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Strictly bipolar

Strictly bipolar

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Author: Darian Leader

Publisher: Penguin 2013

Condition: Very Good

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Strictly bipolar

The poetry, the place, and the people

Ed and Madeleine started Poortopia because the historical book trade in Oudemanhuispoort is struggling. Sales are declining, and upcoming renovations at The University of Amsterdam makes relying on chance encounters unsustainable. The future of the book trade in the Poort is at risk, and we need support!

Poortopia, the largest vendor at Oudemanhuispoort Bookmarket, now has an online presence. Following tradition, we sell secondhand books in 'the Poort'. As Ed, puts it: "There is still a certain atmosphere here. It has an old history. It has been here for nearly 150 years already. It has always been a book location. Traditionally, this has always been one of the most important places for books in Amsterdam."

Poortopia was born from this need to connect with more people. Over the past decade, our tables have changed and grown with the help of the neighborhood. The bookstand is a community project, here to serve everyone. It's a place to talk, browse, buy, or just hang out.

Going online, we want to give locals the same joy of exploring our street stalls — an adventure through language, in the street, and in dreams.

As things change, we have had to adapt. Our shop stalls alone now hold over 15.000 secondhand books from daily city hunts, showing our dedication. Since every item we sell is unique, we’ve had to find efficient ways to manage, like using our phones to speed up the photography process.

As street sellers in Amsterdam, we listen to people's dreams. We want everyone to join in and embrace "the mystery of it all", as one customer put it. Books help us do that. Everyone's welcome.

Photo: Huub Zeeman

Visit us

Location: Oudemanhuispoort, Amsterdam Centrum

Book stalls: 5, 8, 9

Days & Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 18:00

Transport: Tram 14, 2, 24

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