a collab’ to celebrate women’s day and literary initiatives!

Happy anniversary to THE READING CORNER!!

You didn't think you would find your reading people in Brussels, right?

Honestly... neither did we. And yet, here we are! 

Two years ago, The Reading Corner started as a simple idea: let's meet in cafés around the city and read together. No pressure, no expectations, just books, warm drinks and good company.

This Women's Day, we're celebrating the community we've built together since then with a delicious anniversary brunch! 

To expect:

- A cozy potluck brunch (bring something if you'd like, homemade or store-bought, all welcome!)

- Literary games and fun activities

- Conversations with old and new friends

- A warm, open space where everyone is welcome

Whether you've been with us since the first meeting or you're simply curious to discover what The Reading Corner is about, you are warmly invited.

Who's joining us? 📚✨

EN// Rojava - a predominantly Kurdish region in the northeast of Syria, and home to a deeply emancipatory political project - is currently under threat: since January 6, the provisional Syrian government, composed of members of the jihadist organization HTC and supported by the global capitalist powers, launched an offensive against this de facto autonomous region, massacring civilians, and violently assaulting women who actively participated in the political project of Rojava.

In this context, we will take some time for reflection and discussion to understand what is at stake. How did the Rojava revolution transform the lives of women on site? What practices and ideas were developed there? How important is this fight for anti-patriarchal struggles in the world? And what are the current international solidarity initiatives?

This evening will be an opportunity to address these questions with a co-author of the book "We write to you since the revolution - Stories of internationalist women in Rojava" and a member of the center of Jineoloje.

FR// Soirée de présentation de livre et discussions sur la révolution des femmes au Rojava

Le Rojava - région majoritairement kurde dans le nord-est de la Syrie, et terre d'accueil d'un projet politique profondément émancipateur - est actuellement menacé : depuis le 6 janvier, le gouvernment provisoire syrien, composé de membres de l'organisation djihadiste HTC et soutenu par les puissances capitalistes mondiales, a lancé une offensive contre cette région de facto autonome, massacrant des civils, et violantant les femmes qui ont activement participé au projet politique du Rojava.

Dans ce contexte, nous allons prendre un temps de réflexion et de discussions pour comprendre ce qui est en jeu. Comment la révolution du Rojava a-t-elle transformée la vie des femmes sur place ? Quelles pratiques et idées y ont été développées ? Quelle importance cette lutte a-t-elle pour les combats anti-patriarcaux dans le monde ? Et quels sont les initiatives de solidarité internationale actuelles ?

Cette soirée sera l'occasion de nous pencher sur ces questions avec une co-autrice du livre "Nous vous écrivons depuis la révolution - Récits de femmes internationalistes au Rojava" et une membre du centre de Jineolojî.

Sources

https://www.syllepse.net/nous-vous-ecrivons-depuis-la-revolution-_r_64_i_844.html

https://jineoloji.eu/fr/

Our band ´ Eddie & the Nonos' is a trio with Annabelle Falzone on guitar& vocals, Julio Morcillo on drums & percussion and Paolo Sacchettini on bass, playing songs from around the world in various languages and in a relaxed groovy musical manner, influenced by world music, jazz and funk.

Welcome to the very first session at Unity Bookshop: an informal conversation with a journalist.

This new series is dedicated to open dialogue and shared perspectives. We invite journalists who, beyond reporting the facts with objectivity in their daily work, also carry personal projects, commitments, or forms of activism close to their hearts. They gather stories — but they also have their own story to tell.

Our intention is simple: to create a space where citizens and journalists can meet, exchange ideas, and explore together the role of media in our society.

And you are part of the conversation. You are warmly encouraged to ask questions, share reflections, and contribute your voice.

This is a collaborative discussion. Come to your local independent bookshop, enjoy a coffee or tea and a croissant, and join us for a thoughtful exchange about journalism, social issues, democracy, how stories shape our future, and how media influences the way we see the world.

We look forward to welcoming you.

FOCUS Session #1 Len Bugenhout, a journalist who used his talent to enrich LGBTQIA= stories with his brand new Zine (available at Unity Bookshop)

The relationship between journalism and activism.

More about the author and “Chasing the Rainbow”

Every year, millions of Europeans take part in dozens of Prides held in every corner of the continent. This impressive mass of queers and allies rallies behind one message: we exist, we are one, we want to be seen. 

