Every so often there’s a business idea so good you wonder why it hasn’t happened sooner. She Said is one of those: a bookshop for female and queer authors located in the heart of Berlin (and, of course, online). If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, we recommend setting aside quite some time to look through the selection. It is truly a treasure trove, from highly political polemics to colorful children’s books (see online for the shop’s current top picks). The space, designed by architects Mara Kanthak and Katharina Volgger is curved and bright, clean and comfortable, with enough room to browse with ease. The ceramic shelves custom made by Charlotte Dualé feature sculpted letters with the word “She” and are home to books by local and international authors alike.
Besides browsing, you can also visit the in-store cafe, which brews coffee from Vote and teas from Companion, all made fresh to-go by barista Lewis Soulier. Meanwhile baker and chef Fiamma Aleotti creates fresh baked goods on-site each day, with her legendary cinnamon bun the most popular among a selection of cookies and other sweet and savoury goodies. The value of elevating different voices and creating an inclusive space feels honest to each detail. Owner Emilia von Senger is quick to share that it was a huge team of people that made the idea happen: nine female and queer staff including artists and authors, activists and documentary filmmakers who all bring their talent and expertise to the job. You can read more about their work online or – better still – just stop by and say hello.
Text: Scarlett Peeters / Photos: Savannah van der Niet
She Said, Kottbusser Damm 79, 10967 Berlin-Neukölln; map
Mon–Fri 10h–19h, Sat 10h–18h
The shop remains open with measures in place to ensure safe shopping.
@shesaidbooks
