Grolier Poetry Bookshop

The Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Harvard Square is the oldest continuously operated bookshop dedicated solely to the sale of poetry books. It stocks some 16,000 volumes of current poetry and writing about poetry, from new collections to periodicals and reference works, and its listing even mentions cassettes. The shop has celebrated its 90th anniversary, and in all that time its focus has stayed on poetry alone.

The shop’s survival owes a great deal to Ifeanyi A. Menkiti, who bought it in 2006 to keep it from shuttering. Born in Onitsha, Nigeria, Menkiti studied at Pomona College, Columbia and New York University, earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at Harvard and taught philosophy at Wellesley College for more than 41 years. He died in 2019 at 78, and his family continues the Grolier’s mission in his spirit.

What to Know

• Books can be ordered online through the shop’s web store and its Bookshop storefront.
• Hours can change without notice, so calling ahead is recommended.
• The shop is closed on most federal holidays.
• It is a member of the Harvard Square Business Association.