Oxford bookstore opens selling only romance and fantasy novels

In Oxford, England, a unique bookstore named Bad Girl Books has opened, dedicated solely to the "romantasy" genre, a blend of romance and fantasy. Despite its niche focus, hundreds of people queued for hours before its opening, demonstrating that customers buy more than just books; they seek experiences, imagination, and a sense of community.

The store's name, "Bad Girl Books," plays on a Western pop culture trope where "bad girl" signifies independence and defiance of stereotypes. The founders likely chose the name for its memorability and marketing appeal, as provocative names often capture attention.

In an era where physical bookstores face digital competition, Bad Girl Books thrives by targeting a very specific audience. This strategy contrasts with traditional bookstores offering a wide variety of genres. The article notes that while such a specialized store may not exist in Indonesia, the concept of genre-specific reading is familiar, recalling the dedicated fan bases of Indonesian romance, martial arts, detective, and teen novel authors from the 1970s to 1990s.

The term "roman" (romance) has a long history in Indonesian literature, exemplified by Buya HAMKA's "Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck." HAMKA used romance not as an escape from reality, but as a lens to understand it more clearly. The story of Zainuddin and Hayati, for instance, critiques restrictive customs.