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Swarthmore, PA

Celia Bookshop

We are a woman-owned independent bookstore in the heart of Swarthmore offering a curated selection of new books including bestsellers, classics, and a large children's section. Community-centered, Celia is more than a bookstore—it’s a place to connect, explore, and find something you didn’t know you were looking for.

Celia Bookshop Exterior

Upcoming Events

Nov15
Author Talk & Q+A with Dr. Karabi Acharya
Author EventSwarthmore, PA

Author Talk & Q+A with Dr. Karabi Acharya

5:00 PM • Sunday, November 15, 2026Celia Bookshop$5–$30

Join us to celebrate Multitudes with author and public health expert Dr. Karabi Acharya , in conversation with author Kat Yeh . Together, they’ll discuss Multitudes and its exploration of identity, being multiracial, belonging, connection, and the experiences that shape who we are. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A, book signing, and wine and cheese reception.

Nov17
November Prose for the Planet
Book ClubScienceSwarthmore, PA

November Prose for the Planet

7:00 PM • Tuesday, November 17, 2026Celia BookshopFree

What would it take to build a future of greater possibility? In Abundance , New York Times journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson explore how politics, policy, and bureaucracy can stand in the way of progress—and how we might rethink our approach to housing, clean energy, infrastructure, and more. Join Phil Coleman, founder of AFewSteps, an environmental nonprofit, for a conversation about the book’s ideas, the challenges they raise, and what it might look like to embrace a more ambitious vision for the future.

Nov19
Author Talk + Q&A with Chinelo Okparanta
Author EventSwarthmore, PA

Author Talk + Q&A with Chinelo Okparanta

7:00 PM • Thursday, November 19, 2026Celia Bookshop$5–$34

Join us to celebrate This Impossible Life , the new novel from acclaimed author Chinelo Okparanta, director of the creative writing program at Swarthmore College, in conversation with bestselling novelist Nicole Dennis-Benn. They’ll discuss Okparanta’s new book and its exploration of love, identity, family, belonging, and the choices that shape the lives we build for ourselves. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A, book signing, and wine and cheese reception.

Nov20
Co-Writing Collective with Dilruba Ahmed: November
WritingSwarthmore, PA

Co-Writing Collective with Dilruba Ahmed: November

9:30 AM • Friday, November 20, 2026Celia Bookshop$10

Join a community of writers for a creative co-working session with local writer and educator Dilruba (Ruba) Ahmed. Arrive early to grab a hot drink (included in your ticket!) and mingle with fellow writers, then claim a seat to focus on your writing. Brief goal-sharing at the beginning and reflections at the end will help you forge a sense of continuity and connection in your writing practice. All writers welcome – creative, academic; beginner, intermediate, advanced. $10 ticket is required for this 2-hour session and include hot drinks.

Nov20
An Evening of Poetry and Conversation
Author EventPoetrySwarthmore, PA

An Evening of Poetry and Conversation

7:00 PM • Friday, November 20, 2026Celia Bookshop$5

Join us for an evening with three writers whose works are inspired by elegy, correspondence, and divination. Dilruba Ahmed reading poems from Bring Now the Angels . Laynie Browne reading from a new collection of sonnets, Antediluvian Sonnets . Mary Cappello reading from Frost Will Come / essays from the bardo . A discussion will follow between the three writers + an audience Q&A. Stay for a wine and cheese reception to meet the writers and keep the conversation going. About the Writers Dilruba Ahmed is the author of Bring Now the Angels and Dhaka Dust , which won the Bakeless Literary Prize for poetry. Her work has appeared in Kenyon Review, New England Review, Ploughshares, and Virginia Quarterly Review . In 2021, she joined the faculty at Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers. Laynie Browne’s recent poetry collections include Antediluvian Sonnets, Apprentice to a Breathing Hand, and Everyone & Her Resemblances . Her honors include a Pew Fellowship and the National Poetry Series Award. She teaches at University of Pennsylvania. Mary Cappello works in essay, literary nonfiction, memoir, and experimental prose, both on the page and in performance. She is the author of eight books, including her new memoir, Frost Will Come . A Guggenheim and Berlin Prize Fellow, she is Professor Emerita of English and Creative Writing at the University of Rhode Island.

Nov22
November Democracy Book Club
Book ClubSwarthmore, PA

November Democracy Book Club

5:00 PM • Sunday, November 22, 2026Celia BookshopFree

When the news feels heavy, where do we find the will to keep going? This month, the Democracy Book Club reads Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark , a short, powerful case for hope as a call to action, drawn from the surprising, often overlooked ways change actually happens. We’re joined by special guest PA Rep. Jennifer O’Mara for the conversation. Come with your questions, your doubts, and your ideas for what comes next. Space is limited to just 25 people, so be sure to register today!

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