Watermelon Books Launches at Holy Ground Cultural Center
LOS ANGELES — A bookstore dedicated to Palestinian culture and history has just opened in Los Angeles, announced as the first Palestinian bookstore in the United States.
The bookstore, named Watermelon Books, launched on Saturday at the Holy Ground cultural center. In a previous promotional video, founder Mary Nazzal called the project an "act of cultural resistance."
"Imagine 1,000 books about Palestine and other liberation movements all under one roof."
Expanding from Jordan to the US
Watermelon Books stated that the Los Angeles store is the project's second branch, following its first location in Amman, Jordan.
In a statement, Holy Ground described it as an expansion of an international cultural project "rooted in Palestinian life, history, and imagination."
A Community Living Space
According to its LaunchGood fundraising campaign, Watermelon Books aims to become a community living space, hosting activities such as book clubs, poetry nights, film screenings, talks, and book launches.
Proceeds from book sales and on-site donations will be used to expand the collection and remunerate artists participating in events. The organizers stated that profits from the opening weekend event will be directed to an organization providing meals for families in Gaza.
Mixed Reactions
The opening takes place amidst ongoing debate in the US regarding the Middle East conflict. Supporters view it as a step forward in expanding Palestinian cultural space, while some opinions suggest that the accompanying political messages could be controversial within the broader community.
The bookstore is expected to continue hosting cultural events in the near future.
