There’s an immediate charm when you walk into Što Čitaš?, the mainly antiquarian bookstore in the heart of Zagreb. Visitors are greeted by two rows of tall and overflowing wooden shelves – in places, vertically stacked books bear the weight of further literature laid horizontally on top, making use of as much of the available space as possible.
An armchair in the far corner, coupled with two red rugs on either side of an additional central shelf, give the impression of having entered the personal library of a hoarding bookworm. The smell, too, is unexpectedly pleasant, owing to the vegan soaps available from Sapunoteka from Šibenik.
Few antiquarian bookstores have a story quite like that of Što Čitaš? ('What Are You Reading?'). The shop is collectively owned, born in part out of a little-known political movement in Croatia during the 1990s. It began as a publishing house in 2001, though the group behind the project had been involved in printing literature as part of the Zagreb Anarchist Movement (ZAP) active in the capital from 1991 to 2001.
This often overlooked group operated in the shadow of the wars of Yugoslavia at that time. Unsurprisingly, the motivation behind creating the publishing house was the desire to make available the literature they themselves would most like to read – mainly anarchist-oriented texts.
As a physical bookstore, Što Čitaš? has existed continuously since 2011. Though the selection’s focus has widened to include science-fiction, classical literature, graphic novels, and books on music, anthropology and more, its anarchist spirit is still keenly felt in the self-published selection. These volumes are often hand-bound and printed in small batches, complemented by stickers, badges and postcards also available for purchase.
The collective owners have previously said that if it were about making money, they’d have given up and closed down a long time ago. Što Čitaš? is certainly a charismatic labour of love, but it is also a well run operation containing a great range of publications. And, according to the owners, nearly half the stock is in English – making it a must-visit if you're spending a few days in Zagreb.
Što Čitaš?
Where: Frankopanska 22
Open: Mon-Fri 10am-10pm