About

Librería Bilingüe

Your Bilingual Bookshop de Barrio

More than a place to buy books, we want to create a space where readers can slow down, discover something unexpected, and feel at home, whether you’re reading in English, Spanish, or both.

Why We Opened Our Bookshop

Our Story

Bookshops have always been places to escape, reconnect with your roots, and discover new stories. There’s nothing quite like wandering the shelves and finding the book you didn’t know you were looking for. That feeling becomes even more important when you're far from home.

When I first moved to Spain, bookshops became even more of a source of comfort and connection. But in Seville, finding books in English often meant settling for a small shelf tucked away in the corner or ordering online. I wanted to create a space where someone who reads in Spanish, English, or both could feel equally welcome. A bookshop that reflected me as a reader: an American married to a Sevillano who learned to be a bookseller in Spain.

Meet La Naranjah, a bilingual bookshop with alma andaluza. A place where English and Spanish books sit side by side. Where the shelves are carefully curated rather than crowded. Where recommendations come from real conversations, not bestseller lists. And where discovering your next favorite book feels just as meaningful as reading it. Bienvenid@s.

-Kathleen

And the "h" a the end of la naranjah? It's a small nod to the andalusian accent spoken here in Seville. Words ending in vowels often are pronounced with an aspirated sound, the "h" represents that exhalation at the end of naranja, our way of celebrating our city and the accents that remind of us home, both old and new.

One bookshop, two languages

What makes Librería La Naranjah different

English and Spanish books side by side

Our bookshop doesn't just have an English section, we read and live in both English and Spanish in our day to day and our bookshop reflects that. We are fully bilingual meaning that both books in English and Spanish are given priority and can be found all in one place. Espanglish friendly always.

Authentic recommendations

We stock books we genuinely love and are excited to recommend, not just the latest releases or the books all over your 'for you' page. We rely on trusted bookselling relationships & recommendations from fellow readers. Quality over quantity, always curated with cariño.

Community and conversation

Language should never be a barrier to belonging. Whether English, Spanish, or both are part of your story, La Naranjah is a space to discover books, meet other readers, and feel connected. We host book clubs and literary events creating opportunities for everyone to be part of our community

our vision

Bigger than simply selling books

We want this to be the kind of bookshop where someone new to Seville finds their first English book club. Where parents stop in for one book and leave with three that they know they'll be reading that night before bedtime. Where regulars pop by just to say hi and tell us what they thought of their last read.

Books have an amazing way of bringing people together, and we believe the spaces that surround them should do the same.

That's why we've created a home for readers in English and Spanish. A place where conversations start easily, curiosity is always encouraged, and every visit offers the chance to discover something unexpected.

Meet your bookseller

Hi, I'm Kathleen!

I was born and raised in South Dakota and brought up with a healthy dose of Midwest nice. I've called Spain home since 2018, when I moved here to teach English (and see about a boy I met while studying abroad). You'll probably spot that same Sevillano around the bookshop—feel free to ask him about the fantasy novel he's currently reading.

When we were living in Madrid, his family would send us home with bags of oranges from his grandma's casa de campo. We grumbled about carrying those heavy, awkward bags onto the train, but once we were home, peeling and sharing those oranges always felt like a small reminder of our roots. When it came to choosing the name for the bookshop, La Naranjah was the perfect fit.

I'm a lifelong reader and a self-proclaimed friki de Jane Austen. After studying Hispanic Studies and Education, I completed a Master's in Literary Translation, which means I've spent years reading between English and Spanish. Choosing just one language for the bookshop was never really an option.

I learned how to be a bookseller from my friends and colleagues at Los Pequeños Seres in Madrid, where I discovered that the best recommendations don't come from bestseller lists—they come from conversations.

La Naranjah brings together everything I love: books in English and Spanish, matching readers with stories they'll fall in love with, and creating spaces where people feel they belong.