# Bookshops, Book Fairs and Book Clubs in Manila Canonical page: https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/bookshops-and-book-events-manila Source: What's On Manila. Please cite and link the canonical page. Published: 2026-10-17 *Fully Booked BGC, Solidaridad, Roel's Bookshop and Biblio, the Manila International Book Fair, and the book clubs that meet in Makati cafés each month, with hours and dates from the shops and organisers.* The best bookshops in Manila are Fully Booked on Bonifacio High Street in BGC for the widest range of new books, Solidaridad on Padre Faura in Ermita for Filipino literature, Roel's Bookshop on Maginhawa in Quezon City for rare and secondhand titles, and Biblio for good secondhand books in malls across the city. The year's big book event, the Manila International Book Fair, ran from 9 to 13 September 2026 at SMX Convention Center in Pasay. Between fairs, public book clubs meet in Makati cafés every month, and newcomers are welcome. Updated October 2026. Manila is a better city for readers than its mall bookshops suggest. The good shops are spread out, from Ermita to Diliman to BGC, so the picks below are grouped by what you are looking for. If you want somewhere to read once you have bought something, see our list of [cafés to work from](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/best-cafes-to-work-from-manila). ## For new books and a long browse **[Fully Booked BGC](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/fully-booked-bgc)** is the chain's flagship, on Bonifacio High Street. It is the shop to visit when you want a new release, a gift, or simply an hour among the shelves without anyone hurrying you. You can pre-order a book online and collect it here, which the chain only allows at this branch. Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. ## For Filipino literature **Solidaridad Bookshop** was founded by the National Artist for Literature F. Sionil José, and it is still where many readers go first for Filipino fiction, poetry and history. The room is small and the stock rewards patience. Opening days and times have varied, so call before you make the trip. 531 Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila. Tel. (02) 8254 1068. **[artbooks.ph](https://whatsonmnl.com/place/artbooks-ph)** is the specialist for printed matter from the Philippines, from monographs on Filipino painters to titles on Filipino identity, including out-of-print and previously owned books and zines. It sells through its online shop, delivers by courier within 4 to 5 working days, and takes special orders for hard-to-find titles. Orders and questions to info@artbooks.ph. ## For secondhand and hard-to-find books **Roel's Bookshop** on Maginhawa Street calls itself a "purveyor of hard to find books", and the shelves back that up: politics and philosophy, Filipiniana, poetry and history. Prices we saw on its online shop ran from ₱270 to ₱595. Pair it with lunch at one of the street's small restaurants. 176 Maginhawa Street, Diliman, Quezon City. Tuesday to Sunday, 1pm to 8pm. Tel. 0977 823 6360. It also sells online. **Biblio** is the curated pre-owned bookshop from Books for Less, with branches in malls across Metro Manila. The branches at Uptown Bonifacio, UP Town Center and Robinsons Magnolia are the easiest to fit into a day out. Uptown Bonifacio, 10am to 10pm. UP Town Center, 10am to 9pm. Robinsons Magnolia, 10am to 9pm. Other branches include One Ayala in Makati and SM Mall of Asia. **Books for Less** is the budget option, with books as low as ₱50. SM East Ortigas, 2nd level, 10am to 9pm. Ayala Solenad 3, 11am to 9pm. ## Book fairs and reading events **[Manila International Book Fair](https://whatsonmnl.com/event/manila-international-book-fair-2026)** is the country's longest-running and largest book fair. The 2026 edition, its 47th, ran from 9 to 13 September at [SMX Convention Center](https://whatsonmnl.com/venue/smx-convention-center) in Pasay, with more than 100 exhibitors across two floors, book signings and launches. We could not find 2027 dates on the organiser's site yet, so check manilabookfair.com in the new year. SMX Convention Center Manila, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay. 2026 hours were 10am to 8pm. ## Book clubs that meet in public **Makati Book Club** holds a monthly Show & Tell on Saturday afternoons. There is no assigned book: you bring whatever you are reading and tell the group why it is worth their time, then the room splits into smaller conversations. The group asks members to buy a drink or something to eat to support the café. Toby's Estate Coffee Roasters, G/F V Corporate Center, L.P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati. Upcoming sessions include Saturday 21 November and Saturday 19 December, 5pm. Sign up on Meetup. **Brews & Bestsellers: Makati Book Club** suits readers who like a reading list. Each month the group reads and discusses two novels, with a moderator's questions to start the talk, and it moves between Makati cafés. The next meeting is on Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Tasyo Café, One Salcedo Center, 170 Salcedo Street, Makati. Wednesday 4 November, 7pm. The café closes at 8pm, so arrive on time. Sign up on Meetup. **Silent Book Club Manila** is the low-pressure option: you bring your own book and read in company. The community runs on Discord, where members organise reading sessions and meetups. Venues change from meetup to meetup; join the Discord for the next date. ## How to plan a book day Pick one area and stay in it. Ermita works with Solidaridad and a walk around the old streets nearby; Diliman pairs Roel's Bookshop with the cafés on Maginhawa; BGC puts Fully Booked and Biblio at Uptown Bonifacio within one short ride. For more rainy-day ideas, see [Indoor Things to Do in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/indoor-things-to-do-in-manila), and for a slower afternoon, our guide to [museums in Manila](https://whatsonmnl.com/blog/museums-in-manila). ## Questions people ask **What is the best bookstore in Manila?** For range, Fully Booked on Bonifacio High Street in BGC. For Filipino literature, Solidaridad in Ermita. For rare and secondhand books, Roel's Bookshop in Diliman. **When is the Manila International Book Fair?** The 2026 fair ran from 9 to 13 September at SMX Convention Center in Pasay. We could not find 2027 dates on the organiser's site yet. **Where can I buy secondhand books in Manila?** Roel's Bookshop on Maginhawa Street, Biblio in malls such as Uptown Bonifacio and UP Town Center, and Books for Less, with books as low as ₱50. **Are there book clubs in Manila I can just turn up to?** Yes. Makati Book Club's monthly Show & Tell has no assigned reading, and Silent Book Club Manila lets you read whatever you bring. Both ask you to sign up first, on Meetup and Discord. **Where is Solidaridad Bookshop?** At 531 Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila. Call (02) 8254 1068 to check the day's hours before you go.