Tuesday is a sad day for the fans of Aaliya’s Books, as the beloved English-language bookshop is closing down due to the crisis in Lebanon.
Aaliya’s Books announced the news on their social media on Monday, declaring August 31st the last day of work, at least for a good while.
“Aaliya’s Books can no longer afford the spiralling cost of diesel to power its generator without incurring substantial losses,” the beloved bookshop’s announcement said.
The shortage of diesel fuel in Lebanon has become a primary reason for many local businesses to periodically suspend operations or, as is the case here, close down completely.
Not only is this essential fuel increasing in price, but, more problematically, it is becoming increasingly challenging to obtain it, be it by business owners for their institutions or by the average person for their vehicle.
“…We hope that someday (in the not extreme future) we will return and embark on another chapter with you all, but for now we raise a glass and thank you for being with us through thick and thin, and we apologize that we cannot at this point chart a path over, under or around the circumstances handed to us by a corrupt and negligent state,” Aaliya’s Books wrote.
Notably, this comes a day after the highly popular Classic Sandwich announced its permanent closure, also citing the current situation in Lebanon.
