The Twisted Spine, a horror-focused bookstore and cafe, opened September 6 at 306 Grand St. in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. BK Reader reported that "the recent grand opening of the Twisted Spine... was met with a crowd, including a line outside the door."
Owners Lauren Komer and Jason Mellow had originally conceived the bookshop as a series of pop-ups, which eventually led to their bricks-and-mortar store.
"With so much real-life horror, we could use a place where we can combat those fears in a safe space," Komer told Shelf Awareness last spring when they announced their plans for a physical store. A $25,000 KickStarter campaign ultimately raised more tha $40,000 for the project.
She added that the 1,200-square-foot space carries a wide range of horror titles for children, teens, and adults, working with a "very broad definition" of horror to include titles for diehard fans as well as people new to the genre.
Mellow told BK Reader that "oftentimes in bookstores, it's common to have one or two shelves devoted to horror, but not an entire store." Komer agreed, adding that she hoped the Twisted Spine would become "a place where people are looking forward to being able to hang out and enjoy the spooky side of life." He recommends people come in and look for something that they don't necessarily think of as horror. "I think come and take a look at our selection. You'll find something you'll like."
Horror fans will "find a cozy, inviting space, meant to complement the scary stories on the page. The Twisted Spine also has an in-house café during the day and a bar at night, There's even a children's corner, where the store will host a collaborative 'Scary Story Time' with the Brooklyn Public Library," People magazine reported.
"NYC suffers from a lack of third spaces where people can come together," Mellow said. "We realized pretty quickly that the community aspect was something that people were really searching for."
After the opening, the bookstore posted on Instagram: "One year ago we held our first pop-up event, and today we've just finished our first full week at the Twisted Spine's permanent home--a truly wild 12 months.... We've always said NYC's Horror community is the best out there, and you keep proving us right! Your excitement and words of encouragement keep us going every day.... Opening a small business in NYC these days is the real horror, and a niche bookstore like ours would never exist without the support of the community."