Books rarely get a road trip of their own. That’s exactly what’s happening with Somelee Booktruck, a white mobile bookstore from P.S. Publishing that is setting off on a journey through all 77 provinces of Thailand.
Anyone familiar with the publisher’s red-doored Somewhere Bookshop or the ice cream-slinging Something Blue Library already knows that P.S. Publishing has a knack for creating spaces people want to linger in. Somelee Booktruck brings that same spirit to the road, transforming cafe forecourts, markets and neighbourhood corners into pop-up literary pit stops across the country.
Instead of waiting for readers to find the books, the books now come to the readers. One day the truck might pull up beside a cafe, the next it could be parked near a market, a seaside community or a neighbourhood gathering spot. Wherever it stops, it becomes a temporary bookshop and an easy excuse to strike up conversations with fellow readers.
The truck also carries a broader mix of titles. Alongside Thai-language books, the truck carries English-language editions, including all about love: new visions by feminist writer bell hooks, available in both the original English and Thai translation.
More than a travelling bookshop, Somelee turns each stop into a temporary community of readers. Books change hands, recommendations are exchanged and strangers end up discussing their latest favourite reads over coffee.
If you’d like to follow the truck’s journey, keep an eye on Instagram @somelee_booktruck, where upcoming stops, route updates and travel snapshots are posted regularly. You never know when a miniature bookshop might roll into your neighbourhood.