F. Sionil José's Solidaridad Bookshop put up for sale after 59 years
Solidaridad Bookshop in Ermita, Manila, founded and long owned by the late National Artist for Literature F. Sionil José, is officially for sale.
Antonio "Tonet" José, the eldest child of the famed writer, confirmed the decision to The Varsitarian, the student publication of the University of Santo Tomas.
"After me, none of my siblings will be able to manage it. We are all getting old," he said. Tonet currently oversees the shop's administrative affairs.
"My siblings are all abroad, [and] it was only I who came back to take care of our parents and manage the bookshop. If I were a lot younger, I would not sell [it] at all," he continued.
The 59-year-old bookshop is still open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Best little bookstore in Asia
Sollidaridad, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary on July 20, is deemed Ermita's "biggest little bookshop."
Located on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila, the bookshop showcases the works of F. Sionil as well as other renowned Filipino authors, including Jose Rizal, Nick Joaquin, Paz Marquez Benitez, N.V.M. Gonzalez, Gilda Cordero-Fernando, Bienvenido Santos, and Lualhati Bautista, among others.
It has also served as the headquarters of the Philippine Chapter of Poets & Playwrights, Essayists, and Novelists International, established by F. Sionil in 1957.
F. Sionil passed away at the age of 97 in January 2022. He was named National Artist for Literature in 2001 and is best known for his Rosales saga, which deals with social struggles in the country.
Among his other notable novels are Ermita, Viajero, Gagamba, and short stories, including The God Stealer, Waywaya, and Puppy Love and Thirteen Short Stories.
