I like reading books. I probably should read more than I do, but what I love even more is visiting bookstores. It’s relaxing, almost meditative.

There’s something about being surrounded by walls of books, perusing a collection of genres, discovering new authors. It’s not always about finishing the book. It’s about the possibility of it. Not only that, but it’s also about unplugging, reading from real pages instead of a screen.

So what’s driving this resurgence? The answer, fittingly enough, is partly the internet. Bookstagram, BookTok, and online reading communities have sent people rushing back to physical shelves. The screen, it turns out, has been working overtime for the printed page.

“We think that the interest to read has always been there, but now there’s better infrastructure for access and massive exposure through online communities,” says Wedha Stratesti Yudha, international project manager at Gramedia and part of the team behind its Water Lily Literary brand, which focuses on imported titles.

Fortunately, bookstores are increasingly accessible again in Jakarta. Over the past year, as I’ve spent my weekends gallivanting across the city, I’ve noticed a growing wave of bookstores that function not just as retailers, but as curators and community spaces. And the numbers suggest that isn’t just aesthetic coincidence or a performative act.

According to the National Library of Indonesia, the country’s Reading Enthusiasm Index has risen for four consecutive years, from 55.75 per cent in 2020, to 72.44pc in 2024. The index measures weekly reading frequency, duration, books read per quarter, as well as internet access and usage. Jakarta’s bookstore evolution doesn’t look like a fleeting trend. It looks more like a genuine cultural response. Remember when Kinokuniya in Plaza Senayan closed down a few years back? The direction now is the opposite. Major players are expanding.

Kinokuniya opened a new branch at Central Park Mall last November, with another planned for June at Kota Kasablanka, following earlier openings at Central Market PIK in 2023 and Plaza Senayan in 2024.—The Jakarta Post/ANN

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2026