Los Angeles readers got a new kind of neighborhood book stop when Watermelon Books opened Saturday inside Holy Ground, a community space in South L.A. Organizers billed it as America’s first Palestinian bookstore, a pop-up that mixes shelves of titles with live readings and music. They framed the project as part retail shop, part cultural program, with purchases and on-site donations helping expand the collection and pay performers, and with opening weekend proceeds pledged to a Gaza soup kitchen.
Where It Opened
Watermelon Books is set up inside Holy Ground, a multi-use storefront at 4874 W. Adams Boulevard in South Los Angeles. The venue’s events page lists the launch and shows that Holy Ground will host the bookstore as part of its combined market-and-programs space, with regular shop hours posted online, according to Holy Ground.
Programming And Fundraising
In a statement, Holy Ground described Watermelon Books as “a cultural act of resistance,” a language highlighted in coverage by the New York Post. The outlet also reported that organizers planned to direct the bookstore’s opening weekend proceeds to a soup kitchen in Gaza and that ongoing purchases and on-site donations would be used to bring in more books and to compensate performers.
Roots And Reach
Watermelon Books already runs a sister outpost in Amman, Jordan, and the organizers turned to crowdfunding in order to extend the project to Los Angeles, according to the New York Post. The launch fundraising page cast the shop as “not only about books,” describing the Adams Boulevard storefront as a cultural and community effort as much as a retail venture.
Events And Community
Programming is already lining up. Novelist Nancy Kricorian lists a joint reading with Randa Jarrar at Watermelon Books on Friday, Feb. 27, on her events page. Organizers say the pop-up will be animated by readings, film screenings and panel discussions designed to center Palestinian voices while giving neighbors a place to gather, talk and linger among the stacks.
Why It Matters
Independent bookstores tend to double as cultural living rooms, and Watermelon Books gives Los Angeles a specific address for Palestinian literature and conversation that organizers say has long been sidelined in mainstream U.S. book spaces. For local readers and writers, the pop-up braids commerce with community programming in a way its backers hope can grow into longer-term projects, all starting from a relatively small corner of West Adams.
How To Visit
Watermelon Books operates at Holy Ground, 4874 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016. Holy Ground lists shop hours as Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., according to Holy Ground. Visitors are encouraged to check organizers’ online pages and event listings for schedule updates and any ticketed programs.
