Books
Meet five literary leaders helping Jakarta’s book industry turn a new page
From the co-founder of Periplus to the writer of ‘Cigarette Girl’ and the chair of the Indonesia International Book Fair, here are the players breathing new life into Indonesia’s publishing milieu.
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Our top-10 books to holiday with this summer. Plus: must-visit bookshops around the world
To help you pick the right books for your summer reading list, we asked an array of cultural figures to share the titles old and new that have inspired them.
Six beautiful travel books from Monocle to guarantee a well-spent summer
Whether you’re bound for breezy coastlines, vibrant cities or serene countryside, Monocle’s travel guides are your passport to a smarter season.
The 2026 Women’s Prize winners talk rejection, process and finding stories worth telling
Veteran journalist Lyse Doucet turned an experience in Afghanistan into a chronicle of history. Meanwhile, after years of setbacks, Virginia Evans turned a writing exercise into award-winning fiction.
Seven Amsterdam bookshops worth writing home about
The Dutch were early adopters of the printing press and Amsterdam is still a haven of the written word. These bookshops keep the pages turning.
Leaf through a Beijing bookshop known for English-language novels and magazines
Jetlag Books is a design-led space in Beijing’s revitalised Friendship Store.
Ten of the best bookshops in Paris
Too many places have lost their love of print. But the French capital is a haven for anyone who wants to lose themselves in a thriller or even teach their children to read.
‘Do not forget this humanity in the face of such suffering’: Culture writer Kate Tsurkan on keeping Ukrainian literature alive during war
Editor and translator Kate Tsurkan highlights how Ukrainian authors, both past and present, address themes of human dignity, freedom and the right to choose your future.
Leaf through London with 10 bookshops that are bound to please
Few cities are as bookish as London and Monocle knows the capital cover to cover. From the best bookshops for urbanism to where you can browse wine in hand, here’s our favourite spots.
Three delights for print-lovers: A 24hr bookstore and two must-reads
Step inside Taipei’s 24-hour Eslite bookstore, explore Joann Sfar’s illustrated Paris and discover why KLM’s Holland Herald remains a print icon.