And yet each individual participant is drawn to these colourful parades for different, but very personal reasons. Some seek to connect, others to make their voices heard. Some want to celebrate community, others to engage in open political struggle. More often it is a combination of all of these. 

“Chasing the Rainbow is an attempt to give a place to all those voices and ideas and explore the state of Pride.”

Chasing the Rainbow is a magazine about Pride that explores the LGBTQ+ community across Europe. The project investigates the state of Pride through a printed magazine with a thematic approach and online stories during Pride season.

The first issue of the magazine explored the importance of Pride as protest. The second issue dives into Pride as a way of celebrating. Both issues are out now!

**************************************

Len Buggenhout (1987) is a freelance writer and journalist from Belgium. He often writes about LGBTQ+ topics, culture and literature. He works and lives in Brussels.

Radical Abundance - Kai Heron

(Selected chapters) - You can also order your copy at Unity bookshop for 22 euros

by GrowthKills

Extras

Bring a snack for our potluck table (optional, but always welcome!)

Bring your book if you have it. If not, we can share a chapter on-site or send it before the event (having an e-reader or laptop helps).

Save your spot here

Radical Abundance - Kai Heron

This panel reflects a critical reflection on sustainability, questioning dominant framings that privilege policy instruments, economic growth and technological fixes over lived social and ecological realities. Rather than treating sustainability as a managerial problem to be solved, the panel approaches it as a contested social ecology project, shaped by socially constructed human-nature relations, power, labor, memory, and individual experiences. The discussion is anchored in Sürdürülebilir Tarım Hayali: Gül Yetiştiriciliğinin Sosyal Ekolojisi, a recently published book in Turkey about study of rose cultivation in rural Anatolia, which functions as a diagnostic case. Focusing on rose growers’ decision-making, emotional and cultural engagement with land, it reveals sustainability not as a fragile social–ecological relationship shaped by market pressures, state policies, and climate crisis. 

The panel advances three propositions: 

1. Sustainability composes three pillars: environmental, economic and social. 

2. Local and traditional agricultural practices are being impacted by how human-nature relations are constructed, top-down policies, land-grabbing and climate crisis. 

3. Imagining (“hayal”) a sustainable future for agriculture is not utopian excess, but a necessary political and ecological capacity. 

19:15 – Doors open

19:30 – Welcome and introduction by Aurore
19:40–19:55 – Ebru's contribution: Sustainability challenges in rose farming in Turkey (historical background, current situation, sustainability as an imagination challenge, role of stakeholders)
19:55–20:10 – Marie's contribution: Climate change perceptions among farmers and stakeholders, with case studies from Belgium, Italy, and Ireland
20:10–20:25 – Branwen's contribution: Sustainable food systems, indigenous knowledge, and the case of Ghana
20:25–20:40 – Q&A and closing reflections (role of stakeholders, imagination, and pathways to action)
20:40–21:30 – Workshop session

A sustainability geek, Ebru Akgün was born in Istanbul. She studied Political Science and Public Administration in Turkey and gained NGO experience in Brazil. She later studied two Master's degrees in Social and Cultural Anthropology and Sustainable Development in Belgium. She is doing a joint PhD degree in Political Science and Sociology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Antwerp, focusing on politician discourse after disaster events. She has also worked as a sustainability lobbyist in several Brussels-based organizations and is currently preparing for a Blue Book traineeship at the European Commission DG Environment Communications unit.

Marie Van Espen is a doctoral researcher at the INSPIRA and the 'Agro-food marketing and consumer behaviour' research groups at Ghent University. Her research explores how farmers and agri-food stakeholders perceive climate change and what makes adaptation possible - or impossible - in everyday farming practice. Working with case studies from Belgium, Italy, and Ireland, she uses mixed-methods research, combining interviews, surveys, and participatory tools, to bring farmers' experiences and concerns into conversations that are often dominated by abstract policy targets. Trained as both an agricultural engineer and a development scholar, Marie brings an interdisciplinary perspective shaped by research on European food systems as well as earlier work in Tanzania and her involvement in the EU Horizon project B-GOOD.

