Khaleej Times

Jordan’s popular ‘pay as you like’ bookstore saved by crowd-funding

- AP

amman — For years, Hamzeh AlMaaytah nurtured a community of book lovers in Jordan, keeping his bookstore in Amman’s old centre open around the clock, encouragin­g customers to linger over rare treasures and often allowing them to set the price for a purchase.

His supporters recently had a chance to repay him when the local landmark was threatened with closure, following a sudden illness that sidelined him for several months as bills were piling up. By April, 330 people from more than 20 countries had contribute­d $18,000 in a crowd-funding campaign launched by two friends.

The money allows AlMaaytah to renovate his small, cramped space and expand to an adjacent storefront where he hopes to set up a literary salon, a display of rare books and a reading corner. Up to now, much of the store’s activity has taken place outdoors, with books laid out under an awning on the sidewalk.

Despite the recent financial scare, the 36-year-old shopkeeper is sticking to his “pay as you please” business model, applied to most books. Customers can also pay a nominal fee to borrow books or read rare editions in the store.

“It’s risky. But it’s also an adventure,” said AlMaaytah, wiping the leather spine of a book while wearing gloves. “You would be surprised what putting your trust in people can do. It doesn’t just make more room for generosity. They also want to come back for more. More books, more conversati­ons.” His family has been in the book business for more than a century. They opened the first bookstore in Jerusalem in the 1890s and moved the business to Jordan’s capital following the 1948 war over Israel’s creation. The family now owns three stores in Amman’s old centre, run by AlMaaytah and his brothers. AlMaaytah recently renamed his branch “Mahall Al Maa,” loosely translated as “Source of Water,” to reflect his belief that books — like water — are a necessity and should be accessible to all.

Such access has been a problem in Jordan, which lacks government­funded community libraries. —

 ?? AP ?? Hamzeh AlMaaytah shows off a book at his Mahall Al Maa bookstore in Amman. —
AP Hamzeh AlMaaytah shows off a book at his Mahall Al Maa bookstore in Amman. —

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