Astoria Lit

Astoria Lit was founded in 2016 by Eleni Papadakis and her partner Omar Farooq, who envisioned a bookstore that would mirror the neighborhood's remarkable cultural tapestry. The store carries books in Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Bengali, Polish, Korean, and several other languages, with a particular strength in translated literary fiction. Its bright, modern interior features a cafe serving Greek coffee and baklava alongside chai and empanadas, reflecting the culinary diversity just outside its door. The children's section is stocked with bilingual picture books that have made it a favorite among multilingual families. Astoria Lit hosts a popular international book club that reads one title in translation each month, along with language exchange evenings and author events that frequently feature writers visiting from abroad.