Diwan Canada Launches Online Bookstore to Highlight Arab and Global South Literature
Diwan Canada Launches Online Bookstore to Highlight Arab and Global South Literature
Diwan Canada has officially opened its online bookstore, launching a digital platform dedicated to amplifying Arab voices, diasporic perspectives, and stories from across the Global South. Available in Arabic, English, and French, the new venture offers a curated collection of literature and poetry, marking the first step in a broader vision that includes plans for a physical bookshop in Montreal by 2027.
Diwan Canada has officially launched its online bookstore, introducing a digital platform dedicated to amplifying Arab voices, diasporic perspectives, and narratives from across the Global South. The new venture offers readers access to a carefully curated collection of literature and poetry available in Arabic, English, and French.
The platform aims to bring together authors and thinkers from the Arab world, the wider Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, their diasporas, and other parts of the Global South. By focusing on these specific demographics, Diwan Canada seeks to create space for stories and perspectives that are frequently overlooked in mainstream literary spaces.
The collection features a diverse range of genres, including feminist writing, Indigenous perspectives, Black liberation literature, and radical thought. The bookstore is currently shipping across Canada and the United States. To mark the launch, the platform is offering a 10 percent discount on first purchases for readers who subscribe to its mailing list.
This digital expansion marks the initial phase of a broader vision for the brand. Diwan Canada has announced plans to open a physical bookshop in Montreal in 2027, which will serve as a dedicated space for readers to discover and engage with its collection.
The Canadian venture is rooted in the history of Diwan Bookstore, which was founded in Cairo in 2002. Established by sisters Nadia and Hind Wassef alongside their friend Nihal Schawky, the original bookstore opened its first flagship location in Zamalek on March 8, 2002, coinciding with International Women’s Day.
At the time of its founding, traditional bookshops in Egypt offered limited and conventional reading experiences. Diwan introduced a new concept by opening a multilingual bookstore that combined Arabic, English, and international literature with music, art, children’s books, and cultural events.
M.Dimitriou--AN-GR