Dr. ir. Branwen Peddi is a researcher of the INSPIRA research group at Ghent University. She has an interdisciplinary background in both Agricultural Sciences at Ghent University as well as Development and Rural Innovation studies at Wageningen University & Research. In her research, she focuses on approaches to pluralising knowledge within agriculture in a just and inclusive way within the context of Ghana, where she worked in close collaboration with local farmers’ organisation ABOFAP. Her research interests lie in decolonising food systems, sustainability, epistemic justice, and transformative transdisciplinarity. Furthermore, in her free time, she volunteers for Ekoli, an association that strives to make science education more inclusive and accessible for all youth.

Firstly… a drag night in a bookshop?
Yasss queen — we LOVE it!

Hosted by the iconic Terata MAME and Apoca’Lips, this is the perfect night for lovers, loners, and people in between.

Bingo, drag performances, laughs, and prizes—because love fades, but bingo is forever.✨

Are you ready for fierce performances? Lip syncs? Dancing among the bookshelves?
Ready to forget the madness of the world and just have a ridiculously good time?

Because honey… we are here for you.

Expect chaos, laughter, glitter, and plenty of funky prizes to win throughout the night

A truly great night ahead: full of fun, fabulous energy, and unexpected connections 💕

🎟️ Get your bingo card:

• €5 for 1

• €8 for 2

• €10 for 3

Love is optional. Fun is guaranteed. Sangria is waiting for you!

Doors opening at 7:30pm!

Join us at Unity Bookshop, with curator Jules van den Langenberg and artist Annee Grøtte Viken as they share their forthcoming publications on art, ecology and heritage.

As regular collaborators since 2021, Van den Langenberg opens the gathering at Unity Bookshop with a brief introduction of the preliminary work on the publication series ‘Parallel Archive’ on long term relations in the arts, supported by the Dutch Mondriaanfonds. Viken continues by launching her newest printed publication ‘Domestic Encyclopaedia - Oblique Encounters of Domestic Space’  about the spaces closest to us and what they are made of supported by Arts and Culture Norway Norway and Trøndelag County Authority.

Workshop
Following the publication presentation, the curator and artist invite the audience into a short workshop. Visitors of the gathering get to touch and try out various pigments and material samples.

Curious neighbors, experts and nature lovers are invited to join and discover how objects and public space can transform through ‘woodgraining‘, a traditional painting technique for imitating wood using natural pigments, water and linseed oil.

Meanwhile Van den Langenberg and Viken give a preview into their most recent research and plans for a new type of public artwork: a site-specific work that is based on a plant to paint to public

Image: paint to public prototype by artist Annee Grøtte Viken curated by Jules van den Langenberg, in collaboration with the (Nelly&)Theo van Doesburg Foundation, photo by Sander van Wettum.

Background information

Annee Grøtte Viken
As an artist, writer and restoration architect Annee Grøtte Viken (1984, she/her) uses fiction as a tool for exploring the cultural and material realities of space and the potential they hold for repairing broken relationships. Viken studied at the Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam and imitation craft studies at Institut Supérieur de Peinture van der Kelen – Logelain in Brussels. Since 2021 she collaborates with the (Nelly&) Theo van Doesburg Foundation and curator Jules van den Langenberg on the development of a public art work based on locally cultivated flax that is turned into linseed oil paint and applied to objects in public space.

Jules van den Langenberg
Jules van den Langenberg (1988, he/him) is an artistic director and independent curator focusing on the intersections of contemporary art, bio regional programs, art in landscapes and talent development. He studied conceptual scenography and exhibition design in The Netherlands and Sweden, and resided in Paris, Athens, the Dutch Noordoostpolder and Berlin. His experience includes initiating and curating projects with biennials, museums, city festivals, collectives and artist-led spaces.

(Nelly&) Theo van Doesburg Foundation
From their base in the capital of The Netherlands, the (Nelly&) Theo van Doesburg Foundation develops collaborations between emerging artists, curators and progressive organizations and developers. Since 1987 the foundation strives to realize visual art projects and initiate formats that generate positions and commissions for emerging- and early career artists that studied or resided in Amsterdam. Through a carefully curated activity program the Foundation develops unsolicited proposals for site specific public art works.

Join us to celebrate a literary acoustic project at Unity Bookshop!

Dottie is a trio built around atmosphere, restraint, and storytelling through sound. Named after one of the characters from Tracy Letts' Killer Joe, the band reflects the play's quiet tension and unsettling intimacy by creating music that moves quietly but with purpose.

