A bookshop on wheels, with room for conversation
By Veena Thoopkrajae
Photo by Warunee Maneekum
A couple of weeks ago, on September 11, a small white truck parked outside d Kunst Art Space and Cafe in Ratchaburi. Its rear doors opened to reveal shelves of books, turning the vehicle into a bookshop for the weekend. Welcome to Somelee Booktruck, an initiative of independent publisher PS Publishing.
Ratchaburi was the truck’s 22nd province, according to Jarungdach Phosri, who drives it and handles sales. The ambition is to visit all 77 provinces of Thailand within four years.
Somelee made its debut at the National Book Fair in March before taking its books on the road. Its name means “cotton” in Thai, a nod to the white truck. Jarungdach affectionately refers to himself as Somelee’s dad.
The truck carries PS Publishing’s titles, along with a small selection from other independent publishers. PS began with books about relationships and has built a readership, particularly among young people, through stories that speak to their lives and concerns. But Jarungdach says the trips are about meeting readers as much as selling to them.
“You don’t have to be a hardcore reader or know everything,” he said. “Just come and talk about a book. We get to exchange views on what each person is reading. This is about more than selling books; it’s about meeting people face-to-face and having a conversation.”
Visitors are welcome to browse or sit and read without buying anything. For Jarungdach, that freedom is part of what makes Somelee a place where readers can find one another.
PS Publishing already has two spaces in Bangkok: Somewhere Bookshop on Phet Kasem Road and Something Blue Library on Charan Sanitwong Road. Jarungdach describes Somelee as the youngest member of the family, one that can travel to meet people where they live.
“We turned the vehicle into a four-wheeled bookstore,” he said. “It feels like a travelling wagon, or a phumphuang grocery truck that brings vegetables and chillies into the neighbourhood. We bring books close to people’s homes and invite them to come out and choose for themselves.”
Somelee announces its upcoming stops on social media, but its route is also shaped by invitations from cafés, businesses and communities. In Ratchaburi and Chon Buri, it has made more than one stop in a province.
After travelling through more than 20 provinces, Jarungdach says he has noticed young visitors seeking out printed books. Some want to smell the paper and feel a book in their hands. He believes they also find it easier to concentrate on a page than scroll on a screen.
If Somelee completes its 77-province tour ahead of schedule, PS Publishing hopes to spend the remaining time building on the connections made along the way, perhaps through reading groups, craft activities or live music. Some stops already offer a glimpse of that possibility. At Natit Coffee and Craft in Nong Khai in June, visitors could take part in bookmaking and glass-painting activities alongside browsing the reading matter in the truck.
For now, Jarungdach’s measure of success is simple: someone comes by, picks up a book and stays for a while.
“They don’t have to buy anything,” he said. “If they come to talk about a book, or even just read a few lines, Somelee has done its job.”