Nightlight Books, an online and pop-up bookstore focused on authors and subjects related to disabilities, is looking for a bricks-and-mortar home in Cleveland, Ohio, the Land reported.
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| Patrick Antenucci | |
Founded in 2022 by bookseller Patrick Antenucci, Nightlight sells new and used titles pertaining to disabilities and makes pop-up appearances around the Cleveland area at flea markets, art events, music venues, and even roller derby matches. The bookstore's strong reception has led Antenucci to add two co-owners, Allie Mackerty and Ellen Euclide; transition to a co-op structure; and begin the search for a physical store.
The space would allow Antenucci, Mackerty, and Euclide to expand the bookstore's inventory and host book clubs and other community events. Given the store's focus, there will be a major emphasis on accessibility, including ramps, books placed at eye level, and other accommodations.
Prior to launching Nightlight, Antenucci worked as a bookseller in Pittsburgh, Pa. In 2021 he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and returned to his hometown in Ohio and took a hiatus from working. He re-entered the bookselling world in 2022, this time with a focus on disabilities. He met Euclide and Mackerty while doing pop-ups.
"People in the wild who are facing a chronic disability, when they see our booth (at events), it’s almost like they emotionally or mentally sit down for a moment," Antenucci told the Land. "I've had hour-long conversations with people who have hung out with me at the booth."