zero waste design, in simple words, works on the principles of ‘nothing is a waste’. No wonder, the design philosophy at Bookends is that no page, no story can ever go to waste. Walk in and you will come across a wall that is plastered with discarded sheets of paper from tattered books, and right below the wall, the counter is artistically made using the discarded book covers, the half-torn and threadbare books, and more. Wondering what makes for ‘chandeliers’ here? The battered books have been turned into paper fans as they hang pretty here. And yes, you will spot some pallets turned into shelves here. 

Local author Purva Grover said about Bookends, “You don’t have to be an activist or environmentalist to save the planet, a storyteller would work just fine.”

“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. 

Location: BOOKENDS, Dubai Digital Park, Building A3, Silicon Oasis. Dubai

Timings: 10 am to 10 pm, seven days a week

Know more about Bookends

Bookends emerged from the creative minds of Grace Karim and Somia Anwar — two dedicated mums on a mission to satiate their children’s boundless thirst for reading. They found books expensive and limited in their native language in the UAE. This sparked the idea for Bookends – the largest marketplace for preloved books, founded in 2020. After three successful years as an online store, Bookends officially opened its first physical location in Dubai Silicon Oasis in July 2023.