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This Saturday August 15th, 2020, the East side will have its first Black owned bookstore.
Angie K Bookstore is an independent owned bookstore by Angela K Allen. Often referred to as Angie, the name of the bookstores comes from the San Antonio native and author/publisher herself. “Everyone calls me Angie but me writing is someone different than the person….I write fiction, drama, erotica, anything…Angie K the writer for the most part is the fun person, the outgoing person…everything I do, I’m always formulating a story in my head.”
Angie K Bookstore actually started out as a mere thought. Allen says her seeing a need for a bookstore for the Black community in San Antonio was her inspiration behind starting Angie K. “A couple of years ago… [me and my sister] was riding down Rigsby and I was just looking around and was like, ‘there’s no bookstore over here’ and I don’t remember ever seeing a bookstore over here,” she says, “I didn’t actually believe it at first. I thought, ‘I’m not going to be able to do it,’ and then I talked to someone at the Flea Market and they said, ‘Angie, there’s nothing like that in here’…”
Allen then opened Angie K Bookstore in the Austin Hwy Flea Market on the northeast side in 2019. She says starting there was a good experience but she hadn’t given up on having her own space. “I enjoyed my time there. I enjoyed all the support I received especially from management. But thinking about opening what I want, wanting to showcase other authors how I want when I want, and being able to offer different things and I’m not restricted to space and time, what can I do?”
Another reason Allen felt it was necessary to open a bookstore on the East side was in a time of such uncertainty and division, which pretty much sums up all of 2020, it was important to have something stand as a resource to the Black community in San Antonio. “To do this in the community especially in this time with so many things happening and our community coming together and learning how to support each other. I was like, ‘it’s time.’”
Born and raised in the heart of the East side, Allen lived everywhere from the northeast to the southeast. She has always been a champion for the Alamo City. “I love my city….I’ve never been the type of person who’s been like, ‘oh I have to get away from here.’ I believe it’s what you make it and know where you live.” Allen is an active writer herself, author of works The Rich Gang and The True Essence of Loyalty. Apart from writing, she also runs a vanity publishing press where she helps other up and coming writers, something she will continue to pursue in addition to the bookstore.
Angie K Bookstore will be hosting a COVID-19 friendly grand opening on Aug 15th at 4pm. Located at 155 South WW White Road Suite 103, San Antonio, Texas 78219. “Even with COVID, I’m doing everything I can to make sure everyone who wants to come feels safe. You can come in, find a book that you enjoy, relax, and we can have local authors, book signings, podcasts…we have a place now.”
For more info, visit www.angiekvsangelak.com