Led by composer and double bassist Robert Jukič, with Toine Thys on bass clarinet and clarinet, and Marco Giongrandi on guitar and banjo, Dottie creates music that is simple, minimalistic, and folk-inspired. Their sound is contemplative, cinematic, and theatrical, shaped by silence as much as by melody. Each piece unfolds like a scene, subtle and suggestive, drawing the listener into a sparse sonic world where mood and nuance take center stage.

• Copies of “Killer Joe” by Tracy Lett will be available on the night

• RSVP this event to work on the coordination accordingly

• Safe space, respect to everyone is our unique law

• Share joy, music and little drink with the community

Looking forward to seeing you on the 1st of Feb for the glorious concert!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sorry, we are at capacity for our dear Burns Night!!!

You didn't think you would experience it in Belgium right? Neither did we actually!

Thanks to Scottish folks met during those small weeks of opening, we have the privilege at Unity Bookshop to host our very first "Burn's night" in Brussels for this glorious day of the 25th of January.

To expect:
- Spoken words and celebration of the National poet Robert Burns
- Scottish/Celtic acoustic music
- Activities for the wee ones
- A display of Scottish authors (a lot of books to discover!!)
- Hot toddy
- Ceilidh dance (depends on you 🥳)

Who is in??

To be mentioned: it's a free event!

“Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era”

(Selected chapters)

by GrowthKills

Extras

Bring a snack for our potluck table (optional, but always welcome!)

Bring your book if you have it. If not, we can share a chapter on-site or send it before the event (having an e-reader or laptop helps).

Save your spot here

““Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era””

{FR} ✨ Lecture Drag en famille avec @apocalips_drag ✨

Un moment dédié à la littérature jeunesse, pour les petit·es et les grand·es
(jeune public conseillé à partir de 3 ans).

Des albums pour ouvrir notre écoute à toustes : au rapport à son propre corps et à celui des autres, au respect du oui et du non, et à la découverte de ses limites.

À travers une lecture joyeuse et bienveillante, Apoca’lips invite les enfants à découvrir de beaux albums jeunesse, suivis d’un atelier créatif adapté à toustes.

RDV @unitybookshop.brussels le 17 janvier - 16h30

( Lecture : 20–30 min
Atelier créatif : 30 min)

{EN} > Please be aware that this event will happen in French

✨ Family-friendly Drag Storytime with @apocalips_drag ✨

A lovely moment of sharing around children’s books, for little ones and grown-ups alike
(recommended from age 3).

Stories to gently talk about the body, emotions and respect, and to learn how to say yes or no while listening to others.

Through a joyful and caring reading, Apoca’lips invites children to discover beautiful picture books, followed by a creative workshop open to everyone.

Storytime: 20–30 min
Creative workshop: 30 min

Meeting at @unitybookshop.brussels

Register via www.unitybookshop.be or by email or DM

Can't wait to see you there!

In a historical moment where the Palestinian narrative faces continuous attempts at erasure, storytelling emerges as a form of resistance, a historical document, and a pursuit of justice.

Hosted by the Mediapolitik Institute as part of "The Third Perspective podcast" program, this event invites you to Unity Bookshop in Brussels for a critical conversation on how politics and literature intersect to shape Palestinian consciousness.

• The Vision

This panel aims to deconstruct the Palestinian narrative on two intertwined levels:

The Literary Level: How does the text—whether novel, poetry, or personal memoir—transform into a living archive? How do Palestinians write their pain and hope beyond rigid stereotypes?

The Political Level: How does literature serve political action? Can the writer break free from the "burden of representation" to exist as an individual voice, or is the Palestinian writer political by necessity?

• The Panelists

The discussion brings together diverse Palestinian voices, bridging the gap between the homeland and the diaspora, journalism and literature, and political analysis and personal reflection:

Mahmoud Joudeh: A Palestinian writer and member of the General Union of Palestinian Writers. He is the author of a literary trilogy comprising Gaza the Orphan (2015), Letters to Baghdad (2018), and the novel Garden of Legs (2020). His works have been translated into several languages, most recently the Dutch translation of his novel Garden of Legs in 2024.

Rasha Hilwi:  is a Palestinian writer, storyteller, journalist, editor, and cultural curator. She was born in the city of Akka and is based in Amsterdam. Her texts have been published in major Arabic media platforms and magazines, with several pieces translated into English and Dutch. Her first nonfiction book, on motherhood and home, will be published in the summer of 2026 by “Khan AlJanub” Publishing House in Berlin.

