BookWoman
5501 N Lamar Blvd #A-105 — Austin
ebookwoman.com ✽ @bookwomanaustin
Year Opened — 1975
Employees — One full-time BookWoman, one BookWoman-In-Training, two part-time BookWhizzes
“Rooted in Revolution”
What's the story behind your bookstore’s origin?
BookWoman opened in 1975 as The Common Woman Bookstore, a feminist collective founded by 13 women. In the years since, BookWoman has had 5 consecutive locations, thousands of author and community events, and a dedicated community of readers and feminists of every generation. As we mark our 50th anniversary (December 2025) we are celebrating the first fifty years of this intersectional feminist bookstore and community hub, and looking forward to our next fifty years.
What makes your bookstore special?
BookWoman is one of the oldest feminist bookstores in the US, and now remains one of the last--there are currently fewer than 10 of the original stores which opened in the 70s through 90s, and fewer than 25 across the country in total. We believe that each book a store places on its shelf (and each book it doesn't) is a values statement about who and what that store wants to platform and spotlight, and so we take care to curate a collection of titles that aligns with our values and amplifies voices of marginalized and underrepresented communities. BookWoman is an intersectional feminist bookstore, but we have so much more than "just" books about feminism and social justice (but we do have lots of those!). Our feminist values guide which books we carry but does not limit the genres and types of books we carry--we believe that we can have a book for nearly any reader who walks through the door.
Some of the genres and subjects we're especially known for include poetry, current events and politics, psychology and self-help (for personal and clinical/school use), religion and spirituality, and nature/ecology. We also have an excellently curated collection of children's books on a wide variety of topics, one of the largest tarot and oracle deck collections in Central Texas, and a well-stocked vintage lesbian pulp collection. Whatever books interest you most, BookWoman would love to help you find your next favorite read.
Most importantly, BookWoman has been and continues to be a community hub for many, hosting events and serving as a gathering place for folks of many experiences and identities. Countless Austinites have met friends, romantic partners, and artistic/literary collaborators in the store, and we aim to continue to bring our community together every day. Join us for a book launch, panel discussion, live music performance, open mic night, poetry reading, book club, or virtual goddess/feminine spirituality event, or pitch your own event ideas to us: we're always looking for new ways to connect with our community! And if you can't make it to the store, we might just be coming to you...BookWoman loves pop-up events and has been known to show up and show out at book fairs, conferences, community events, and more.
