en – Quade Books

Quade Bookstore

Quade is an independent bookstore founded in Argentina in 2007. It has four brick-and-mortar stores and an online store. It offers an eclectic book curation that understands the interest of people of all ages and genders. To include all classical and contemporary cultural voices is our commitment and constant search.

Our approach is focused on the customer experience, providing friendly, specialized and personalized service, modern architecture with aesthetic and pleasant spaces.

We organize several cultural events, where we open new spaces of dialogue and enjoyment among artists, writers and readers, dynamizing the cultural life of people and the city, further pleasing the reader’s experience.

A bookstore exists because it is preceded by readers. At Quade we work to create scenarios and climates so that in the future there will be more and more readers. We develop this profession because we believe that life is better in the company of a book.

Our Purpose

“To improve the well-being and happiness of people through books, by creating valuable spaces that facilitate encounters, reading and recreation”.

About us

“We believe in a world full of stories”

Quade is a conscious and responsible company. A social investment with a positive impact. Leading this project are Jorge Caparelli and Evangelina Montiel, Argentine cultural entrepreneurs, who manage Librería Quade and Quade Books. We have also created our own brand of design products for readers, Quade Design, and a children’s bookstore, Libros para Volar.

With a large team of partners, we promote a culture based on these values: “entrepreneurial spirit, respect, integrity and teamwork”. We create a collaborative space that allows us to achieve our goals by working with purpose and joy.

The book a definition

“The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its technology but complex and extremely efficient: a really neat little device, compact, often very pleasant to look at and handle, that can last decades, even centuries. It doesn’t have to be plugged in, activated, or performed by a machine; all it needs is light, a human eye, and a human mind. It is not one of a kind, and it is not ephemeral. It lasts. It is reliable. If a book told you something when you were fifteen, it will tell it to you again when you’re fifty, though you may understand it so differently that it seems you’re reading a whole new book.”

Ursula K. Le Guin

The book industry has shown over time to create value for the humanity, it must not only survive but also develop, since it is one of the fundamental pillars of culture.

Bookstores are essential

“Bookshops are time machines, spaceships, story-makers, secret-keepers, dragon-tamers, dream-catchers, fact-finders, and safe places. They are full of infinite possibilities and tales worth taking home”

Jen Campbell

Something happens in a bookstore so that a person decides to buy a book in person instead of online.

Can we measure the impact of the presence of a bookstore in a city and in the daily life of the people who live around it? Which recommendation is the most pleasant, the one that an algorithm can build or the one made by a human bookseller? Does a bookstore sell a tangible or intangible good? What effect does being surrounded by books have on a person? What is the sensory and emotional impact of shelves full of magic?

These questions can help us to understand that a bookstore is much more than a retail business.

A place where without sleeping, you can also dream.

Quade is a social space that acts as “third place”. In our bookstore, people with similar interests can meet: buy a book, read, attend a book presentation or signing, talk about a book, or just relax. We strive to be a place where reading and the consumption of cultural goods and experiences are promoted.

Bookstores, which on countless occasions were predicted to disappear, not only did not disappear, but also became cult spaces, essential places in communities and cities.

Bookstores have survived and have been transformed, playing an important role in the society of knowledge, information and leisure. In addition, today they are a refuge from a current dilemma: the digital life of people.

The power of reading

“Reading provides three magical powers: Creativity, Intelligence and Empathy”

In addition to being an essential tool for learning and knowledge, reading is a popular leisure, pleasure and empowerment activity. Enjoyment, relaxation and escapism are rewards and results from the act of reading.

Children and young people with reading habits have linguistic skills superior to the rest, and this result in other types of important advantages: obtaining better academic results, reaching a higher level of education, being more successful at work.

The same happens in the adult population, it even works as a therapy in those people who have additional needs or who are experiencing difficulties in their health.

Reading combats the plague of illiteracy.

Reading for pleasure gives us higher levels of self-esteem, makes us more positive and resilient. It improves communication, self-efficacy, motivation and learning new skills. It empowers and encourages the progress of people.

The creative and cultural industries.

A person cannot live only on food and shelter, they also need other stimuli and motivations in his or her life.

The creative economy is the set of activities derived from knowledge, being the result of the connections that are formed between human creativity, ideas, intellectual property, knowledge and technology.

UNESCO declared 2021 as the “International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development”, with the aim of giving them greater impulse and visibility.

Impact investing is generating new ways of thinking for investors and companies. Decision-making is no longer driven solely by making money. Now it is also about improving people’s lives and the future of the planet.

Promoting cultural and creative industries will have immediate and long-term benefits, including improving the quality of life, stimulating innovation. Thanks to this, a more inclusive society with a greater capacity to adapt to new challenges.

Culture is necessary to build the international reputation of a city. Companies and governments seek to connect with creative organizations to obtain new ideas and approaches.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, art and culture confirmed how essential human creativity is to our well-being. People found comfort and entertainment in books, movies, series, and music.

Our Stores

Quade is a space designed to inspire and captivate book and culture enthusiasts. Its modern architecture invites you to explore each of its spaces, where every corner is a reading oasis.

Our Events

Cultural events seek to disseminate and promote culture and art, generating positive social impact. Book presentations, for example, allow authors to share their ideas, thoughts, and knowledge with the public, thus creating spaces for meetings to promote dialogue and cultural exchange.