Waddah Abu Jame: A Palestinian poet and writer from Gaza. He studied law at the University of Palestine and established his presence in the cultural scene through poetry, literary readings, and workshops. He published the poetry collection A World Injected with Botox (Raya Publishing, Beirut, 2023), and his texts have been translated into English, Spanish, and French. Most recently, he released a short story collection titled General Lucky Loses the War (Marfa’ Publishing, Beirut, 2025).

• The Moderator

Karim Abu Abualroos A Palestinian writer and researcher in political science. With a background in dismantling ideologies and political philosophy, Karim will guide this dialogue, exploring the utility of writing in times of catastrophe and the role of the intellectual in reconstructing the national narrative.

📅 Event Details

Date: Friday, January 16, 2026

Venue: Unity Bookshop, Brussels.

Organizer: Mediapolitik Institute and Unity Bookshop

Why Attend? This event is an attempt to understand how Palestinians rebuild their homes with words when their physical homes are destroyed. It is an invitation to engage intellectually with writers who transform personal narrative into a matter of public justice.

Who experiences the same?

Meeting on the 11th of Jan in a safe space with drinks, snacks and loads of books!

"Let’s face it, the beginning of the year can be complete bonkers.
You’re back (or never really left) Brussels, the days are dark
—dark, dark, dark—
and so, sometimes, is the mind.

Then come and join the people of Unity Bookshop to find the antidote (at least for one evening! We don’t yet have a solution for the whole month, right?).

Get your best ANTIdote book (can also be anti-anxiety, anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-judgemental, all compatible), your comfy clothes (funky wanzy PJ are obviously authorized, it’s our free evening after all!!) and drinks or snacks,
we will have plaids,
get cosy,
and talk about books..."

“Less is More”

by GrowthKills

Extras

Bring a snack for our potluck table (optional, but always welcome!)

Bring your book if you have it. If not, we can share a chapter on-site or send it before the event (having an e-reader or laptop helps).

Save your spot here

“Less is More”

Christine LeunenS

Novels

quand la lingerie peut devenir feministe - Se reapproprier son corps et son temps 

cindy jacoB

"À fleur de peau, un instant pour soi"

De la question du male gaze dans la lingerie et le prêt-à-porter, au savoir-faire des artisanes comme Cindy, cette rencontre propose un voyage sensible et engagé à travers le textile, l’artisanat et la réappropriation de son corps — pour soi, avant tout.

Venez découvrir l’univers de Cindy lors d’une soirée en français consacrée à l’histoire de la lingerie. Mais aussi de la cravate !

La soirée sera ponctuée de lectures inspirantes, d’échanges autour du rapport au vêtement, et se conclura par un verre de l’amitié accompagné de snacks offerts. Un moment complice, convivial et résolument féminin.✨

Cindy et 40Minutes

40Minutes est une marque de lingerie bruxelloise née du besoin de redonner du sens à l’intime. Derrière chaque pièce, une créatrice qui dessine, coupe et coud elle-même ses modèles, du croquis à la production, en série limitée. Chaque création est pensée comme un refuge — une seconde peau pour celles qui cherchent à se retrouver plutôt qu’à se montrer. Entre rigueur du geste et douceur des matières, 40Minutes revendique une lingerie lente, consciente, où la couture devient un acte de soin, un langage silencieux de réconciliation avec soi-même.

A noter

Cet événement se déroule en français et s’adresse, pour cette première édition coorganisée par 40Minutes et Unity Bookshop, aux personnes qui s’identifient comme femmes, afin de préserver un espace d’échange bienveillant.Une ouverture à d’autres formats et publics est envisagée par la suite

Meet the Hosts

Our Stars

Session I @ 18h30 - 20h00

In our first session we have the pleasure to welcome Edna - THE belgian Drag Queen - who rose to stardom after participating as contestant on the first season of Drag Race Belgique.

Session II @ 20h30-22h00

In the second session, the spotlight will be Coline’s — the belgian singer, songwriter, and performer (and matchbox collector!) who makes up half of the electro-pop duo Colt, and counts with one nomination for the NRJ Music Awards.

“The Case for Degrowth”

by GrowthKills

Extras

Bring a snack for our potluck table (optional, but always welcome!)

Bring your book if you have it. If not, we can share a chapter on-site or send it before the event (having an e-reader or laptop helps).

Save your spot here

“The Case for Degrowth”