Literary dimensions

As the annual book fair ended in late August, many Shanghai residents hoped that such events would turn into permanent, year-round fixtures.

And with the weekly Sinan Book Club and the 60-day temporary Sinan Bookshop leading to the permanent Sinan Bookshop in Sinan Mansion－a 640-square-meter, four-story house once occupied by patriotic general Feng Yuxiang and well-known poet Liu Yazi－this "golden location" has again become a focal point for literature in the city.

A short stretch of narrow spiral stairs leads up to the bookshop, where book lovers find the decor and lighting resemble those of a typical Shanghai mansion in the early 1900s. Visitors can spend an entire day there, sitting on leather sofas or chairs, drinking coffee and reading.

Over half of the books are in Chinese. There are some 2,500 titles on history and philosophy, 2,000 books on literature and magazines, many art books and special areas created to host reading events.

There is also a dedicated section for the London Review Bookshop, whose team draws up book lists for Shanghai's readers and updates the list of the 500 latest English book titles. Meanwhile, Sinan Bookshop's choices of Chinese books will appear on the LRB's shelves in London, too.

"Sinan Bookshop is the fruit of cooperation among governmental bodies, a writers' association and the publishing group. They provide different elements: human resources, talent, books and space," Kan says.

"Sinan Bookshop could best represent the metropolis－the spirit, the look, the book choices and the whole atmosphere. When you sit on the couch at Sinan, it's like you are sitting in some Shanghai resident's cozy home. We mean to create a sitting room for the city, the beating heart of books for book lovers."