“Confederate Books, Quito is a family run, independent book shop specializing in second hand books in English and other foreign languages”
Confederate Books - Quito, Ecuador
Confederate Books was founded by Tommy Savage in 1992, so we are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year!
From the beginning, the store featured an impressive selection of second hand books in English, and it flourished in Quito’s Mariscal district. This area is home to many hostels, restaurants serving international food, and some of Ecuador’s first internet cafés. It is therefore frequented by short and long – term foreign visitors, so is an ideal location for a foreign language bookstore.
In 2003, Tommy Savage sold the store to its second owner, Bill Grochowski, who worked hard to maintain the store’s selection and character. In the same year, Justin Trullinger (who is now my husband) first came to Ecuador. I arrived at the beginning of 2004. We are both avid readers and were working here as English teachers, and it didn’t take us long to discover the store and become regular customers.
When we left Ecuador at the end of 2009, Justin and Bill, who had often enjoyed a game of chess together in the store, stayed in touch. After the birth of our daughter, we discovered that the store was up for sale. We were looking for a change in lifestyle in order to be able to share work and childcare, so we bought the store and came back to Ecuador to run it in early 2013.
Since taking over the store, we have moved into a new premesis, still in La Mariscal, in the same building as a long-established salsa school. We maintain a wide selection of books in English and other foreign languages. We currently have around 15,000 titles on the shelves.
Due to our background in education, we have focused particularly on promoting our selection of books for English and Spanish learners. As parents, we also put a lot into our selection of children’s books, and try to promote the store as a place for international families to meet each other. As I mentioned in my previous e mail, we organize regular events for children, and host a monthly poetry club meeting.
Address: Río Amazonas 24-155, Quito 15349, Ecuador
Facebook: Confederate Bookstore