A Clarendon resident is opening a new bookstore out of a renovated camper van, with plans to hit the road this summer.
Tessa Cannon is aiming to launch The Wandering Shelf, an independent mobile bookshop with about 700 fiction and nonfiction titles, later this spring. In terms of selection, she told ARLnow the store is focused on three categories: “cozy, fantastical and impactful reads.”
“I want, you know, books that help transport people, because there’s a lot of things going on in the world, and sometimes books can be a helpful escape for people,” Cannon said. “I [also] love books that challenge and inspire and ignite change in our conversations with people.”
Cannon intends to take The Wandering Shelf to Clarendon after Barnes & Noble closes for renovations in May at 2800 Clarendon Blvd. She also mentioned visiting Columbia Pike and Crystal City.
“We don’t really have another [bookstore] that’s walkable for people who don’t have cars,” Cannon said.
Since Cannon works full-time in humanitarian aid, she plans to operate The Wandering Shelf on weekends only. The store is aiming for a soft launch in May and an official opening in June.
Cannon said she has always wanted to open a community-oriented business, and reading one of her favorite books, “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” inspired her to take a literary direction. Like the novel, she hopes The Wandering Shelf will feel “like a warm hug” for customers.
“I think that Arlington and the DMV area — it’s very transient, and people are constantly on the move, but they’re also really passionate people,” Cannon said. “A lot of people are rooted in community here.”
